Hello My Name Is
Imagine your business logo and website address on this coffee cup, how many people do you think would comment on it and Google your business?
Out with the old, and in with the new! 2014 is gone and here we are at the start of a new year. Some of you are “business as usual” and others are ready to make 2015 the best year yet by doing something amazing!
I am not sure about you, but I always lean towards doing something amazing. If you’re the type to likes things the way they are and have no desire for change, STOP READING NOW. I care enough about you to not want to waste your time; this article is not for you.
So now I have a challenge, how do I take a boring subject like bringing traffic to your website and make it “amazing”.
For starters I am going to avoid words like search engine results, blogs, articles, email lists, pay per click advertising, social media and terms you hear every day on how to bring traffic to your website. I am going to give you some other creative ways that will not only help you increase the traffic to your website, but also increase engagement with consumers, which is always an amazing thing.
Let’s get physical!
There seems to be this invisible wall between the physical world and the online world where businesses are unable to connect the two together. The people in charge of marketing their businesses seem to separate online marketing and physical marketing. They are focused on driving their traffic to their website from search engine results, social
media, online ads and other great methods. Don’t get me wrong, these are good sources for traffic, but we're looking for other creative ways that will engage consumers.
Attend physical events
People connect with people, not brands. You and your staff are the face of your brand. No amount of marketing can replace the feeling people get when they interact with you or your staff. Attending local events helps put a face to your brand connects people with it. While attending these events giving out the right merchandise can bring people to your website. If word gets around about some cool merchandise you're giving out, those who didn’t get one might search you out now. See if the event you’re attending is giving out door prizes and see if you can donate a prize. This will make sure the majority of the attendees at least hear about your business.
Does physical merchandise really work?
With so much going online now people appreciate physical items, things they can feel and touch like merchandise or this magazine you're holding. The important thing is to make sure your merchandise is something people will want to use regularly and maybe even talk about, share and possibly go online to learn more about you.
Branded pens are one affordable item that people will use. Branded pens also have one of the best exposure rates as they get passed around from person to person. Don’t forget to put your website address on the pen and do something to make sure you pen stands out. Depending on your business you could buy really elegant pens or fun pens that people laugh at.
Imagine your business logo and website address on the coffee cup on page 41, how many people do you think would comment on it and possibly Google your business?
Google “Inigo Montoya” if you don’t understand how funny this cup really is.
This same principle can be used for coffee cups, t-shirts, calendars and other items. The most important thing is to not take this lightly and just put your logo and contact information on them. Think about your consumer and make sure your merchandise is useful, memorable, funny and something people will talk about, share and make them want to learn more about you…leading them to your website.
Go retro-physical
Have you heard of this old way of communicating called mail? You might also have heard it called “snail mail”. What possible reason would you use this service? Email is free right?
Did you know there are no anti–spam laws for mail?
Did you know there are no junk folders that filter mail before it gets to its intended recipient?
It’s a little slow on the delivery, but the cool thing about physical mail is very few businesses are using it as a connection tool. To ensure success with this, make sure the mail looks personal and addressed to a specific person you are targeting. Make it light and lay off the sales pitch! Make sure the mail is perceived as you thinking about your prospect and not their money (sales promotion).
Maybe you mail a thank you card for the business they have given you? It could also be an invite to an open house event you’re putting on. Whatever it is, make sure you have your website address on it, and a call to action that is light (not a hard call to action for a sale). Something like this: “visit www.mywebsite.com/rsvp to RSVP for our open house”.
Conclusion
In order to get ahead, you need to do something different. While you still need to focus on what works to bring traffic to your website, you need to also do things different than what your competition is doing. If you’re just following the norm, you will never become the leader in your industry and become “Awesome!”. ■
Mike Cooper is the owner of Black Mountain Media. See what Black Mountain does at: www.blackmountainmedia.ca or send Mike a note at: mike@blackmountainmedia.ca. You can also call: 778-214-0519