I want to get some flyers etc out there. How in the heck do you get over that "feeling" uGH , of BUGGING people, lol! Yikes! How do YOU get yourself out there OFFLINE? Stacey [Post edited - Admin]
Well, Here is one method I would recommend... It's what I did for my IT Business and it helped a ton. If you want to get a mailer/flyer out to your local neighborhoods here is how you go about it. 1.) Go to your City Hall and ask for a list of addresses for neighborhood "XYZ" and "ABC". They will charge you a fee of $10.00, or at least most will. Sometimes they'll even send you a PDF or e-mail of this list which would be best. 2.) Create your flyer using Microsoft Office or another program to your liking. 3.) Stuff your envelopes with your flyer and mail them out to your list of addresses. Best if you can print out labels so you can just copy and paste the addresses into a label maker. This took me about 4 hours all in all, $10.00 for the list, about $30.00 in paper/envelopes and $25.00 in postage for 250 mailings. I got around a 6:1 ratio turnover for clients... which is amazing in my opinion and it paid for itself with only one sale. I would highly recommend
One time I read about a guy who made a deal with a local independent pizza parlor for them to attach one of his flyers to each pizza box that went out. I can't remember the terms of the deal, but it sounds like a great idea.
Recently, i am also trying out offline marketing by giving out flyers to my neighborhood. Hope i can see the results soon.
Try putting up posters in the local supermarket notice boards with your URL on strips at the bottom of the ad so customers can tear it off. Good luck.
I've never tried offline marketing. But I've heard some interesting ideas before. Here they are... 1) Leave your business cards/fliers in related library books. 2) Ask related retail shops whether they can help you distribute out your fliers, for a fee of course. 3) Drop your business cards/fliers 'accidentally' in public places, like transport, schools, shopping malls, waiting rooms, etc. They are sure unusual but I'm not sure whether do they work or not. JTYS
Why would you want to go offline in the first place? If you haven't been successful online, what is going to make you successful offline? Making flyers and postcards isn't going to get you any closer to your goal. You have to understand who uses or needs to use your product. If you're selling a "Business Opportunity" plastering flyers all over the place isn't going to get you good results. You need to target people who want a self employed business. Next you need to refine that even further, and further and further. Think about it this way. Not everyone wants to sell cosmetics for example. Target the people who want to sell your product.
How do you usually feel when you get flyers in your mailbox, attached to your door knob, under your wiper blades...? Why use paper when you can do it quicker, easier, and for free via digital delivery? Unless it's for a local biz or the newest wave, I wouldn't bother. ~Newbie Shield~
If I were to market offline I would hold small seminars at the library or another place of business that would allow me to make my presentation. I used to be a real estate agent and did well with this method. You make face to face contact and build relationships with people and if they like you and trust you they will do business with you. It's work, but it pays off. BTW, for this to work you need to be able to relate to all types of personalities, be friendly and honest. Sonni
Sonni: If I were to market offline I would hold small seminars at the library or another place of business that would allow me to make my presentation ... Now you're talking. Good one Sonni. That's how it's done. ~Newbie Shield~
I have done a 10,000 piece flyer distribution on how consumers can save money with a service I was promoting and got zero responses. On another attempt, I watched as flyer distributors handed out another flyer of mine and most people wouldn't take it. I think people today are very skeptical and suspicious and are less likely to investigate an offer without it having a personal or creditable association.
it depends on your business really - I found leaflet dropping in car parks (with permission granted) worked really well for me a few years ago - on the busy days and market days!
i found distributing flyers a good way to target prospective leads. what i do is target a certain area for six weeks and drop flyers on 3 occasions over the six week period. always keep a record of areas hit and how much success you get from each area. this method has been fairly successful for me so far. good luck
lsjohnson: This took me about 4 hours all in all, $10.00 for the list, about $30.00 in paper/envelopes and $25.00 in postage for 250 mailings. I got around a 6:1 ratio turnover for clients... which is amazing in my opinion and it paid for itself with only one sale. That is a high turnover. This sounds like a great strategy, plus you get the bonus of not feeling like your bugging people by putting flyers on their door. It also seems like it is much more efficient because you don't spend a lot of hours putting the flyers on each door.
ArmyWife: How do YOU get yourself out there OFFLINE? offf-l-i-n-e? what is this? what does this mean? can somebody pls explain this thing to me?
Thank you all for saving me a lot of sweat and possible heat stroke, I printed 100 flyers was going to put on door knobs decided against it (95+ degrees out) decided to use as hand outs instead puts a friendly face with an offer, good work out though excersise is good thing, Lord know most of us don't get enough
I figured out to get people to take my flyer! There is a small lake near my house with a walking trail around it at the entrance to the trail there is a clearing where people play frisbee, pilates, picnic ect. I went to my gym and said look you give me 100 free passes and split the cost of small bottled water ($3 for 30ct sams) and I will hand them out for you on a hot day at the park along with my offer (unltd talk, text web, 59$) in a little sandwich baggie attached to to water bottle with rubber band. saves money, nobody ever hated a guy giving out free cold water on a hot day, and the gym owner is now my buddy. Thoughts anyone
I agree that although you may get some takers on the random flyer mailings the best thing to do it define your target market! Who are you trying to reach. I work in internet marketing to help people start their own home based business so I would target people that have an interest in home based business. I would not target someone looking to buy a car for example. I would wast my advertising dollars and really make some people ticked out thus taking the chance of ruining my brand. Define your target market and then move forward in advertising specific to that market. That could be online and offline but of course would be your decision.
