A Roundup of Seven Non-Digital Strategies for Spreading Ideas

 A Roundup of Seven Non-Digital Strategies for Spreading Ideas

I was a part of a forum conversation not long ago regarding offline marketing, which is defined as the practice of attracting visitors to your online properties through less modern forms of advertising. As a kid, I thought it was awesome when I saw a URL in a TV ad for the first time.

The most cost-effective viral marketing strategies in the offline world are constrained by geography, which presents a challenge for certain websites. Offline marketing is pointless for the majority of websites and blogs, according to one forum member. That is an incorrect generalization, in my opinion. Actually, offline viral promotion is something that every website should do. These initiatives, which can lead to very effective web programs, are known as drive to web programs.

When advertising your site offline, the two most crucial aspects of promotion take on an even greater significance. Offline marketing, like its online counterpart, relies on strategically placing your message in front of prospects at just the right moment, when they are in the ideal frame of mind to take the desired action (here, visiting your website).

The two most important parts of every idea for viral marketing are the hook and the context. The next step, after deciding how to do it, is to choose a location. Distributing business cards won't generate local leads if your business's niche and breadth don't align with that. It all comes down to the amount of time and money you are willing to invest; in my opinion, offline leads could be beneficial for any website.

Here are some suggestions, along with brief descriptions of the setting and hook:

1. Suggestion: List your URL next to your phone number. Despite its importance, most people only include it on their business cards and neglect to include it on other marketing materials. Letterheads, press releases, ads in newspapers and radio/TV stations, corporate cars, brochures, sales sheets, and the bottom of each page of your catalog are just a few examples. A generic URL and email address (contact@yourco.com) should accompany any phone number.

Price: Free. The materials are already going into your budget.

Because your commercials should be seen and audible in all of the places you select, and because your marketing materials go widely, the context is global.

Webcards are the second option. Business cards are available at a reasonable price these days. As an example of viral marketing, DCP Print gives away 250 business cards for free with their logo on the back, or you can buy 500 cards for $9.99. They could use some fat, but they'll get the job done. The goal is to use a striking hue that complements your site's aesthetic (such as a sunny yellow or sky blue) and prominently display your URL in the center. Include a brief summary of the site, your contact information (email and phone number), and distribute them.

Price: Very low.

The fact that you are handing them out makes them more locally focused. Now, hold on a second.

3. Concept: Turn every interaction with customers into a chance for viral marketing. Those webcards from the last concept, right? Giving them out to consumers straight out of the bag is the obvious choice, isn't it? Attaching a few of them to an invoice, statement, or other form of correspondence with a little note that you personally write could be a thoughtful gesture. You could encourage the recipient to retain one card and donate the other to someone who could use it.

You can use this with a lot of the suggestions below.

Customers should be more than willing to lend you a hand if you put in the effort to get to know them. If they refer you, be sure to express your gratitude.

Price: Very low.

Background: This concept has promise; it's like a cross between viral marketing and chain letters. The reach is worldwide.

4. Proposal: Subsidized Referrals. This is a brilliant plan that can be implemented in any setting, not just online. One option for online is to provide a link on your sites or send an email to your consumers. Websites can take use of resources like refer-a-buddy, and there are many free scripts available to help spread the word about this page.

Provide an incentive for your present clients to recommend your business to others. Perhaps it's a lottery ticket, a discount code good for a certain percentage off their next purchase, or some other valuable incentive. So you can keep track of who's lending you a hand, this prompts folks to reveal who suggested them.

Create a voucher and distribute it to individuals so they can distribute it to others for the offline version.

Even if you bribe someone to refer you, you should still appreciate them.

Depending on the bribe, the cost can range from little to a lot.

Setting: On a global scale when offline and internet are used together.

Idea No. 5: Trinkets. Giving out tchochkes, or "choch-kez," is a great way to get people to visit your website. Webcards are a kind of tchochke, which can refer to a variety of items such as paperweights, coffee cups, T-shirts, fridge magnets, and other similar items that we often keep lying around the house or on our desks.

Our wine shop's logo is printed in gold on the corkscrews and foil cutters that we hand out to customers. People frequently ask for them, so I know they are making their way around, even though I never leave them out in the open.

Although they can be highly successful, they can also come with a hefty price tag. If you create a coffee cup or paperweight that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing, your client will most likely display it on his desk, where it will be visible to anybody entering his office. Get the URL out there and make an effort to make it interesting and memorable.

Possible high expense.

Situation: They can be sent anywhere in the world.

6. Concept: Sending out individualized direct mail offers Your success will hinge on the quality of your offer and how effectively you target your prospects; I have accomplished this on multiple occasions with great results.

This strategy might be costly, but it could be worth it if you have a very specific website, a subscription-based service, or a high-priced niche product. Depending on your needs, you can find a mailing list that suits you. Edith Roman has been my broker for many years. Create an email list and entice potential customers with a tempting offer—a free trial, a gift, a discount, a trinket, etc.

To redeem their offer, send them a well-designed, tidy, personalized message along with a personalized URL (an easy one). Make use of a personalized landing page and an attractive deal.

Price range: somewhat pricey to extremely pricey.

Background: Worldwide.

7. The World as a Billboard for Your Business If your drive-to-web program could benefit from a more regional emphasis, you should seek out local opportunities to promote your URL. Being original and creative always pays off.

I've seen advertisements on billboards, in pens and pencils, on cars, even on yard signs and bumper stickers. Consider it carefully and devise a suitable solution.

Leave plenty of white space. Add your website address and some evocative words:

Visit www.yankeewine.com instead.
Larger is preferable

Someone had personalized bookmarks produced and placed them in books belonging to specific categories at a nearby bookstore owned by a friend. Brilliant. Somebody else made PDF viral marketing kits so that site visitors may share the news in their local communities. Yet another terrific suggestion.

Expense: Minimal.

Setting: Regional.

You can't predict when a chance to hand away promotional materials like business cards, web cards, pamphlets, knickknacks, or any other kind of viral marketing may present itself.

The trunk of my automobile is stocked with pamphlets and business cards. The luggage of my motorbike even has a stack of playing cards.

One or two of these ideas—or all of them—should be part of your implementation strategy. Please share any offline viral marketing strategies you may have. Let AffiliateBlog know about them.

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