Question What's the best way to promote your blog offline?

[Beverly]

I have a mom oriented blog that focuses on the efforts of local moms to raise healthy, eco-minded children. I'd like to get local moms in my area to visit the blog and contribute stories. Please share best ways to get local advertising for free or low cost.

 

[MazinJunaid]

If it's targeted at moms/kids then you could go to the local park or amusement park and just talk to the mothers. You could causally mention your blog and praise it a bit saying how it has helped you etc. You could also attract a large number of kids and moms if you set up some fun games, like maybe a jumping castle, and advertise you blog near it

 

[sam]

If your website regards children and parents, than I can recommend printing some posters and pinning them near schools. Promoting offline really works, if you find the correct places. I usually use Google Maps to my advantage for this task !

This is a good idea, isuit21!

I would also suggest you put your blog's address on your own clothes. You can walk down the street and promote your blog. Also make business cards with it and place a banner (if you can afford one) on your house. You could advertise in local newspapers or even print out a segment about your blog and distribute it on the street or maybe even get it published by a magazine. Connect with bigger communities where people talk about ecological issues and promote there.

 

[mikong]

Marketing needs to be focused on reaching the target audience, though, and Internet marketing is often not the most efficient avenue for reaching a local target market. If it is free and doesn't require an extensive time investment it is certainly worth pursuing, but unless there's a way to connect it with the community - for example, promoting your Facebook presence on town/county Facebook groups - it is like swatting flies with a tennis racket. Most of what you "hit" won't be the audience you're aiming for.

As what I have said " basic knowledge on marketing". Marketing involves your "buyers", to be more specific. Promoting your products/blogs online is ideal since it is for free and the number of audience is undeniably large. Of course it is very obvious that the community that you are in are your first audience, they could even share your link and what so ever. Promoting your blogs via media (television for example) is also not a guarantee that you would have nor "hit" your target market since not all watch some programs at the TV. Promotion therefore is not a 100% guarantee that your sale would increase. But if you want to save cost on promotion for instance then an ideal and most obvious way is to do it online via social media.

 

[Murray]

I agree with some of the other posters that using flyers or a sticker on your car will help generate some leads or a big of traffic. Its also possible that you'll need to think about a bit of concentrated marketing. Are there any local groups of moms that meet? Do you know anyone who throws the kitchen wares or parties that attract moms to them that give a flyer out to them during those parties?

You have free reign to think outside the box on this so investigate all avenues.

 

[Viktori]

In our area, there are always events that serve as mini press conferences for bloggers, and I believe that's the best way to promote and network offline for your site. Also, it's great to have business cards made so whenever you meet someone offline you'll have something to hand them and they'll have something to remember you by. It also helps if the business card is very unique and memorable.

 

[fancy]

I also operate a youths-oriented blog where I mostly use these offline promotion strategies… Whenever I decide to send emails and letters I always ensure I use my website logo and URL. Through this way I always gain more traffic since whenever the recipients click on such sites they can view all my services. I also sponsor exhibitions and events to ensure I get more public awareness. Sign boards and banners are also essential though not quite effective since they only attract regulars.
You can give these strategies a shot and you may end have gaining as much traffic as I have.

 

[NicheGuy]

I have 14 niche content marketing sites so offline it can become problematic.

What I did was create a domain related to my overall business with a list of all of my sites, a thumbnail image beside each site summary and of course, a link to each site.

Then I had a business card made (I use VistaPrint) and use these cards diligently. I leave them where I visit be it a restaurant, coffee shop, Dr. office, on bulletin boards, absolutely any and everywhere.

I learned to do this years ago in my own brick and mortar business. Leave your card with tips, near the salt & pepper shakers, where you sat in a Starbucks, tucked in a window crease on the bus or train. Be imaginative but every person is a potential visitor to your website(s) and customer.

Of course any meetings, conferences, social gatherings are always opportunities to leave a business card and promote offline. I love when someone asks me, "What do you do for a living?" KaChing! Opportunity is knocking, hand over a business card or two.

BTW: I have magnetic cards and the standard paper variety with information on both sides. Hand over one of each in person.

 

[mkcookin]

I would do flyers if I were doing offline marketing. I think however in the long run it is still wise to learn how to to internet marketing. You can optimize your site for SEO and get local moms searching for it online, and also you can promote it by Social Media.

 

[Kidzukai]

Perhaps look up health fairs or birthing workshops around your area and drop off gift baskets that have the address to your blog's site on it. Perhaps put together a small pamphlet of tips you'd like to provide to new mothers that you can put in those bags to entice them to check out what you have to say.

Just think about your audience, think about what kinds of events they'd be participating in the real world, and figure out how you can reach out to them. Whether it be through stickers, pamphlets, small gifts, or even getting your logo printed on t-shirts to wear around town. Just do what it takes to get attention (positive attention) for your blog.

 

[Hank]

If it's a site everybody will like and find usefull, someting like general comparison of broadband subscriptions, then word of mouth is still the most powerfull out there. Just don't tell everyone that it's your site. You will get more traffic if you tell people about this website "a friend" of you made. It's a strange psychological thing where people rather help someone out that is already helped by you. Of course this does not go for family, they will be eager to help in most cases.

If it's a niche, that try visit places that people in that niche visit and leave flyers, or better yet, talk to owners/organiser.

Example: your niche is great fish recipes: talk to the local fish monger and ask him to give every customer a flyer. More business for him becasue of the littel extra services, more traffic for you. It's a win win!

 

[mikelouis]

I think in this case of offline marketing, flyers would be the most effective way to do this. I would suggest you print some colorful flyers about the blog and distribute them to friends.