A Successful Method Of Offline Blog Promotion

Most of the time, as bloggers we all get caught up in trying to further our reach and increase our success in every online way imagineable.  But how often do we think about offline methods of promoting our blogs?

For centuries, offline promotion has been extremely successful.  Only in the last 10 years has online promotion of any kind started taking off in a major way.  In fact, online promotion has only just recently become the biggest and best way to reach your target market, especially for the “little guy”.

But successful promotion can still be attained through offline methods, and one offline method in particular is even better than any online promotional method could ever be.

Networking Like A Rockstar

Social networking has been a driving force in connecting others from all over the world.  It has helped bloggers and companies alike to garner the attentions of those they wouldn’t have otherwise reached.  But with all that online social networking provides, it still doesn’t compare to face-t0-face networking.

In a world where connection by proxy runs rampant, everyone still likes to be able to talk to others in person.  As humans we are community driven and like the physical company of others.  And with no physical social interaction, we face the possibility of becoming far less social than any generation before us; no matter how many online social presences we have.

Physical networking also plays a big role in creating trust between you as a blogger and your readers.  Are you more likely to take the advice of a friend or some stranger from the internet?

When I try to explain the need for real physical interaction and how big a role it plays in gaining readers, I always like to refer to my example of the Walmart “self-checkout” lane.

“When you get a chance, go to a Walmart that has self-checkout lanes.  Find a good place to stand and watch people as they checkout.  You’ll start to notice that the majority of shoppers will choose to checkout at the employee manned counter rather than doing it themselves.  It doesn’t matter if there are 10 self-checkout conters open and only one employee manned counter.  The shoppers don’t seem to care that it takes them longer to get out of the store.  They seem to be more focused on getting a real person to help them, not some machine.”

If you’re interested in promotion of your blog offline, try attending blog conferences and social media expos.  You can even try setting up tweetups in your local community, or starting a dot com group.

Have you noticed the same Walmart “self-checkout” lane preference?  What are your thoughts?