Ways to promote one's site outside of the www

[getmea]

Not sure if my topic falls in this WPW category or not (or if at all), but here I go.

I have anxiously waited for WPW's daily email so I can read some of the most popular SEO issues and resolutions. Now that I have a taste of SEO, I was wondering if anyone has tried to market their sites locally (outside of the www, dare I say).

I have tried placing business cards at the local grocery store's classified boards only to find them missing the next day. Not sure if people took them or store management removed them.

I have also placed business cards on people's windshield wipers at parking lots, only to get an email from an angry auto owner (probably a non-skateboarder :-).

I have also tried springing for cheap classifieds in the local newspapers, but that got costly.

I have also bought the wristbands and have handed some out to passer-by kids, but stopped after a friend told me a parent can sue me if anything happened to the kid with my wristband on their wrist.

I am about to invest in some magnetic signs for my car. It might be good...until some kid steals it.

I've also seen some local "lawn" signs advertising "$99 for 100 signs". Can local authorities sue me for littering village lawns?

So, what have people done out there to promote their sites the old-fashioned way? What has worked...what hasn't?

Thanks in advance...

[davidmg]

It really depends on what kind of work you do. All the stuff mentioned works for ony certain kind of things and not for everyone else. I run ads in our major newpaper the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Along with our ad the put up a digital verson on Cleveland.com with a link to our site. Each ad stays up for 3 weeks. It's only $240 per ad and we do notice spikes in Cleveland visits the day it hits. You nigh have to run several ads to start getting noticed but I find it works. All you can do it try something if it works fine if not try something else. For me junk mail, flyers, posters, signs don't work well. In reality how many signs do you see on the way to work? Do you remember what they said?

[davidmg]

Actually there was a nice thread we did a few weeks ago that really had some great ideas Getting out of the rat race and running it alone...
http://www.webproworld.com/viewtopic...341&highlight=

[webracadabra]

Around Portland, OR we have jobdango.com. They plaster the city with lawnsigns, labels, and have kids use stencils to chalk their logo on downtown sidewalks. I have not idea how they get away with it.

Sponsor kids events, Boys & Girls clubs, snacks at after school events.... places and events that cater to the people who will buy your skatboard products. Just go to Costco or Walmart and buy some muffins and juice to give to the kids at these venues. I like the idea of giving this stuff away... just "goodwill" and you run into less resistance with the agencies. Just ask to have a table top sign, cards, and whatever else you want to market the site. You're giving this stuff out, so you don't necessarily need to be there the whole time. Or just hire a kid for a few bucks/hr to watch the table.

I'm just throwing out ideas here - brainstorming.

Hope I created a spark for ya.

[getmea]

Thanks for your suggestions. I have an eye on a local park district skateboard park. The kids are starting to come out... I thought about buying some cheap t-shirts for give-aways...offering to take their pictures (with permission, of course) and having them appear on my site...giving away 100 some-odd bracelets...you know, anything...I hope my IRS refund comes soon :)

[Medini]

I own a Gift basket business and being part of the Chamber of Commerce is a great way to get your name out. Plus I do quite a few donations through out the year.

I have also found success with webdecal.com I have one decal on my van that reads : greats gifts are a click away ! www.elegantly-expressed.com I have had quite a few people tell me that they visited the site after seeing it on my van. actual orders via the decal 3 in the last 4 months. most of my refferals are - via google, yahoo, word of mouth and previous clients. hope that helps.

[TrafficProducer]

Can local authorities sue me for littering village lawns? YES, and they will. At least in the UK.

In the UK it is possible to Sponsor some Car Traffic Roundabouts. I believe you pay for flowers to be planted an they will put a sign up on the Roundabout. This sounds costly to me, but quite a number of car owners may see it.

~~
Some Councils may allow Sponsorship of Skateboard Parks.

Ask you Council about such things :)

[RegDCP]

Join local orgs.
CoC, business groups, ToastMasters, that kind of thing.

If you are handing out business cards "code" your URL with a link to a specific landing page. eg www.myskateboards.com/pros - Easy to remember short names on folders instead of "pros.htm".

We had one for a truck sign that was domain.com/truck. It worked best in non rush hour situations.

Check your insurance before you start putting signs on your vehicle. It could move you into commercial category. Same thing for vehicle licensing.

I have had some success with repeating local newpaper ads, but it does get expensive if you are not making sales with them.
The "Coffee News" type publications are not bad.

I would suspect the guys that make the lawn signs are the ones that make money. Never tried them.

Reg

[bj]

The best way to get your name out there is through goodwill. Spend the dough you'd spend on ads and use it instead to sponsor a runner in your local American Cancer Society 10k run (wearing your Teeshirt) or donate time to your local Meals on Wheels (wearing your Teeshirt) or put together a food drive during the holidays for poor families . . . you get the drift.

When you do things that benefit others they talk positively about you. That's the best word of mouth you could possibly get.

[getmea]

Excellent advice, all. Chamber of Commerce, magnetic sign on car... I especially like the sponsoring of athletes, etc. The after school snacks is a good one, too--can probably get one of my girls to help.

[bj]

Um, the skateboard thing just gave me an idea, and it might help the skateboarders garner some (needed) goodwill too (I can remember my son working to get people to respect HIS sport-- rollerblading!) How about doing some kind of skateboard marathon to benefit a local charity? Each skateboarder would be sponsored x amount per hour by donors, and take it from there. Have some sort of prize for the skateboarder who lasts the longest as an incentive to participants in addition to their sponsorship (gift cert to the local skate park or skateboard shop? which could also be a donation.) You, as the organizer, would come into contact with lots of people and probably have a bunch of fun with it too.

[operagost]

Originally Posted by getmea

I have also bought the wristbands and have handed some out to passer-by kids, but stopped after a friend told me a parent can sue me if anything happened to the kid with my wristband on their wrist.

Well, Tommy Hilfiger, Reeboks, and Levi's had better watch out if I'm ever in an accident!

As Cartman would say, "I think you're really reaching right now."

[timmathews.com]

Wow. A LOT of GREAT points and suggestions. I also think that the CoC is good for some businesses, but it is not applicable for others. I doubt a skateboard shop will meet many future clients at the chamber, but it is getting your name out.
More ideas will be welcomed.
;)
Tim

[getmea]

BJ: I like the way your mind thinks...I have a small inventory of skateboard brand t-shirts I can give away as prizes...

operagost: Yep, I'm reaching...I let friends scare the living (stuff) out of me. I guess I have no worries...as long as the P's don't sue me for more than my Personal Umbrella policy is worth...

I just heard there is a Park District Spring kickoff tomorrow for the junior league baseball season (8-14 years olds)...I've found a way to get rid of my wrist bands! (hold all calls from my good hands agent!)

[edhan]

Using car decal, T-shirt ads, plastic bag ads and yearly calendar ads with monthly contest. So far all these seem to draw quite a fair share of sales for offline advertisement. Also it will depend on your products or services when comes to this sort of promotion. Normally you will still require to do some testing to see which type will work well you what you are offering.

[Gordonse]

Ok......here's my two pennies worth, Since most of your customers would be young kids or teenagers, how about paying for a sign on the fence of your local little league field. They have signs plastered all over them and it would be a one time expense that should go for a long time, and it would target the right age bracket too.

[getmea]

Good one, Gordonse...I'll check my piggy-bank for extra cash.

Thanks!

[dlsweb]

I will guarantee this one for you

Video skateboaders regularly and put on your site.
You will have them advertising for you.

[pdrew]

Hi, Getmea:

You might want to take a step back before you start offline advertising locally and look at your target market(s).

I'm guessing your main target is males 12-24. Your town, Arlington Heights, and the surrounding towns are affluent suburbs north of Chicago. Lots of disposable income to spend on recreational items, e.g., skateboards and gear.

Where are young males? Skateboard parks; organized sports, e.g., Little League, Babe Ruth League baseball; Boy Scouts; middle and high school sports; shopping malls (if old enough to drive); and at home playing video games, surfing the 'Net, watching videos on YouTube, listening to music, making music.

At home, kids have a multitude of things to do on their own. Outside of home, kids' lives are much more organized and regulated than kids were 25 years ago. Today's parents do not let their kids roam the neighborhood as freely as parents did years ago. To get into good colleges, it's not just enough to get good grades. Kids have to participate in extracurricular activities, which are organized at school, church, and local civic organizations.

Separate your marketing efforts to the kids. Target them through their at-home recreation and also through the organizations they're in outside of home.

To reach them when they're in hanging at home mode, partner with a local retailer of video games, a local retailer of electronics that appeal to kids, e.g., .mp3 players, computers, etc., pizza shops that deliver, guitar/music shops, etc. Get a local band popular with kids to wear t-shirts with your URL boldly printed on them. The idea is to get visibility where kids buy stuff they use at home for recreation.

Outside the home, as mentioned in other posts, work with skateboard parks, Little League, churches and synagogues, town recreation committees, whoever and whatever organizes kids activities. Any music festivals targeted 12-24 come to your are during the summer? Many have vendor areas where you can set up a booth and sell your wares. Sponsor a skateboard clinic to teach newbies and invite and pay experienced, talented local skateboarders to participate as instructors. You can pay the local expert skaters in cash or trade for product. Sponsor an X-Games party at a local mall or restaurant, complete with a couple of large screen, hi-def screens. Use a contest and free stuff to get them to come.

The goal is basically simple get your site's URL in front of as many eyes and into the ears of the people you're selling to as often as you can.

Besides marketing directly to kids, be sure to reach the parents who pay for the skateboards and gear. Reiterating parents concern for safety, target parents with the safety aspect of your business. Helmets, elbow and knee pads, etc. Target parents at the appropriate times of the year: just prior to summer vacation from school and Christmas would be prime times. Target direct mail by postcard and email to parents at those times that stresses your dedication to providing a safe safeboarding experience for their kids. Work from your own list and buy targeted lists from list brokers. Work with parents in all of the organizations that have been mentioned in this thread, stressing safety and development of physical skills through skating. As BJ suggested, sponsor local athletes and charities. Create goodwill with parents. Be careful not to appear uncool to kids while doing so, though.

One of the major reasons businesses fail is lack of capital for things like marketing (of which, advertising is just one aspect). If you don't have enough money in the bank to market, then your chances of marketing success will be limited. Guerilla marketing can and does work, but it still takes some money to do it.

Hope that helps you focus your local marketing efforts, getmea.

By the way, I can understand why you're into skating. I see from your profile that you're an insurance IT pro. I live in the Hartford, CT area, the Insurance Capital of the world. Breaking free of the buttoned-up world of insurance is definitely good for one's mental health. ;-)

[bjbtexas]

I like the video idea! They are all YouTube wannabes - showing off the best trick.

To that end you could help arrange, with your local parks department, skateboarding expositions and small contests at the local skate park you where talking about -- A small X-games.

[RHunt]

Hey all!

As a quite a novice in the internet world I ask much more than I answer. Finally, my ballpark.

First of all, bj, incredibly good advice!

Getmea...establish relationships with companies seeking the same customer demographic. One that comes to mind would be a mobile DJ service. Think of the promotional events you could hold.

The media offers an excellent opportunity for free publicity. Pick a topic to emphasize...for instance pdrews idea skateboard safety. A nicely done feature article in the local newspaper or several minutes on the local morning TV program is not impossible. Try writing a press release and circulating it. I've had great results with article marketing which creates links to your site and establishes you as an expert. Lets face it, with skateboard safety as the issue you get the support of parents and your customers. I imagine selling a few more of the safety accessories wouldn't hurt, either.

If you have the chance, check out the book "Guerilla Marketing". The author escapes me, but it's packed with no/low cost tips on how to promote and sell. Very best of luck to you!

[noel_x99]

Ad specialties can get expensive, but you can get temporary tatoos, hats, and other stuff that kids might like. I know an ASI seller can get hundreds of thousands of different items. She works with her clients to come up with some great ideas. If you find someone good that has experience, they could help without breaking your budget.

For goodwill with kids and parents, sponsor ads in program books and school yearbooks. In our area, they are not expensive - sometimes as little as $25 or $50 for a reasonable size ad.