The Truth About Marketing Your Website Offline
October 3, 2007
Do you have an online business? Do you also market it offline? If not do you fall into one of the following categories?
1) You’re a hermit.
2) Your online business is so crumby or shady that you’d be embarrassed to be associated with it in “the real world”.
3) You believe the crapola that some so called gurus spout about there being no point in marketing your business offline.
Whatever your reasons – if you don’t promote your business offline too – you should be.
For a start – if you barely leave the house, you’ve really got to make time to do so. Even a short walk through your own town should give you plenty of ideas to improve your business, and also find ways to promote it offline.
And if your business is so crumby or shady that it embarrasses you, you’ve really got to ditch it and start doing something worthwhile. You couldn’t build an Aston Martin from worthless crap, and you can’t build a successful business that is based on garbage either.
Lastly – lets consider the “gurus”. Recently – one of these gurus wrote that it was pointless marketing your website offline, as there was no point telling your family and friends about it, as they wouldn’t be interested. And there’s no point in advertising in newspapers, as nobody could be bothered to type in your url.
Anyone who thinks friends and family, and newspaper advertisements are the only way to market their internet business offline should not be promoting themselves as a business expert. And you should not be listening to them.
The truth is, you should be marketing your business in as many ways as you possibly can. And unless you have a massive marketing budget, you need to choose ways to do it cheaply or free.
Now, I’m not going to write a book on marketing in one blog post, and you should definitely read at least one decent book on marketing.
Here are some basic ideas. First you need to arm yourself with professional business cards and letterheads. It’s not too expensive and you won’t be taken seriously if you don’t.
Get used to giving your business cards to everyone – and leave them everywhere. People who tell you business cards don’t work aren’t dishing enough out. I’ve had some great luck just leaving them inside the bill folder when I pay in restaurants.
Just like you would online, hang out at places where your target market go. And attend networking events too.
Issue a press release to your local newspaper. If your angle is interesting enough, people will visit your website.
Write to your target market about your website. You’d be surprised at how effective this approach can be. Think about it – all the communications you normally receive from online businesses usually wind up getting deleted with the rest of the spam. If a website actually sent you a printed letter, you’d probably be so shocked you’d read it.
There are many other things you can try too, but remember, whether you have an online business, or an offline business, your customers spend time on the internet and in the “real world”, and you should do as much marketing as you can to reach them them.
Comments
6 Responses to “The Truth About Marketing Your Website Offline”
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Successful And Outstanding Blogger
I’ve met some of my customers in the sauna.
A few have commented on my skin and how clear but most have been in there talking health and ways they want to improve it that happens to be a subject I’m familiar with.
I’ll start talking asking them certain questions, talk about how what things we eat can have a positive or negative affect on their overall well being that usually makes them very curious they want to know what I do. I tell them. My business is advertised in the gym.
They have an “advertisement area” and I also was name shirts with my business website plastered on it. Initially, I was surprised how many people remembered it or asked me to “stop” so they could write my down the url.
I also market my business to stores whose clients are looking for products similar to the ones I create. I don’t do that off the bat I establish a friendly relationship with them and then ask whether they will carry my products. It’s been very effective.
You’ve sold me!
I haven’t done a mailing (real paper, words and stamps) for ages.
And you’re right. You do need to mix it up a bit.
I’ve been playing with Internet stuff for a bit (and will obviously carry on!) but get some old-fashioned mailings out before the end of the year.
You’re right on the rest too. Networking and passing business cards is a pretty established way of marketing your business – but too often forgotten.
And many networking events are free (bar the coffee or drinks).
We’re currently compiling a list of networking events and splitting the job up between a few of us so we get to at least one or two events per week.
I know that using newspaper can be very powerful for the really advanced Affiliates, but I am sticking to online for now
Too early for me to start advertising offline.
Opal – I nearly fell off my chair when I read the part about meeting customers in the sauna but it certainly sounds effective.
Ian – i think it’s good to do a mixture of email and non-email marketing, but obviously email is a whole lot cheaper than letters. Plus the postal workers are on strike now.
Sean – you are smart to avoid newspapers. Unless you have some amazing copy, it can be the fastest way to blow your marketing budget and get nothing in return.
I still have the business card of an acquaintance who designed a site for freelancers. It was definitely useful.
Obviously having a balance of off-line and on-line marketing is the most adequate solution, and I agree, I have developed some of my best ideas away from my computer.