Offline Advertising Ideas

1. Put your website on notepads, pens, newsletters, bumper stickers, coffee cups.
2. Flyers – When you buy your morning newspaper, slip some flyers into the rest of the newspapers.
3. Business cards.
4. Article marketing. If you write articles and then use a service to publish them, your articles become viral. Your articles will spread like a virus and could have the potential to be viewed by hundreds of thousands of people.
5. Participating in online discussion forums is an excellent way to get the word out about your business – and it is free. Build relationships first and use your signature file to let everyone know what you do and who you are.
6. Free classifieds
7. Targeted ezine advertising is one of the most cost-effective ways to advertise your business.
8. Mail out postcards.
9. Bookmarks for libraries, don’t forget to talk to your librarian first. You can also give bookmarks away as business cards! People love odd, unique things that advertise.
10. Purchase cheap seed packets, put a tag/ sticky label on them with your website as well as a saying like, I am in the business of helping people grow- financially and professionally!
11. Use your knowledge and publish a newsletter or ezine. Once you build up your list you can offer paid subscriptions or ads.
12. Word of mouth (friends and family) Ask friends and family for referrals, NOT to join your business! They will wonder WHY you didn't ask them, and it will start to build curiosity. Just tell them, oh I didn't think you would be interested!
13. Forwarded emails – Add your testimony to your signature line.
14. Buttons
15. Pens to hand out with a short advertisement and your URL.
16. Welcome baby cards or small baskets for hospitals with business card or flyers in closed.
17. If your domain name is a string words, try capitalizing each. This helps people who just take a quick glance remember it.
18. Create an information type handout that briefly explains your business. Keep it short as possible, be sure it has your contact info.
19. When you go to a garage or yard sale, ask if you can leave a few of your flyers there. Better still, get a table there!
20. Community Colleges. Every student needs a part-time job. Put your flyers or info in common areas, and common billboards. Also check out ads in their student newsletter.
21. Put a business card in all outgoing mail including anything that has a postage paid envelope.
22. Visit establishments you do business with (doctor offices, health food stores, karate/dance studios, etc.) and ask if you can leave flyers.
23. Car magnets – You can put magnets all over your car. You can also purchase car business card holders or card caddies from eBay for about $15 or a little more. You can also put flyers on your car for folks to take.
24. Promote your business for free in local magazines, newspapers, community newsletters, etc. Many rely on voluntary writing contributions. Translate your knowledge into an article. It is free advertising and an effective way to establish yourself as an expert in your field.
28. Set up a free giveaway/raffle box in any store, gym etc. that will give you permission.
29. Post flyers at apartment complexes if they will allow it.
30. Place flyers under windshield wipers of cars.
31. Newspaper classified ads are cheap and effective. Ask about having your ad appear with a color background to make it stand out even more.
32. Buy a pre-inked, personalized stamp and put your ad on it. Stamp the back of any envelopes that you mail out.
33. When it comes to advertising and marketing, repetition plays an important part in your campaign's success.
34. We all get junk mail with the postage paid envelopes. Just send a flyer back to the company and use their return envelope.
35. Personalized T-shirts and hats are very effective at getting attention!
36. Make up Gift basket raffles for Church bazaars, concerts held during summer, festivals at your local community hall, or any town function. Do not forget to put your business card or some other advertisement in the basket. If you can't afford the space, ask someone who already has space to let you put it in their space for a few $$$. Make sure it is really bright, colorful and splashy to draw good attention to the booth.
37. Put flyers on car windshields at your kids' sporting events.
38. Leave a business card with your tip for your waiter/waitress.
39. Reply to spam email with your own business advertisement.
40. Give your business cards to friends and family and ask them to give them out to people they know who would be interested in part-time or full-time income.
41. Google and see what local businesses are doing fundraisers or silent auctions, and donate a give basket with business products, and lots of flyers /cards.
42. Ask your local Chinese takeout if you can post a flyer in their window or some area.
43. Create a post it stack of your business cards with a glue stick and then post them at pay phones, on gas station pumps etc.
44. Business cards with a magnetic back really stick in people’s minds as well as on their refrigerator. Vistaprint.com makes these cheap.
45. Leave business cards by the change machine in the mall arcade, at the ATM machine, or at the laundromat.
46. Put your website address on your sun visor using vinyl letters. Vistaprint can make these as well.
47. Find an old metal tin (or new), put a magnet on the back, put your business cards in them and then just attach this to your car, with a tag saying TAKE ONE, when you go into a store.
48. Google your local area for job fairs, get there early before the doors open, folks come early to these and line up. You can go down the line, and give everyone your flyer & card. Make a special flyer with a heading like Why work for someone else when you can work for YOU? or Wouldn't you rather be working for Yourself? Be different and get noticed. When you are unique then you are one step ahead of your competition.