How to promote your venue offline

While the digital age has made online marketing almost obligatory, there's significant value in the tried-and-true methods of offline promotion, especially for event venues. Here are some effective ways to promote your  venue without relying on digital means.

Networking Events and Trade Shows

Why It’s Effective:

Networking in person can create strong relationships that last. Trade shows bring together industry professionals who are all looking for new partnerships and services.

What you can do:

Participate in industry-specific events or general business networking events. Prepare a compelling pitch and bring along business cards, brochures, and even a portfolio of your venue's offerings.

Local Partnerships

Why It’s Effective:

Local businesses often share customers without directly competing with each other. By creating partnerships, you can tap into their customer base.

What you can do:

Partner with nearby restaurants, hotels, or transportation services to create bundled packages. Both parties can promote this package, effectively cross-advertising to each other's clientele.

Direct Mail Campaigns

Why It’s Effective:

The most straightforward way to get your venue into people's homes. Direct mail allows you to reach a targeted audience with tactile, eye-catching promotional material.

What you can do:

Design a beautiful, information-rich brochure or postcard about your venue. Send these to businesses, event planners, and agencies that are likely to need a venue for events.

Local Media Coverage

Why It’s Effective:

Local newspapers, magazines, and TV stations can provide exposure to a broad but geographically targeted audience.

What you can do:

Write press releases about noteworthy events at your venue and send them to local media outlets. Alternatively, invite reporters to high-profile events for coverage. Building up a list of local news contacts is a great starting point – most regional news outlets will have a contact address on their website.

Sponsor Local Events

Why It’s Effective:

Sponsorship gets your venue name out there and associates it with positive experiences.

What you can do:

Choose events that align with your venue's brand and ethos. Provide sponsorship in the form of space, services, or financial backing and ensure your venue's name and logo are prominently displayed at the event.

Word-of-mouth and Referral Programs

Why It’s Effective:

A recommendation from a trusted source carries significant weight.

What you can do:

Encourage satisfied clients to refer others to your venue. Offer them an incentive, such as a discount on their next booking or a small free service, for every successful referral. And, of course, make sure ever event you cater to leaves guests smiling.

Billboards and Outdoor Advertising

Why It’s Effective:

Billboards capture the attention of people traveling through the area, including those who may not have considered your venue otherwise. They're an expensive endeavour, but if you've got the cash could make a huge difference.

What you can do:

Invest in billboard space near major roads or locations where your target audience is likely to pass by. For London, the hottest billboard real estate is the major underground stations. Make sure the design is eye-catching and the message is clear and concise.

Flyers and Posters

Why It’s Effective:

A tried and tested way of offline marketing, flyers and posters can be distributed in strategic locations, targeting a local audience.

What you can do:

Design high-quality flyers or posters and ask to hang them in local businesses, community centres, or educational institutes. Always get permission before displaying any promotional material.

Local Collaborations for Themed Nights or Events

Why It’s Effective:

Themed nights can attract a niche but enthusiastic crowd and we're seeing them grown in populaerity year on year. Collaborating with other businesses can make these events even more compelling.

What you can do:

Team up with local businesses to host themed nights. For example, collaborate with a local brewery for a craft beer tasting event, or with a bookstore for a literary evening.

Conclusion

Offline marketing still holds considerable sway, especially in a dynamic and diverse city like London. By leveraging these strategies, you can raise your venue's profile and reach new customers in ways that digital marketing alone might not achieve.