“YOU NEED TO BE MARKETING YOUR BUSINESS ONLINE!!!” How many ‘gurus’ have shoved this modern marketing trope in your face… this week?
As a business owner, you’re constantly bombarded with Facebook ads claiming, “With these online marketing secrets, you can make millions, like me!” We know, because we get those same ads too.
And we get it. It is sexy to think about throwing up a simple opt-in form, turning on a Facebook ad and watching clients line up to work with you.
Unfortunately, this ‘simple’ strategy is extremely complex (and surprisingly expensive) to master.
The Problem With Online Marketing
When we first started our business Big Impact, Inc, we too were intrigued by the idea of online marketing. We reached out to our friends who have made it big online and we began to see the dirty secrets behind internet success:
- We saw the thousands of hours they spent building their online presence.
- We were privy to the tens of thousands of dollars they spent on marketing.
- We got a glimpse into the dozens of contractors they hired to pull it all together.
Just think about it. To successfully market your business online you need to learn, at a minimum: copywriting, web design, graphic design, Facebook ads, social media marketing, video production, email marketing and about sales funnels.
AT. A. MINIMUM!
We quickly realized there’s a time and a place for online marketing and it’s definitely not when your business is making less than $10K/ month, you aren’t crystal clear on your niche, or you haven’t refined your message.
Instead of spending hours tweaking your sales funnels or setting up Facebook ads, why not focus on the hundreds of leads and dozens of clients who are begging to work with you, right in your own backyard?
Offline marketing gives you the opportunity to meet your next clients directly. From there you can let your personality shine through to charm them and ease any concerns they may have in real-time – something which just isn’t possible from behind a screen.
What is Offline Marketing?
Offline marketing represents marketing efforts that are related to meeting people and sharing new ideas, and engaging with them in real life. From hosting events and live demonstrations to cold calling and putting up billboard ads, offline marketing can help you to build brand awareness.
Offline Marketing Channels & Strategies Which Will Benefit Your Business
In the beginning, we needed to build our business fast, and we knew the secret to getting clients fast was through SPEAKING.
Using only speaking, we grew our business to over $400,000 in just 10 months… without a website or business cards!
To get to that level using internet marketing would take YEARS, not months (let alone, how do you pay the FB ad consultant and ad spend to Facebook if you’re not yet profitable in your business?)
We deduced from our experience that the magic potion to an effective offline marketing strategy was through word of mouth—literally the words coming out of your mouth!
When you communicate with members of your target audience and talk to them, they engage at a sensory level. They can look at you, hear you talk, shake your hand, and even get close enough to smell you.
That said, to ensure the message you wish to communicate is not received as scrambled signals, it is important to be mindful of how you speak.
When you were a child, did your parents use stories to get you to finish the veggies on your plate? Didn’t their voice modulation, expressions, and words help you to get that plate clean?
Like your parents could make their child healthy, you can utilize your speaking skills to achieve positive outcomes. This means communicating clearly with the target audience and tailoring your responses to suit them.
For instance, if your product or services can help an older citizen, you can talk to them about how your product or service fits into their lives.
In our hyper-connected world, a good way to take a break is to look up and talk to the person standing next to us. So, the next time you are waiting in line at the grocery store, put your phone down and talk to other shoppers. Do not forget to hand out your business card if you find a potential client!
The way you communicate can make a huge difference on how people perceive you and your brand. Your advertising and marketing campaign can benefit immensely from high quality, well honed speaking skills.
Here are the five best ways to generate clients for your business through the magic of effective speaking.
Host Your Own Meetups and Events
Your audience wants to connect with you. To make it possible, hosting meetups and events is a proven strategy for marketing your business.
To start your event, it is useful to ask yourself why you are organizing it and what you wish to achieve through it. This will streamline your efforts and structure the event well.
Begin by organizing your team, delegating tasks, and determining the budget. Your team and you can then work accordingly.
When organizing a meetup, ensure that the venue is comfortable, and if you need any permits or permissions from the authorities, get them early.
Communicate your ideas clearly to the marketing team. This will ensure that they find the right people to invite to your meetup. Identify your marketing strategies for advertising the event.
Both offline and online marketing strategies can help you with publicity. Do not forget to pin up flyers on notice boards!
Take time before the event to practice and work on your speech, body language, funny anecdotes, and make sure you know your marketing campaign well. Consequently, when you host your event, your audience becomes a receptacle to highly targeted and controlled messages. They may not want to listen to your grandma’s pumpkin pie recipe, so avoid any unrelated tangents.
Highlight your product and services well during the event through effective and persuasive speaking. Engage with your audience, talk to them, build relationships, and carry enough business cards to hand out at the end of the event.
Attending Networking Events
Networking events offer a wonderful platform for meeting new people, giving an elevator pitch, and marketing your product and services.
You want to look sharp and confident, so dress professionally and polish your speaking skills. While you are there, make an impact on the people you meet by impressing them with your leadership, confidence, and enthusiasm. Your public speaking skills will make sure that these qualities shine through.
For effective communication, be succinct and precise. Rehearse your pitch, check your posture, and do not forget to smile! Your public speaking skills are going to help you get new clients and partners at this event.
Make an effective impression by improving your communication skills and rocking your offline marketing campaigns.
Networking events can be used to build relationships and communicate with the audience directly. One of the finest tools in your arsenal, marketers agree that a networking event can help your marketing strategy immensely.
If your marketing campaign relates to robotics and there is an ongoing conference for the automotive industry, attend it for networking purposes and to expand your customer base. There might be some people willing to collaborate on your idea or incorporate your idea into theirs and develop a new business model.
You don’t want your business card and the lint in your pocket to become friends. Avoid this by using a card case. Following the event, connect through phone calls, digital platforms, or meet up again.
Travel to visit your prospects or invite them to dinner
One of the most successful offline marketing strategies for closing a client is to visit them or invite them over for dinner. Your clients will love a sprinkle of care and attention from you, and to connect with you on a personal level.
These social engagements can deepen your bond and give you valuable insights into your client’s needs.
A bowling event, rock-climbing adventure, or lunch date can help you connect with your prospects in their element.
Before you dive into marketing your products and services, enjoy the company of your client and appreciate them taking time out of their busy schedules for you.
Follow business dining etiquette and keep a professional attitude at all times as you discuss your exciting business.
Start Speaking On Stage
Marketing tactics that allow you to connect with your audience and grow your prospects list? Yes, a million times yes!
If you have been invited to speak at an event, grab the opportunity and the mic. Attending events organized by other people allows you to leverage their audience and grow your client base.
We grew our business many times over through public speaking events, and strongly suggest that you utilize it for your venture too.
Public speaking builds your brand by exposing the audience to your name and that of your business. It is human nature to view public speakers as authority figures, and your marketing campaign can benefit from this. Public speaking creates a reputation for expertise and brings new clients to you.
Isn’t it wonderful to make moolah through this traditional marketing style that continues to work its evergreen charm?
To conquer your fear of public speaking, you can enroll in public speaking classes. These will help you to get professional feedback and develop your signature style.
Find online a list of public speaking events near you. Contact the organizers and see if you can speak at their events. When you go to the event, bring your marketing material with you.
Carry business cards, brochures, give discount codes for signing up to your mailing lists and use the opportunity for advertising your services offline.
Trade Shows & Conferences
Many companies use trade show marketing to showcase their new products. You can find a niche-focused audience here and have meaningful conversations with them.
Improved relationships, widespread brand awareness, high conversion rates, and immersive experiences are all possible to explore at trade shows.
Use them to your advantage by communicating and networking with the attendees. Your next potential customer could be present, waiting to have a quick word with you!
Booths, especially, are a great way to meet industry professionals and invite them into your world.
Set up an attractive booth at a trade show and share information about your business. Make sure that the representatives at the booth know the products inside out and have sufficient marketing material to hand out.
Service businesses, for example, can find an enormous new following when they present their expertise in the form of live demonstrations. Your trade is highly likely to be valued, and you may also sign deals for future business engagements.
Do you offer professional organizer services? Get your business out in a conference and show visitors your proficiency. Ask them to pick out ten random items (anything from a packet of chips and a pen to a sock and some earrings), and organize them in front of your *potential* clients.
If your business deals with stationery, try to set up a booth at a book fair or a stationery trade show. Carry enough samples to give out, and put up boards that explain about what you sell and how your product is different from others.
Get your visitors to use your product and share their reviews in an engaging format. How about sticking smileys on a board for you?
A functional booth that lets the visitors enjoy and learn about your brand can be a brilliant marketing method that makes your cash register go “cha-ching”!
Online vs Offline Marketing
Instead of choosing between offline and online marketing strategies, you can develop a unified approach to marketing by combining the two. Your business can use social media pages to connect with customers far and wide and use phone calls to talk about what’s new with your services. Say yes to direct mail and QR codes, and warm calling and digital marketing!
Having an array of marketing tactics at your disposal can grow your client base over large distances. Ramp up your online marketing efforts to engage the audience living in different states or countries. You can host podcasts and e-conferences to talk about your business.
Give strength to your offline marketing campaign by meeting people in your local community, attending networking events, or gaining a loyal client over a bike ride.
Offline and online marketing tactics can complement each other like macaroni does cheese.
Offline marketing strategies add a personal touch to your efforts while online marketing helps you stay in touch regardless of the distance. A unified strategy for marketing your business can give it a firm customer base that continues to grow.
Conclusion
If you want to learn how to effectively market your products and services offline, work with Big Impact HQ. We will teach you how to grow your business exponentially through the power of words and talking.
At our Big Impact University, you will learn how to let go of your fears, embrace your style, and unleash the influence within.
When you enroll at Big Impact University, you will learn how to connect with your audience and see your business flourish.
If you have the energy, we have the lessons!
This university teaches you the most powerful skills in offline marketing. You will learn offline marketing strategies that help your business make more money than ever!
Offline marketing methods that you learn at Big Impact University will allow you to connect on a human level with your audience because deep down, we all want to meet people and swap stories. These methods will engage all senses of your prospective clients.
You can leverage the benefits of public speaking by enrolling in our courses and improving your offline marketing skills.
Big Impact University teaches you how to become a powerful leader who knows what they want and gets it too. We want you to go after your innermost dreams and propel them in your personal and professional lives.
Sign up for our services at Big Impact University and discover the confident and charming version of you that takes their business to great financial heights.
