5 ways to reach an audience who aren’t online

Janine Rusby founder of Engaging Heritage

Social media is a fabulous free tool for raising awareness of your business. But what do you do when your target market and ideal customers aren’t hanging out on social media?

For example, I know that my target audience have a passion for heritage and their local area, are typically retired and often enjoy volunteering. They may have a social media account, but rarely use it.

So how do I get them to know about my services and raise awareness of my brand?

1.Website: Your own website gives you credibility and allows you to provide information about your services in one place, even if your website is just one page.

Tip: Make sure you look at Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) to ensure your website ranks well, this means it comes up near the top of the list in a search.

2.Newsletter: I resisted doing this for ages as generating regular content felt like too much of a faff. But if your target audience aren’t on social media but like to read about their interests then you need to give them something interesting to read. By creating an email list, you have all your contacts in one place which is useful. By sending regular newsletters to this list, you can send interesting updates, share top tips, and remind them of what you do.

Tip: You can promote subscribing to your mailing list on your website, email footer and in person when you meet people. I like quarterly newsletters, this is a manageable amount for me to generate and doesn’t spam my mailing list.

3.Talks: Giving talks to interest groups are a great way to reach a wider audience. Organisations like the U3A, Women’s Institute, local societies or business groups often have a programme of speakers and are keen to have interesting and engaging speakers and activities for these groups.

Tip: Talk to current clients and your friends and find out about groups in your local area

4.Posters: In a digital age, posters can feel a bit old school, but they work. If like me your audience will use the local library, read the notice board in the supermarket or town centre, then strategically placed posters raising awareness of your services or next talk can be effective way to reach people.

Tip: Canva can help you produce professional posters for free.

5.Networking: The opportunity to meet with other people and tell them about what you do shouldn’t be underestimated. Don’t view networking as a ‘selling’ opportunity, the person you are chatting to probably won’t ‘buy’ your services. But they might know someone who will and could perhaps recommend you in the future. Think of networking as raising awareness of what you do and building your own support network.

Tip: If the thought of networking fills you with dread, then try a ‘netwalking’ group. I love ‘netwalking’, it means I can take my dog Mabel (aka Heritage Hound) and I get a cuppa at the end.

The key is not to view social media as the only marketing and engagement tool in your kit. By utilising a range of tools, that are carefully chosen based on knowledge of who your ideal client is, and their lifestyle, you can maximise your engagement and reach more people.

Janine Rusby runs Engaging Heritage providing project support to help heritage thrive.