You’ve worked hard on structuring and optimizing the content to make your own website and make it search engine friendly. You’ve joined forums, created a blog and maybe have even tested a PPC campaign or two all in an effort to get traffic to the site and increase the chances of seeing some conversions.
There are tons of books and bright shiny objects that you can purchase that all claim to have the secret that will drive big spenders and turn your site into a virtual money making machine. But that hasn’t happened yet has it?
The truth about marketing in a digital environment is that it’s always changing. Search algorithms change, new technologies emerge, visitors become more savvy to marketing ploys and what worked yesterday to drive converting traffic may be today’s old news. Simply put, there is no sure technique that will provide a long term benefit.
But take a look at the real world. Investigate the workings of the offline promotions industry and you’ll find that there are dozens of ways to promote Flash website that have remained essentially unchanged for decades. Think about really basic media methods like billboards and bus stop benches. In this time of amazing digital media why haven’t these dinosaurs disappeared?
The answer is simple…they work. And they can work for your website.
Cheesy but effective
Experts will argue why certain offline promotions work over and over again but the “why” is not really important. What’s important is that they work. How do we know they work? People keep buying them repeatedly and you don’t buy stuff that doesn’t work.
True the less sophisticated the audience the more receptive they are to the cheesier promotions so if you’re dealing in high end merchandise or professional investment services it may not be as effective as say dealing with mass marketed products or everyday consumer services.
So what kind of promotions are we talking about? Here’s a quick list starting with the over the top and going down to the mundane.
1. Turn your vehicle into an ad. The whole idea of “auto wraps” gained popularity over ten years ago as a way to use high quality vinyl graphics to turn a car or truck into a rolling advertisement. These wraps are not inexpensive but they definitely get attention. Plastering your logo and URL on a company vehicle, or even your own car, is a sure fire dramatic way to get them in front of a bunch of different eyeballs. Of course if you are using your own vehicle you have to live with the fact that your car is “different” from the rest of those that are in line for valet parking for the fine restaurant. On the other hand, it’s a great ice breaker and gives you a chance to talk about your business.
2. Classifieds. Newspaper circulation is down and papers are struggling but the classifieds are still around. Follow any competitor who is advertising there and see how long he runs a particular ad. If it is regularly appearing, then odds are it is making money for him. Don’t reinvent the wheel, try a similar ad and make sure to include your website address.
3. Pens. How many times have you received a free pen? A better question is how many times have you ever turned down a free pen? The answer is probably never. The next question is could you find that free pen that you received last year? Probably not. You either loaned it to someone or left it in the lunch room or distributed it to the larger market (accidentally) through some other action. Pens with your logo and URL are inexpensive ways to get mini-viral campaigns.
4. SWAG. What’s the first thing you do when you walk onto the exhibitor’s floor at any convention? You look for a free bag so you have a place to put your free giveaways. Do you really need another rubber stress ball? Is your mouse pad totally worn out? Of course you can always use new clothing and that T-shirt and ball cap are perfect additions to your wardrobe. Yes it has advertising all over it but that lends a sort of uniqueness and coolness right? Free stuff will not be turned down and it’s a great way to get your logo and URL out to the world.
So while the digital world is a wonderful marketplace, your goal is sales and the digital world is just one tool. Get traffic to your site by incorporating real world promotions as well as online campaigns.
