8 Ways to Promote Your Internet Business in the Real World

In our quest to generate traffic to our websites, we will tap into as many online sources that we can find. Since our internet business resides in the virtual world, it is natural for us to turn to promotional opportunities on the web.

But did you know that the offline world can also serve as good source of website traffic? It can seem kind of strange, at first, to promote your internet business offline; especially if you deal in internet only web services. But with the right real world marketing campaign, you can end up with as much traffic from offline sources as you receive from online ones.

Here are 8 marketing ideas for promoting your internet business in the real world.

Tell People about Your Website

Unless you have a compelling reason for keeping your internet business a secret, you should be telling everyone you know about your website. Friends, family, your dog. Okay, maybe not your dog. They’ve seen your website a million times anyway. But you should be talking about your website to anyone who will listen. People can be a great source of free promotion for you. Why not take advantage of it?

Submit Articles to the Local Paper

Newspapers suffer from the same malady that websites do. They always need content. If you have a good idea for an article that would interest the public at large, approach your local newspaper organization about possible publication. Since most newspapers allow you to promote yourself in a tiny byline at the bottom of your article, getting published in a newspaper can generate some buzz about your internet business.

Additionally, most newspapers also update their websites with the content from the paper to attract online subscribers. This presents the potential to generate traffic from two sources with the same article.

Put Up Signs

Okay, you might think this is cheesy but if you can set aside your sense of shame for a moment, you’ll see that you can get some offline hits to your website with flyers and lawn signs. It’s just a matter of positioning your message so that people are compelled to remember your web address.

Of course, you have to research your local laws to make sure it’s okay to post signs around town. Some states will write you a ticket for “littering”. However if they don’t care, put your flyers everywhere.

Give Away Bookmarks

I’m stealing this tip from book writers. Since I am a fiction writer (unpublished) I’m not going to feel the least bit guilty about it either. To promote their books, writers – or their publishing companies – will have bookmarks made with the writer’s book information on it and send them to bookstores who then give them away to customers.

If you have the design know-how, or can blackmail someone to design it for you, you can produce a set of bookmarks advertising your internet business fairly cheaply. Then it’s just a matter of finding an awesome bookstore to give them away for you.

Give Away Bumper Stickers

If you’re pretty clever, or you know someone who is, consider using CafePress or Zazzle to create a few cool bumper stickers. Then give them out to both your online and offline peeps. Most people take notice of bumper stickers especially if they are funny. If you create something memorable enough, someone might even take a picture of your sticker and post it online. Just don’t tell anyone it was your mom.

Participate in Local Events

Organizations always need help doing something. Call your local visitors center or Chamber of Commerce for information about events going on in your town. Then contact the hosts to see if you can lend a hand in exchange for a little promo op. If you are able to wear one, be sure to have on a t-shirt with your internet business name and web address on it.

Take Advantage of Sponsorship Opportunities

If you’ve got the money, consider sponsoring an event, team or charity. It doesn’t have to be anything huge like a conference. Even small things like buying uniforms for the little league team or hosting a picnic for high school seniors can get people talking about your internet business.

Get Interviewed

This idea came to me when I was listening to the radio. A woman managed to be the Nth caller for some prize I wasn’t interested in winning. Instead of screaming her head off like most people, she calmly thanked the radio show and mentioned her website. I’ve always thought that was a pretty ingenious way to advertise an internet business.

Radio shows offer tons of opportunities to get on the air. If you can’t get a regular interview, try calling in when deejays ask people for their opinions on hot topics. This of course requires some effort on your part but I’m pretty sure your internet business is worth it.

Now I know some of these ideas are little guerilla marketing-ish and they don’t take into account the fact that you should focus on your target market. However, these are just ideas to get you thinking about ways to promote your internet business offline. And when it comes to getting customers in this competitive environment every idea counts.

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