Since we are on the Internet pretty much every day it sometimes blurs the lines of what is real and what not. Therefore we tend to oversee the obvious when looking for advertising solutions for our products and business. We strive to find the best deal online and score the net for ideas on where to advertise most cost effectively.

But do we ever think about offline means of promoting our business? Advertising in the offline world can be a very effective way to drive traffic to our websites for example. And there are literally dozen if ways we can do this. When I was actively involved in MLM I did a lot of advertising both offline and online and therefore I am very familiar with many advertising avenues. Those I found most effective were not always paid advertising versions either. To promote our business we most often want to send traffic to a website or blog.

So we advertise.

Looking back I tried many things and some worked better than others. But since we are all different you might find that what wouldn’t work well for me would be great for you instead. Another thing with advertising is that it can’t be predicted. It is in fact very seasonal and varies depending on the economy too.

Yes, we do have have stats but these figures are often taken from the top earners in any industry.

So lets look at ways we can advertise our business in the offline world.

1. Flashcards are small business cards that offer a quote, a discount or some free info along with your details. They are predominately left wherever you go; in restaurants, in waiting rooms, airport, etc.
2. Car Decals are magnetic or stick on car banners with your URL along a catchy logo
3. Tshirts are often undervalued when it comes to promotion. Stick your URL on it and wear them in the street.
4. Markets are great when you sell some sort of product. They are a great way to get to know your customer and I have personally had a lot of success with markets.
5. Local Business chambers; from breakfast meetings to a full business workshop weekend with like minded people within the community can be used to network and promote. In most cities business networking groups are now a common thing and if there isn’t one in your area, why not start one yourself.
6. Newspapers are also a cost effective way to advertise. The secret here is to find one that has good rates which becomes increasingly harder and lots of exposure. It takes a lot of research to find some good ones, but they do still exist.
7. Newsletters can be a fantastic way to tell the world what you are up to. If you are in the Internet business, why not construct an e - news - gazette where you feature the latest news from the Internet and compile it into a short booklet to disperse at local businesses. Offer them free advertising within or some discount from your service.
8. Promotional keyrings, mugs, beach balls etc. offer us with the opportunity to buy in mass for a good rate and get these items branded with our logo, URL or whatever leads them back to us. Give them away for free.
9. Local business directories.
   
10. Your Voice is still the best offline tool to advertise your business. You don’t have to be salesy at all to let people know what you do. Just sharing your genuine passion for your business will help to arouse enough interest for others to have a look at what you do.

The methods described above do have some costs assimilated with it. In the end, these methods are simply there to help stimulate your thinking on alternative ways to advertise your business. If you have some ideas to share with our readers, then please let us know and comment below this post.

Take care for now

Monika Mundell Creator and Author of Blogging Web 2.0

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