"Offline Advertising for Your Online Presence"

by Apryl Duncan

Online Sales Through Print Generate traffic. Produce sales. Increase profits. Those words are gold to every business with a Web site. But an overwhelming majority of entrepreneurs don't ever reach their goals of gold. This is mainly because there seems to be an unwritten code of Web advertising. It states you can only be successful on the Internet if you are using online advertising methods like search engines, banner ads and buying online ad space. True, this should be a factor in any company's marketing efforts but there's an old rule of advertising you should consider... offline. Flip through any publication. From Yellow Pages to college newspapers, these days an advertisement almost looks bare and incomplete without a Web address. These ads are designed to peak your interest. By going to the Web site, a potential customer should find complete details on the product and order information. There are three offline advertising mediums worth investing in to drive people to your site. Print, television and radio ads are fairly inexpensive and have the power to promote your dot com presence effectively.

Print
This category includes everything imaginable: weekly shoppers, classified ads, flyers, Yellow Pages, magazine ads, newsletters, local TV guides, coupons, billboards, hanging ads on doorknobs, company letterhead, even business cards. If there's paper involved, there's plenty of opportunity to advertise your Web site. No matter which method you choose, there are certain guidelines you can follow to turn your potential customers into online consumers. Offer special incentives for visiting your site. More information, discount coupons, blowout prices and online ordering are a good start. Just make your customers feel like they will actually gain something from checking out your Web site. People are more likely to logon to the Internet than they are to call you or request info by mail. So make your Web site URL stand out in a large font style. Most advertisers bury their URL in tiny print, making it practically impossible to read. While your telephone number, address and company name are all important, your URL should get equal consideration if not a bigger type size.

Radio
A 30- or 60-second radio spot is quite a bargain. Rates vary depending on your area's population. Even still, you can negotiate a cheaper price and receive a better rate if you buy a bulk amount of commercials. One of the many advantages of radio is that you can target your audience. Specific age groups and lifestyles are all defined by the station's format. Ratings also help determine this information and can help you choose the best station and time slot for your company's commercial. The key components of your radio commercial include your name, address, telephone number and selling message. But be sure to ask listeners to visit your site. Repeat your URL at least twice and, again, tell them what they'll gain by visiting.

Television
Get ready to shatter the myths about television commercials. You don't have to be a major corporation or have tons of disposable ad dollars to hit the airwaves. Buying airtime on your local television station is actually very affordable. But for an even lower rate, check the cable TV companies in your area. Airtime is significantly lower than broadcast television ad rates. You also have the added benefit of reaching a specific target audience. If you sell sporting goods, your ad can run on SportsSouth and ESPN for the best possible prospects. Your cable operator can even gear the commercials to a zip code or local community. Infomercials aren't too far behind commercials as a low-cost, traffic-building tool. Even a 15-minute infomercial can explain your products/services and promote your Web site at the same time. Just like with print, make sure your URL is prominently displayed in your commercial and/or infomercial. Keep in mind, not everybody has a big screen TV at home and this can make a huge difference to a potential customer with a 19" screen. New technology forces us to adapt to new advertising means. But sometimes old school techniques are overlooked when, in fact, they can actually help propel business into the money-making wave of the future................................................


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