Offline Promotions for Online Success

When the printing press arrived, the world said that we would surely discontinue writing anything by hand. When television arrived, the world said that we would stop listening to the radio. When online advertising arrived thanks to the Internet and the World Wide Web, the gurus of the planet said that traditional advertising would become outdated. We all know exactly what happened—we are still advertising in print, on radio and on television.

As online entrepreneurs and providers of valuable services to our respective communities, we are not only required to keep everyone informed about who we are and what we do, we are expected to spread the word around the world so that our businesses can achieve and preserve robust annual growth rates. Advertising one’s business on the Internet is a subject the forums have beaten beyond recognition and there is plenty to read about it. Let us become traditionalists only for a moment and find out how offline advertising can help you. Your familiarity and appreciation of live chat as a viable customer support instrument truly indicates not only your commitment levels to customer service but also an innate urge to remain competitive and take your online business to the next milestone of growth and success. Here are a few suggestions to help you reach the finishing line.

Confirmation from an Industry Leader

Just in time for Christmas 2009, the multi-national consumer electronics company Samsung is all set to introduce a new type of flat screen television set which vividly illustrates precisely the subject under scrutiny. If a television advertiser chooses to display the company URL or web address in the TV commercial, which many companies routinely do, viewers will now have the option to click these web addresses right there on the television screen and surf the advertiser’s website right there in real time in a parallel window while, at the same time, watching the TV show the advertiser has sponsored. This cyber conduit from offline to online advertising rests entirely on a proven strategy, namely that traditional advertising vehicles continue to offer some of the best opportunities to drive targeted traffic to websites.

We are in no way implying that small businesses spend thousands of dollars advertising on television using Samsung’s embedded transfer technology. There are a number of other ways in which you can achieve good results. Here are a couple:

Leveraging your Global Footprint

If your business reach extends beyond your own country and is concentrated in one or two specific countries, explore that country’s print and broadcast media for viable advertising opportunities, especially those that are government-sponsored and therefore subsidized. Some examples include importer’s directories published by commerce ministries, official publications of the country’s national chamber of commerce, and membership supported magazines that circulate among members of a specific trade group or industry association within that country. Call the commercial attaches posted in your country’s embassies in these countries and request for assistance to further promote your business within these countries. The commerce and trade sections in most embassies provide excellent avenues for business promotion at little or no cost. Contrary to standard opinion, assistance is extended to service companies as well.

Bridging the B2C Gap

If you are not a B2B company and prefer to deal with international consumers directly, consider advertising in publications that address your specific demographic within your overseas markets. For instance, if your product line is suited mostly for the younger generation, advertise in the university publications of your target countries.

Leveraging the Power of Live Chat in Points Far and Beyond

If the total quantum of business you receive from these overseas markets justifies the hiring of chat operators who speak their language, consider making freelance appointments in these countries in order to provide language specific and country specific live chat services. More than 200 countries are represented on major freelance boards such as Elance, ODesk and Rent A Coder so locating qualified live chat operators (also known as virtual assistants) who not only understand how your live chat software works but are also familiar with the prevailing local market conditions is no longer as major a challenge as it used to be three years ago.

Within your Borders

If you choose to be conservative and prefer to concentrate your offline advertising campaigns on the domestic market, one of the most inexpensive ways to advertise locally is by sponsoring local events within those target communities from where you receive a significant proportion of your business. You could sponsor church group events, high school sporting events, and even local community events such as summer park festivals and park concerts. Most formally organized community activities involve the publication of a brochure, a soveigneer or some sort of a flyer with event listings and other pertinent information. Even if some of these major community events are not set up for sponsorship opportunities, speak with the organizers and push for one. Offer to print the flyer or pay for a portion of the printing cost if the brochure involves a high volume print run. Arrange to place your company’s message on the inside front cover if possible for maximum exposure and impact.

Since the ultimate aim is to drive traffic to your website, your messages should always be short and crisp in which you clearly indicate what it is that you bring to the table. Although there are going to be some costs involved, consider budgeting them well in advance. Visitor tracking through Analytics software will help you a great deal in measuring the impact of your offline advertising strategy. Pursue this avenue with zeal and watch your profits soar.