We live in a digital world. You've probably built a reputation online through your blogs, so it makes sense to base a lot of your marketing on the same principles. But if you concentrate entirely on the online marketing, you're overlooking a whole host of potential new readers.
Here are four offline marketing ideas that many bloggers typically neglect and that can help you reach an untapped market.
1. Become a guest columnist
Contrary to popular belief, newspapers are not dead. Even when you specialize in digital media, it doesn't hurt to switch to another medium in an effort to reach new audiences.
Contact the local newspaper to become a guest columnist. You can write on similar topics from your blog or express your opinion on local issues. Alternatively, if you write about a niche topic such as home repairs, you will be able to answer questions that some potential readers have. This will help readers feel more engaged with what you write, and therefore make them more inclined to check out your blog.
Include web address or QR code on your blog on the footer in order to be quickly authenticated. Besides introducing yourself to new readers, you also get free advertising for your blog.
2. Volunteer
Volunteering can provide many benefits beyond helping others and supporting a good cause. Not only will this make you feel great, but it can also help you form new relationships with people and feature them on your blog.
Whether it's working at a local soup kitchen, helping out at an animal shelter, or serving on the board of a Organisation non-profit, choose a cause that is close to your heart so that you get the most out of it. Depending on what you choose to do, it may even help you find new topics for your blog.
Volunteering will help build your reputation with those you work with, but also with those your readers who see a different side of you. It might give them a stronger bond, especially if you choose a cause they care about.
3. Brand impression
Depending on your budget, you might have some branded materials to use for various occasions. In a digital world, promotional products can establish a physical connection with readers. You don't have to order a ton of items, but it will definitely be to your benefit to have some of these items on hand.
If you blog about places or things to do in a region, remember to use stickers or stickers as a reward for the companies you consult. They can put them in their storefronts and it serves as advertising for your blog at the same time.
You can also create stickers to distribute at meetings and other events. They can be used on laptops or car windows, making them mobile billboards for your blog. For larger promotions like a contest or raffle, you can use branded T-shirts, coffee mugs, key chains or magnets.
For bloggers who sell products, consider sending letters in unique envelopes like these from the company records, with your logo or other branding elements. It could be a thank you note with every purchase, a meeting invitation, or a birthday card with a discount code. This personal touch will help build brand awareness and build loyalty among your readers. It's also a simple way to take your blog from the digital world to the real world.
Business cards are a must for networking. A unique design on a standard stock is a minimal expense to connect people to your blog. Include a QR code to allow people to verify your site in a quick and easy way.
4. Attend blog meetings
Allows you to stay indoors most of the time, but it also provides opportunities to get out of the house and meet readers or other bloggers. It's important to approach a meetup as more than a self-promotion event. You must therefore go with the intention of learning new things and making contact with others in your industry. Use it as an opportunity to catch up with people you know too. If this is an event with readers, use it as an opportunity to answer their questions or ask people about potential blog topics.
Remember those business cards you bought? Take them with you to trade with others. Remember to follow up on these conversations later to build your relationships. These could potentially lead to cross-promotion or guest blogging opportunities. It is also good to know people who can relate to up and down professional blogs, even if it's just brainstorming fairly simple questions.
When you focus on making your digital content as good as possible, it can be easy to overlook the offline opportunities that will allow you to grow. These techniques add a personal touch and help readers feel a connection with you beyond the screen, which strengthens your relationships and builds loyalty.
Do you have any other suggestions for offline marketing? Share them in the comments below.
