So you’ve got your online shop. You’ve got your social media pages — Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, the list goes on. It’s great that your business has an online presence, but what happens if Instagram disappears or your website gets deleted? Does your brand exist in the real world?

Human connection in real life is a lost art. It’s important to have a presence in real life just as it’s important to have an offline strategy to market your business, too.

Think of your business as a garden, as something that can grow more and more each day. We’ve compiled a list of marketing materials you should think about, if you want to drive value and traffic to your business and watch it succeed:

5 seeds (marketing materials) you should plant if you want your business to grow:

1. Business cards

After you’ve planted the seed (aka, started your business) you should look into business cards. They are an easy, quick way to get a message across: who and what your business is, what your services are, and who and how to contact.

There’s so much you can do with business cards nowadays and personalisation is key. With different sizing, fonts, photos, and textures, your business cards will be something unique. Attach stickers to your packaging (tissue paper or decorative boxes) to stand out.

Not only do business cards help people remember you, but they will be a physical representation of who you are to give to people. Business cards are a reminder for potential customers to communicate with you (through a call or going to a location) and network as an actual business. This is a great way for you to be more than simply a name on social media!

2. Postcards and flyers

Promoting your business offline will be tricky if you don’t have the right materials to help you. Flyers and postcards are a couple of other important ways to get the word out about your business. You can do this by leaving them at a local coffee shop or book store, pinned on a board in a community centre or library, or passed out at local events.

They should do a bit more work than business cards, with a more detailed and eye-catching design. It could offer coupons and information about your company and your brand: who you are, what your mission statement is, the products you offer, and contact information.

Postcards and flyers should match your business cards, while giving you space for a more creative design. It’s easy to design your postcards and flyers to be something versatile and effective for your business! Be creative with it and think about what you would want to see from a business.

3. Clothing, bags, and more promotional items

There’s a lot of advantages to promotional merch. Not only is it appealing as a low-cost marketing technique, but the people who wear or use your merch will be promoting your business everywhere they go. For example, your consumers could have a hat, a shirt, or a tote bag – either as a free gift or a potential purchase. Whatever the case, they’re a walking advert for your company.

There are lots of material options for the t-shirts and tote bags and unlimited colour and design options, too.

The hats and the bags should be good quality products — this will accurately represent your company and its quality. You want people to show off the products and talk about where they got it from (you)!

4. Signage

Two of the best things you should invest in are retractable banners and tablecloths. Both are appealing and will add depth to the message representing your brand.

If you’re attending a local event and you want your booth to stand out from the rest, you should think about getting a tablecloth. Whether it’s a customised tablecloth or a blank (but coloured) cover, it will take your promotional strategy to the next level.

If you attend a local event to promote your business or have a business store front, you should think about retractable banners. You want something that will be eye-catching, straight-forward, and easy-to-read so you can drive traffic to your business and your products. Retractable banners are a great way to highlight a special offer,  or even something funny to grab their attention.

5. Paper bags

You should use eco-friendly print options–like paper bags to put your products in. Using paper bags is a material that is a lot more reliable, and eco-friendly. The straps alone on a paper bag are much more durable and dependable than ones that are made of plastic.

The design for the bags could be as simple and straight-forward as your retractable banners. You could use a text logo or place stickers on the bag (another marketing strategy), as long as it matches the rest of your brand’s marketing materials (business cards, flyers, etc.) You could even throw a sticker into the bag along with their purchases, so they have a little something to remember you by after they happily walk away with your products.

The marketing materials you use for your business should be a reflection of your company. With that being said, you want something that is going to make you stand out. If the internet goes out, what will you have to show for yourself and your business? How can you still make a profit and succeed?

That’s right–paper products. Eco-friendly print options!

You should have flyers and business cards to hand out to people. You should provide people with signs to draw them in and let them walk away with a paper bag full of purchases, including promotional merch that can help your business as a word-of-mouth tactic. All of these efforts go a long way.