SmallBusinessNewz

I posted an article a while back about places to leave your stamp online, but what about places to leave your stamp offline?

Obviously you can purchase advertising space in newspapers, magazines, radio, television, etc. But lets face it, paying for ad space can get pricey, so let's look at a few cheaper ways to brand your business away from the computer, because shockingly, some people still don't spend their entire day on the Internet.

Stickers

Like I talked about in my article about my experience with the online clothing store Fright-Rags.com, giving your customers free bonus items such as stickers upon purchases, is an excellent way to get your brand out there in the physical world. Making the sticker-design appealing to the customer will increase the chances that they will actually use it somewhere, and wherever they stick it, your brand will be there.

This is a great opportunity to advertise your website to people that would ordinarily probably not find you online on their own. It can be just as effective for brick and mortar businesses as well, but even you guys should have websites, so I'd worry about that first if you haven't already.

Flyers

Similar to stickers, flyers can provide a good advertising solution. However, they lack the longevity that a sticker can provide. Flyers can be torn down much easier than a sticker. You have to put them up yourself if you want them posted somewhere. If you just give them away to customers, they will most likely end up in the trash.

That said, posting them on bulletin boards, telephone poles (where possible - make sure you are not breaking local law, thanks Philip!), etc, can still attract some attention as long as they are up, and it shouldn't be too expensive to print some up. If you already have a printer, it will cost you next to nothing. I would suggest again, including your web address or instructions on how to find you online.

Bulletin Boards

Bulletin boards are good places to post a variety of marketing materials. Not only can you post flyers, but you can post business cards, stickers (without sticking them, leaving opportunity for someone else to take them and stick them somewhere else), etc.

Lots of places have bulleting boards. The first ones that come to mind are libraries and Wal-Mart, but if you pay attention while you're out and about, I bet you'll find plenty of them.
 
A Live Person

There is the Little Caesar's approach that I mentioned previously. You can have an employee (or yourself) stand alongside the road and do some physical promotion. I've seen other businesses use this approach. Often times, they will be wearing funny costumes and holding signs. While this may not be the best way to keep your dignity, sometimes business is about making sacrifices (besides, if you're in a costume, nobody will recognize you anyway).

This can be an effective method particularly for brick and mortar business owners who have a store they can have somebody in front of or near, but I don't see why someone running a strictly online business couldn't go somewhere out in public and use the same strategy.

Attire

Another way to get some branding out of a live person that is a little less demeaning is letting them wear clothing with your brand on it. If you don't want to give away t-shirts to you customers, you could at least consider giving them to your employees. Whether you require them to wear a uniform or not, a t-shirt is a t-shirt, and they may even wear them out in public on their days off. At that point, you're not only getting free advertising, you're getting some work from your staff off the clock!

I hate to drive a point into the ground, but again, include your web address!

Auto

Many businesses will pay ordinary people to feature advertising on their vehicles. This is something you could look into if you're willing to put up the dough, but it would be cheaper to do it yourself.

This is another time when you are making a sacrifice, but you basically have a choice. Are you more concerned about your automobile's appearance or having another way to attract customers? Just think about  how many people are going to see it on any given day while you are driving - to work, to the mall, to school, etc, etc, etc.

On a side note, Jason Miller showed me this article that is just too interesting not to pass along. It's about a new technology that shoots sound directly into your eardrum while nobody else around can hear it. One person quoted in the article says that it is like hearing voices in your head. It's a good read, and something that could potentially turn into the future of offline advertising. It's a pretty controversial topic though and kind of a scary one at that.

What are some other places you leave your stamp offline (preferably cheap ones)?