Offline Advertising Tips for Local Businesses

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Advertising is the backbone of a local business for promotions and generating leads. Although the world has moved to digital platforms, offline marketing has not lost its essence.
Big brands still rely heavily on offline marketing channels to boost their business. So, even if you have a local business, you have the equal opportunity to promote it offline and online.
Let us look at 12 Offline advertising tips that will change the game for your local business.

12 Offline Advertising Tips That Will Put Your Local Businesses At The Top

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Listed below are the 12 most effective advertising tips to give your local business a boost.

1. Create a Business Card

A business card is your business identity. Use business cards to create opportunities and increase brand awareness. It will allow you to make a first impression and personalized contact.
Zohra Mouhetta, a fitness trainer, went viral. The reason?
Her business card was highly creative and sent the right message across. The tearable business card gave her business message a voice. Strip away your belly.

Tips For Creating A Business Card

• Make it easy and understandable
• Do not forget to proofread it
• Take a creative approach
• Hire a professional to print your business cards

You can use Canva free business card maker to design one for your business.
Have a look at the various kinds of designs Canva offers for creating business cards

2. Reach Out to the Local Newspaper

Local press coverage is an adequate advertising opportunity, especially for local businesses. You can target a specific locality, find new customers, and quickly announce significant events. Even if you are not looking for a space in the newspaper, you can slide in your business pamphlets.
Take a cue from McDonald's. They have been coming out with creative and eye-catching advertisements forever. Whether reading the news from fries or burgers, they do not hold back.

Tips To Make A Creative Newspaper Ad

• Ensure that you are using readable and simple fonts
• Minimal designs get more attention
• Copy must be clear and concise
• Use headlines effectively

Take the help of Prowly Media Database to reach out to local journalists.
Here’s a screenshot from Prowly’s dashboard that lets you easily find media contacts and create press releases for your business

3. Print Banners and Posters

Other forms of advertising to boost local businesses are banners, posters, and billboards. This form of print ads captures the attention of the customers instantly. You can build brand presence and generate ROI quickly with this form of advertising.
Berger did a fantastic job with the billboard ad. They kept it simple but conveyed their message. The aim was to highlight natural finish and colors with their new age paints innovatively.

Tips For Creating The Best Banners, Posters, And Billboards

• Ensure that the text is large
• Use powerful design elements and colors
• Choose the billboard space with maximum traffic and footfall
• Make it smart and interactive

You can make banners online using Canva Free Online Banner Maker.
Here’s an example of different banner designs you can create using Canva for your business

4. Collaborate with Other Local Businesses

There are multiple layers to offline advertising. As much as your local business needs it, other companies need it too. You can collaborate with other small local businesses and hold marketing campaigns together. You will enable their customers to reach out and expand your horizon.
Take inspiration from KFC and Cheetos. They came together in New York to combine two things people love the most. The Cheetos Chicken sandwich was on the menu for approximately four weeks and created a lot of buzz.

Tips For Collaborating With Other Businesses

• Curate a list of local businesses similar to your company and interest
• Make a pitch and give them reasons to collaborate with you
• Layout a basic plan, execution, and ROI estimates for the pitch.
• Talk in numbers

Check out Hubspot's list of 50 local business directories to get in touch with other businesses.
Here’s a screenshot from HubSpot showing the top local business directories for businesses

5. Sponsor a Local Event

You have to engage with the local community to boost your local business. Try to get in touch with community event organizers and offer to sponsor a local event. Take advantage and place your business cards and banners for locals to notice.
Coca-Cola has sponsored the Olympic Games since 1928. The brand aims to promote youth participation in the Olympic games. You can take inspiration from them and sponsor any local event to build relationships and promote your business.

Tips To Enhance Business By Sponsoring Local Events

• Reach out to community event organizers
• Please share your ideas and pitch them the benefits
• Offer sponsorship in-kind as well
• Ensure that you are going for a long-term relationship

You can use Eventbrite to check out upcoming events and contact them for sponsorships.
Have a look at the various kinds of events you can find to sponsor in your area using Eventbrite

6. Send Out Mails

One of the pillars of offline advertising is sending out direct mails. An email may land in the customer's spam folder, but a mail won't. Since there is a significant drop in the number of direct mails sent out, yours will catch consumers' attention.
In 2010, Eongarage sent out invitations via mail to the residents of Argentina. People appreciated this interactive marketing piece. As soon as you pull up the invite to read details, the wine glass fills up. Now that's interesting.

Tips For Sending Out Interesting Mails

• Learn to engage your consumers with your campaign just like Eongarage did
• Keep your design simple yet appealing
• Go for unusual formats and prints
• Try to personalize the mails

You can use Canva Free Online Pamphlet Maker to design your next mail.
Here are a couple of examples of stunning pamphlet designs that Canva offers

7. Create Your Merchandise

If you want to build a name and presence of your local business, you must think about coming up with your merchandise. People still have a soft spot for it. You can use other tactics mentioned here to promote your merchandise.
Dunkin Donuts has been a part of full-blown merchandise trends for its customers. They have put up holiday shops with Dunkin hair ties, pajamas, wrapping paper, and more. They also came up with limited edition running shoes in collaboration with Saucony for the Boston Marathon.

Tips For Creating And Selling Your Local Business Merchandise

• Implement on high-utility items like T-shirts and bags
• Send clear brand messaging on the products
• Promote local events, shops, and hand-outs
• Engage with the customers

Get templates to design your merchandise with Placeit.
Here’s a screenshot from Placeit showing various T-shirt designs you can create

8. Come Up with Offers

Consumers are driven towards offers and discounts. You can use offers and discounts to attract customers if you have a local business. This is a tried and tested advertising tactic used by big and small companies across the globe.
We are all aware of flash sales, limited-time offers, and huge discounts. Amazon Great Indian Festival Sale is one such example. Small businesses could clock a 2x spike in sales with fantastic deals and offers. Can you imagine?

Tips To Boost Sales With Offers And Discounts

• Introduce flash sales or limited period offers on your best selling products
• Offer buy one get one on some products
• Introduce 20%-30% cut in prices for popular services
• Reward existing and loyal customers

You can generate offers and discount codes online too. Use Talone.One.
Have a look at how easy Talone.One makes it to create, manage, and track your loyalty programs
Read: 15 Tips to Increase Your Sales Using SEO

9. Engage with Community

Your local business can use connections and networking. You must engage with the local community and offer a personal experience. If you establish a mutually beneficial relationship, your local business will see a spike. It's a perfect opportunity to build your community and loyal customer base.
Community building and engagement have helped Lego, one of the top toys manufacturers. Through the ages, they have become a household name worldwide. The Lego community encourages product enhancement ideas and lets customers choose what they want next in the market.

Tips To Form A Strong Community And Engage With It

• Be more active in the society
• Participate in local events and make more business connections simultaneously
• Be a sponsor or organizer of events in the community
• Reward locals with discounts, merchandise, and more

Use Eventbrite to check out upcoming events in the community and plan your schedule accordingly.

10. Conduct Free Workshops

Conducting free workshops and seminars can be fruitful for local businesses. Helping people out with their queries and educating them helps establish brand identity. You have to be selfless and patient for this offline advertising technique to work. This is where word of mouth will come into play.
In 2006, Olympic Gold medalist Venuste Niyongabo traveled across Europe conducting Nike workshops. The workshop intended on giving helpful information about Nike gear. He helped athletes improve technical knowledge about Nike shoes.

Tips To Conduct Free Workshops

• Promote your workshop for 2-3 weeks
• Announce an incentive for attendees
• Keep it short and interesting
• Hand out printouts of the content covered in the workshop

You can make a presentation for your workshop using the online tool Prezi.
Here’s a screenshot from Prezi showing various ways you can create presentations for your workshops

11. Reach Out to the Local Media

Take your local business up a notch with the help of local media. You can rely on radio shows and spots on local news stations. You'll have better access to the local community via local media, so consider this tactic.
The Home Depot Inc ran approximately 100000 ads on the radio in a week. They were topping the local radio advertising charts. Imagine the leads they generated. They beat their competition GEICO significantly.

Tips To Utilize The Power Of Local Media

• Pick the right slots based on your target audience
• Convey one clear messaging
• Create a hook and provide a deal in the ad
• Hire a professional voice actor and production manager

Take the help of Prowly Media Database to reach out to local media outlets and journalists.

12. Focus on Product Packaging

Product packaging is an equally important advertising technique. It is equivalent to a signature of your brand. Product packaging extends the customer shopping experience and leaves a lasting impact on your brand.
Nike Air hit it out of the park with the product packaging. They packed the shoes in an air cushion. This helped consumers see the product clearly and sent across the right message.

Tips For Advertising Local Brand With Product Packaging

• Tailor pack your product for the local market
• Ensure designs are eye-catchy. Minimal is in these days
• Don't skip instructions or guidelines to use
• Fulfill legal requirements to stay away from troubles

Use Adobe Dimension to take your product packaging a level higher.

Key Takeaways

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• Make a creative and appealing business card. Advertise it wherever you can
• Hold a spot in the local newspaper and spread the word about your local business
• Put up banners, hoardings, or posters in the local community with the highest footfall
• Enter into a partnership for events or special occasions with other businesses
• Be a sponsor for local community events
• Take help of direct mails to add a personalized touch to your brand for your consumers
• Create a line of merchandise that aligns with your business and the local community
• Initiate offers and discounts for existing and new customers
• Be an active participant in the local community events and represent your business there
• Conduct free workshops and seminars to share skill-based knowledge with the community
• Book a spot for advertising in local media. Use radio, news stations, and local channels to your advantage
• Focus on product packaging and deliver the brand message effectively