This is the 3rd article in the series focusing on tips to market your website/online business to prospects offline when you are networking or simply out in your own community.  It’s another opportunity to make connection with potential customers.

 

Creative Thinking 101:  The “Extra Step”


Take the case of a local business owner who realized that even the most un-tech-savvy people had got into the habit of responding online to cash receipt survey URLs put out by big companies like Staples and Home Depot.  His employees handed out “free tickets” at a local sporting event duplicating the visual format of these cash receipt survey invitations — with a step.  His free tickets promised prizes with 1-5 odds of winning for the first hundred respondents.  In addition to three “big” cash prizes (the top one was $250), they gave out promotional items already in stock to meet that 1 in 5 promise.  He reported doubling his business that year, linking it back to the survey “ticket” promotion.

Notice also he did five things that greatly increased the effectiveness of his promotion:

  • He observed and researched the habits of the group he wanted to target — those in his niche who did not habitually shop online, finding out about a stress-free place where they hung out (the sporting event)
  • He delivered his information in a format they were comfortable with (the “cash receipt” formula)
  • He upped the incentive to participate (the 1-in-5 odds of winning)
  • He created a sense of urgency to participate (the first hundred participants only were guaranteed 1-in-5 odds)
  • He delivered on his promise

There’s absolutely no reason why any online business owner — no matter how small their business — can’t achieve similar results.  All it takes is observation and a smidgen of creative thinking.

To get your brain going, ask yourself the following six questions:

  1. “What is in it for my local customer, if she visits my site?  Why will this be a good thing for her?”
  2. “What is the biggest barrier that prevents her from doing this?”
  3. “What can I offer or do now, to help her overcome that block?
  4. “How can I up my incentive even more?”
  5. “Have I included the principles of exclusivity and urgency?”
  6. “Is my call to action strong enough and clear enough?”

3 Most Common Offline Promotion Mistakes

The three mistakes most commonly — and fatally — made by those wishing to drive an offline audience to their websites?

  • Rushing into it without proper research, interaction and thought
  • Doing something that’s easy for them — not for their target market
  • Relying on others for ideas and strategies as a substitute for your own research, thought and interaction

Social Marketing and Your Online Business

We’ve spoken mostly about driving your target market to your online site:  You can also use your online presence to encourage local customers to contact you offline.

Sometimes being able to connect with you offline provides the biggest incentive for dealing with you in a professional relationship online.  (Case in point:  The VA mentioned in a previous example, who got the “job” because the company contracting her services realized she was local and could attend vital on-location team meetings.)

An ideal way to geo-target offline customers is through social media.

Take Facebook, for example.  One of the hottest new trends this year is geo-targeting.  Facebook automatically detects the exact physical location its users are operating from — and serves up ads and events they can reach in person.

Facebook gives great prominence to localized events and keywords.

Besides, if people can attend your workshops or meet you at the local food bank drive, they retain a much stronger memory of you.  They “know” you — and that boosts trust.

The important thing to remember lies in realizing that “offline” and “online” promotion are not only two halves of a whole, they are interchangeable.  Offline promotion can net you online business; online promotion can bring you valuable, new, local customers.

And just as you can tailor your online presence, you can also tailor your offline promotion to match:

  • Your personality, strengths and skills
  • Your ideal target customer
  • Your business

I hope these  tips have provided some inspiration and incentive to promoting your online business offline too.  The rewards can be well worth the effort of stretching outside of your comfort zone.

Want to learn more about online marketing call me for a free consultation, I’ll give you some ideas your sure to find beneficial and check out my friend Paul’s great website site called Nicheology. He is a brilliant marketer and someone I have learned alot from.