When it comes to advertising, we all have the same end goal. We want to get out business and products out there, stand out from our competitors and reach the customers who are interested in buying from us. However, when it comes to marketing and promotion, things are always changing. Advancing technology, changing consumer demand and the way we live our lives all influence the way people shop and therefore the way we need to target them to generate interest.

Don’t overlook offline techniques

In the modern age it’s easy to assume that all marketing needs to be done online. After all, much of our businesses are now run online- and with so many people using the internet it’s an accessible way to get yourself out there. Online marketing methods are of course essential to most kinds of businesses, but that’s not to say you should look ‘old fashioned’ methods too. You could market directly at a business expo or host your own event- go to a t shirt printing company and have them create some tops for your staff with your company name. You could recruit sales staff and have them canvas for sales or conduct presentations with clients. You could even put up posters, billboards and hand out flyers if you’re a local business that sells mainly to customers nearby in the area.

Think about networking

For a successful business, you need connections. This could involve chasing larger clients to work with or simply getting your customers to spread the word to people they think will also be interested. If you already have good connections with old clients and colleagues then you’re one step ahead, but consider the cold market too. Work out which network marketing techniques will best allow you to generate leads online, then you can reach out to target customers on social media. Connecting with people in real life, whether you’re handing out promotional merch or having casual conversations is a fantastic way to give people a personal experience and make your brand feel real in the eyes of potential customers.

Utilise influencers.

In recent years, influencers such as bloggers, Youtubers and social networking personalities have become incredibly influential. These people can often have followings that rival that of Hollywood actors. Working with an influencer means you get to put your product or business out there to a massive group of people. Influencers are more relatable than your average celebrity, and consumers are more likely to listen to a trustworthy voice than a commercial advert and so this is definitely something to get on board with.

Experiment with mobile advertising

Mobile phones might be nothing new, however using them to advertising on is. Now that a massive proportion of the population owns a smartphone, creating an app or advertising via browsers is a great way to get your business seen. Mobile advertising can be extremely powerful if it’s done correctly so be sure to do some research and consider branching out your marketing here.