A lot of offline behaviors are moving online including partnerships, coupons, and word of mouth. Online promotion should be the focus of almost all businesses. For every printed promotion think about online alternatives. They can be more measurable and efficient.
There are two offline channels that are still very important. One is navigation. Be easy to find and look attractive on the street. The other is third-party events. Create a mini-version of your business and include it in events with relevant audience.
Action steps
- Create printed materials to promote your business.
- Identify the best events to get in touch with your prospective customers.
Word of mouth
Move customer recommendations to digital and printed forms. Yes, your current customers can recommend you in conversation with their friends. But it would be easier for them and more measurable for you, if you can move this behavior to online and paper. On internet, create “invite your friends” functionality and reward most active inviters. Also make it easy to share your site and send the link around. For offline, give flyers and gift cards that your customers can pass to their friends.
Have a simple and effective phrase for recommendations. E.g. <X> is the best service to incorporate your new company. Include this line in your communications (online, paper).
Encourage group visits. Incentivize your current customers to bring their friends with them. Give group discounts or make it more fun to visit you with friends. Create special offers for families and corporate participation.
Encourage customer photos. Have some great objects to take photo with.
Navigation and outdoors
The location itself is the ultimate promotion tool. If you are the only coffee shop on a university campus, you’ve already made it. Where are your prospective customers? Where are the businesses with most similar audiences?
Be easy to find. Have a notable sign. Be easy to see at night. Consider putting some additional navigation elements for the path from a bigger street or subway station. Can people find you from the front of the street?
Be remarkable. Do you cause any emotion from people who pass by? Is there any curiosity or interest? Do they want to see more?
Explain what you do. Is it clear what business are you in? E.g. if it is a restaurant, do people understand it?
Cross-promote with neighbors. Meet your neighbors, look for ones with similar audiences. Exchange flyers and navigation signs, cross-promote by your online channels.
Printed materials
Create flyers for your best offers. Promise something for free, cheap, with discount or a two-for-one type of deal. Give out upcoming events listings. Quality of paper and design directly influences whether your flyer will be thrown away or taken home.
Distribute flyers at your location. Put them in friendly locations with similar audiences. Offer to distribute partner flyers in return. Put small logos of your partners on your flyer. Sometimes it is a good idea to put people on the street to distribute your flyers.
Use business cards to stay in touch with existing customers. For acquiring new customers focus on deal flyers instead. Business cards should explain clearly what your company is offering.
Consider not using wall posters. Traditionally, wall posters were used for events and jobs. Typically, they are posted at universities and residential communities. Now, there are more effective online channels for most of these cases.
Events
Create a mini-version of your business to include it in relevant events. It can be a mini-store, demonstration of your products, or a service station.
Game store GaGaGames is organizing and managing gaming zones at all major festivals in the city.
Give talks. Look for events with most relevant audience. Be useful, not just promotional. What is the most effective event in the city for your business promotion?
This article is a part of Earlydays, an open guide for first-time entrepreneurs.
Written by Yury Lifshits — yury@yury.name — @yurylifshits
