on marketing, traveling and living…
Marketing
A Guide To Using Online And Offline Marketing In Your Business
Apr 28th
If you aren’t sure about the basic difference between online and offline marketing it is very simple. Online marketing is anything that uses the Internet as the medium of communication and offline marketing is everything else. Of course you will always have hybrid solutions but for the sake of this article this is the definition we will use when making a differentiation between the two. Without over simplifying this topic too much understand that these two forms of marketing have enough difference to make them and effective tandem.
Offline Marketing Tools
The basic set of tools needed for offline marketing include:
Newspaper advertising.
Radio advertising
Tv advertising
Brochures
Flyers
Networking at events
Online Marketing Tools
The basic set of tools needed for offline marketing include:
Email marketing.
Social media.
Blogging.
Websites.
If you take just a topical look at these two different forms of marketing you will quickly notice the differences in the areas of cost, set-up time and range of influence. As an example let’s look at an ad in your local newspaper:
Cost:
$100.00
Set-up Time:
1 hour
Potential Audience:
few hundred people
Now let’s look at a web site.
Cost:
$500.00/year
Set-up Time:
1 month
Potential Audience:
millions of people
So as you can easily see there are differences to the approaches. But it still comes down to what your ultimate goals are. If you choose to sell your products or services locally then you may want to use offline marketing because it will probably have a higher return on investment (ROI) then online marketing. But what if you decided to them both at the same time? You could always re-purpose your marketing content. Three great examples are as follows:
An article that you create for inclusion in your local newspaper could also be used as an article on your website or blog.
The same people you may meet at a networking session could potentially be found on Facebook or Linkedin.
The flyers or sales letters that you normally get printed and mailed could be sent to people via email marketing.
If you just look at these three basic examples (i.e. and there are more) you can quickly see how offline and online marketing can be used as a formidable pair. In most cases it just means re-purposing content. So the real question is if you have been solely an offline marketer before now can you see the advantages of incorporating online marketing into your marketing strategy?
In closing think of this real world example. The very same advertising copy that you may normally run in the newspaper as an ad may have a shelf life of a few days. The very same copy used online as a blog post could have a shelf life of months. And if you look at some of the examples that portrayed the practical re-purposing of content from one medium to another then you can readily see how you can do this without a lot of extra effort on your part. Think about it and then act on it!
How is Online Marketing Different Than Marketing Offline?
Apr 27th
With over 200 million searches being performed each day on Google and Facebook users exceeding 500 million, marketing your small business online can be a tremendous boost to your business. But if you find online marketing options confusing, don’t worry. Here is a comparison to help you better understand your choices.
Online Marketing vs. Offline Marketing
In offline marketing, you can advertise in print using newspapers and magazines. Online, you can use blogs, online articles, press releases, and emailings.
In offline marketing, you can advertise on radio or telemarketing/phone. Online, you could use teleseminars, podcasts, blog radio. You can even set your online podcasts to be downloadable for ipod users.
If television is your choice for offline marketing, you would look into YouTube and webinars for your online choices. And there are many more online video submission sites where you could post your videos to give you more exposure on the web.
If networking events, chamber meetings, and business groups work for you offline, then look to social media as an online alternative – LinkedIn for b2b, Facebook for b2c, and Twitter for water cooler chats.
Start with What You Know
Just as you would with any other new idea for your business, don’t bite off more than you can chew – take it one step at a time and try something that you are already comfortable with.
If you would typically advertise in your local newspapers, then try setting up a blog or submitting online articles. If you consistently attend networking meetings and business groups, then try your hand at social media. Chat with potential clients on Twitter, reach other businesses on LinkedIn, or start a group on Facebook.
Look for forums and directories online that cater to your target market. This is a great way to interact with your potential prospects and find out what they are looking for or what problem they have that you may be able to solve for them.
If the possibility of reaching thousands of new potential customers is not enough incentive to get you try marketing online, then consider the return on your investment. Online marketing can be done at a fraction of the cost of offline media. But, expanding your marketing reach to the internet does come with a cost – primarily the cost of time. But it can be time well spent. Or you can find a reliable online consultant to help you.
With so many internet users available to you each and every day, if you don’t soon take advantage of reaching these potential customers, you can be sure that your competitors will.
Creative Offline Marketing-Part IX
Apr 26th
Video Brochure – The same advantages a CD sales letter (above) has over a print sales letter are even greater with a video brochure. You can film your own infomercial and even if it never airs, you can distribute it on a DVD or videotape. Unlike infomercials, which have some strict guidelines, video brochures can contain practically any format. You can use the “news broadcast” format, which is restricted in infomercials. The best video brochures are those that look like television programs, since that’s what people expect to see when they are watching it. Testimonials can now contain video of the person speaking. Before and after shots are great in this format as well.
Data-Based Marketing – Data-based marketing can be as simple as sending a greeting card or other “touch” communications with your customers and prospects. A florist specializing in nationwide delivery of fresh orchids uses data-based marketing quite effectively. If you order a bouquet for a friend’s birthday or anniversary, they note the date and occasion in their computer. Eleven months later, you’ll receive a call from them, reminding you of the occasion and asking you if you’d like to send another bouquet. Restaurants do this all the time with the birthday gift certificates. Other companies take it a step further and know when their customers will need a reorder of their product. They’ll send a coupon or other discount to make another sale (for example, an oil change). Nowadays with all of the “rewards” and “shopper’s club cards,” supermarkets and chain stores not only capture everything you purchase and when, they can send you coupons and discounts for those products you regularly purchase. Amazon sends you emails about books similar to ones you have purchased when they re released and during other promotions.
You may want to consider starting your own “rewards” type program or something similar.
Secret Sales – You can send your customers a postcard that has a secret discount from 10% to whatever on everything they buy in one visit. The catch is they have to come into your store to find out the amount of the discount. The chance that they may have a 75% off coupon, for example, is often irresistible to the customer.
Add Extra Amenities – For physical locations, such as a car dealership, consider testing an in-house diner, barber, coffee shop, putting green, wireless internet, video arcade, playrooms for children, book stores, manicurists, climbing walls, mini-museum, ice-cream shop, etc. These can work well especially for those businesses where their customers have to wait. It may sound extravagant, but many businesses, especially those that cater to the affluent, have done this with resounding success. Why do you think McDonald’s added playgrounds to most of their restaurants? Why do upscale bookstores have coffee cafés? The list goes on.
to be continued….
