Contrary to the way things may appear, not everyone is in front of their computer 24 hours a day. Offline media and real world person-to-person contact still plays an important role in business and marketing. Because of this, you should not restrict the marketing of your online business presence to only online methods - you should also be using offline techniques. How to begin? Here are a few tips.

One of the more popular techniques is to create inserts for newspapers. If you are selling a product, you can create a marketing insert that targets internet users. Including your URL and email address on the insert along with a call to action is an ideal way in which to garner traffic.

Here is a wonderful example of how to use offline contacts for marketing your online business this way: A travel agency who does most of their business online is falling on hard times. The owner of the agency decides to contact a large clothing chain whose circulars are included in Sunday newspapers with a large distribution. She contacts the store's advertising department and asks if they would give her a half page insert within their Sunday circular.

While there is a slight fee, by placing her website information and a discount travel offer to those who visit the website after reading the ad, she receives a brand new stream of traffic to her website and several new clients.

Another method you may wish to use is to offer free offline classes at your local community center or other school facility in which you can teach about the product or service you are offering online. Issue a press release to the local media, radio, cable television and print publications, especially your local area's free newspapers. Use this opportunity to establish a list of contacts which you can later notify with additional information about your website product or service.

When promoting offline, it's important to target those people who will actually show interest in your service or product. Certainly, you may have a social club in your area you can contact to set up a meeting. Be sure to distribute business cards with your website and email address and a reason to visit.

You can also arrange to offer an informative presentation related to your online product or service at your local chamber of commerce or similar business organization. These types of groups are always looking for interesting speakers for their meetings too.

Once you determine what type of meetings are being held, inquire as to the subject of the meetings so that you can target those groups who will readily accept your presentation. This can be very affordable as it enables you to get the word out about your online business without having to resort to mainstream media costs.

At these meetings, make sure to also hand out printed material such as an outline of your presentation with room to take notes. Of course, make sure your website information is included. This way, those attending will receive something of value they can take home and refer to later, where they will again be exposed to your online business's marketing message.

These are just a few suggestions to help your business internet marketing online succeed. Use these as a starting point and then continue to develop your own toolbox of offline marketing methods that will help to expand your online presence.