Thread: Offline Traffic Generation

Hi All

Does anyone use any offline techniques for getting customers/traffic to their website?

For instance I have read that some people are using journals/magazines/free ads etc... to point people to their online services and products; some of these have apparently become more affordable as they are having problems competing with the internet.

I would be grateful for any comments.

Thanks


Marco

Yes...lots...

It really depends on your niche, but here are some options:

1. business cards...you know the emails you get for 500 free ones..I always take them up on it...it's free...then leave them around...

2. University Boards...go to your local universities...they have bulletin boards all over the place...print up some fliers and post them (or use some of those business cards)

3. Classified ads...Newspapers, mags, etc

I have had success with all these methods...sounds simple...but sometimes...simple works...no use
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Marc is right!
Once you've branded yourself (Google'd yourself and you have a full page)
I get those cheap business cards...and on it I put,
"If ever you need some answers, coaching, assistance in xxxxx,( whatever you like to put there)
Google me! (then I put my "branded name" and "to Google me: go to Google Search and type in that name")
That's all I put on it...and it works well.

Also, in the past I have gone to restaurants that have those fishbowls
where customers put their business cards for free drawings (make a deal with the restaurant manager) and picked up bags full of cards.
I designed a neat little brochure, simple, direct, (no hype) that directed
people to my website. Then I just mailed 50 per week to the people at their address listed on those cards. ( a little expensive today to do, but it did work with about 3% conversion--mailings to sales. I was selling a print version of one of my books)
As you can imagine from that...it was a few years ago.

I have also found that little publications like Thrifty Nickel work well as long as you
make your ad brief and to the point.

In my local area, I contacted the cable company who has a simple channel of nothing but local business ads on it and local news/weather scrolling print info. Just create a simple page (landscape style)
with your headline, very brief body copy and website addy in large font.
Locally they charge nothing for that service and it does get me hits and subscribers.
Not a ton, but I do get 5-8 per week subscribers from that alone.
If they have that service in your area, check it out.
And, if so, check out other people's ads on there.
To stand out, all you have to do is make your ad look a little better than the others.
So analyze the others, and just "be better, more professional".

Church newsletters and apartment newsletters have always worked well enough as well.
However, sometimes they might ask for $5-10 bucks for that placement.

Contact any local newpapers in your area (or whatever area you might want to target)
and write a print Press Release for their newspapers.
That works, too.
While you're communicating with the editor about that, go ahead and ask if you could be an un-paid contributor for that paper, maybe writing one article per week or so.
They'll say no at first, but then they always call and ask you "could you write an article about......? Just stick your bio at the end, just like in a press release.

Hey Marc and DrDax

Thank you very much for the advice and wide variety of ideas....I aim to put some of them into practice.

Best Wishes

Marco

Hello,
The above posts' do offer some valuable tips and information. I also use flyers and business cards. Most people start out with the free business cards from Vista Print. The free ones are a good idea because you will want to improve the card as time goes by. I carry several of the cards in my wallet and vehicle. Just be prepared to answer the phone because after about a year you will have several people calling you for business.
I use a flyer that has the title in big red letters across the top so that people can see it from far away and on the right hand side I have my web address as a list where people can, and do, tear it off and take it home.
As for the Internet free ads here are what I have told my friends, and it works, just go to Google and type in my user name onefatherslove. You will see every place that I have posted an ad or comment. Just start at the first pace, that does not link to my website, and start posting your own ads and comments. I have several thousand listings, and they are all free!!! By the way, if you can, a tip is to have your user name the same as your web address, that will tie in all of your posts and links together. Have a great day!

A good idea would be to post newspaper or magazine ads which show your website and / or email address. You can get a lot of leads that way. Another method would be advertising an toll free or regular number and then mentioning the website on the message. However, you must use an "easy to remember" name for this method.

Hello,
I agree with jasontn that newspaper or magazine ads which show your website address are a valuable way to promote. When I first started out I placed some ads in the Pennysaver that said "Go to
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for free help and resources." At that time there were no advertisements on my website, so the Pennysaver allowed me to place an ad for free. I remember the Pennysaver rep called me and helped me identify groups of zip codes in my area that have a demographic population of people that would use my website. We also rotated the zip code areas each 7 days until I covered all the surrounding Sacramento area. All of this was very valuable for me at the time, and I still use the same system of demographics to put out flyers or give presentations. So, if anyone has a website that is free from ads, then call your local Pennysaver and set up a free ad and use it to learn what works for the people that your company serves. Once you have that data from free experience, then you can use it to help make a wise choice of where and how to invest your money into a paid marketing plan.

Anything (legal) that gets your business in front of people has the potential to increase your traffic.... The more targeted your advertising the better.....

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Originally Posted by marc meole
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Yes...lots...

It really depends on your niche, but here are some options:

1. business cards...you know the emails you get for 500 free ones..I always take them up on it...it's free...then leave them around...

2. University Boards...go to your local universities...they have bulletin boards all over the place...print up some fliers and post them (or use some of those business cards)

3. Classified ads...Newspapers, mags, etc

I have had success with all these methods...sounds simple...but sometimes...simple works...no use
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yes, great ideas - the business card one is fantastic - you put them everywhere and if you use a really creative headline etc you can have some fun with them.

Try putting them in the strangest places and see what happens!!
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ps there is a guy around my area who created a sign about 2 foot by 1 foot and has stuck it on telephone poles advertising his IM website - the local council by rights should take these down but they have been up for about 1 year. It simply has his website address and a quick 6 word heading - that's it!!

Another guy who has a landscaping business around here has done this too but the problem is he has a black bgd with red writing and unless you are standing in front of it you cannot read it while driving!! Everytime I see it I think that I should contact him and tell him to use different colour and bigger font, better heading etc.
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Originally Posted by marc meole
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Yes...lots...

It really depends on your niche, but here are some options:

1. business cards...you know the emails you get for 500 free ones..I always take them up on it...it's free...then leave them around...

2. University Boards...go to your local universities...they have bulletin boards all over the place...print up some fliers and post them (or use some of those business cards)

3. Classified ads...Newspapers, mags, etc

I have had success with all these methods...sounds simple...but sometimes...simple works...no use
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All good ideas, I sometimes get so absorbed in SEO that I forget about the simple things ! Thanks

good ideas Ian getting so much info in this forum I love it

Direct Response Marketing is great.

Well made post cards promoting your site could have excellent results

Alex Kann