Unique Marketing Ideas

[maggie2]

What is the most unique/creative marketing idea you've seen or heard about for offline businesses? I think this could be of real help to those of us working towards marketing Internet services to offline businesses.

Any ideas about unique online marketing strategies would be welcome as well.

I look forward to reading your responses.

Marg

[Brian Cook]

This site has some interesting offline marketing ideas...
99+ Offline Marketing Ideas

Brian

[Maria Gudelis]

Marg...there are sooo many...and real gems in the warrior forum from plenty of offline consultants...

....so using postcards is a biggie - with a twist - I use 'adtoon's to draw attention
- other threads talk about sending out bulky packages...you can have real fun with that...even 'vomit' bags....you can search the wf threads for that...

- a Dan Kennedy 2007 cd I have talks about a great campaign using the 800 pound gorilla - sending people hired and dressed up as gorillas' to executives (high quality prospects) - getting publicity with that...following up sending a stuffed gorilla...

you could 'play ' with that one to offline consulting -

"How to dominate the 800 pound gorilla online and get more sales'

..and go on to talk about being on first page of Google ofcourse and reference Google being the 800 pound gorilla most local biz owners are ignoring..

- other creative stuff...my company uses baby boomer magnets - Harley Davidsons and classic 67 Mustangs/Camaros - big conversation starter that has gotten clients for me...

Hope that helped! Cheers, Maria

[normpurc]

Hi Marg,
Simply search the Warrior Forum.

There is about any thing that you can think of here.

There are also a bunch of very nice and knowledgable folks here.

I would suggest that instead of asking the knowledge to come to you...
Go search for it here on the forum.

NormPurc

[Bill Farnham]

I'm not sure this is the MOST unique or creative idea, but it is one of my favorites to date that I have seen posted here. My appologies to whomever posted the thread where I read this as to not being able to post the link and give you proper attribution...

The idea is to create pre-made websites relating to differnet niches (plumbers, doctors, real estate agents, you name it) and peddle those websites to the first company in town in that niche who raises their hand for the offer.

So the website could be www . your town's -best-plumber . com, as an example, or any other profession or business.

You could do this with all your surrounding towns, cities, etc and have an unlimited number of clients or potential clients.

You get paid for setting up the website, a monthly retainer for hosting and upkeep, and any other services the client will buy from you.

If you know how to register domain names and set up hosting as well as put a nice looking site up, you can create these generic websites as sales tools. Once a client buys a site from you, you then customize the site with that clients' info and sales message.

You could spend a week building sites and then hit the bricks doing sales calls to sell your sites. If you charged $400 a site (going rate in my area) and sold 10 sites a week, you could do very well.

KJ

[acrasial]

Originally Posted by Killer Joe

I'm not sure this is the MOST unique or creative idea, but it is one of my favorites to date that I have seen posted here. My appologies to whomever posted the thread where I read this as to not being able to post the link and give you proper attribution...

The idea is to create pre-made websites relating to differnet niches (plumbers, doctors, real estate agents, you name it) and peddle those websites to the first company in town in that niche who raises their hand for the offer.

So the website could be www . your town's -best-plumber . com, as an example, or any other profession or business.

You could do this with all your surrounding towns, cities, etc and have an unlimited number of clients or potential clients.

You get paid for setting up the website, a monthly retainer for hosting and upkeep, and any other services the client will buy from you.

If you know how to register domain names and set up hosting as well as put a nice looking site up, you can create these generic websites as sales tools. Once a client buys a site from you, you then customize the site with that clients' info and sales message.

You could spend a week building sites and then hit the bricks doing sales calls to sell your sites. If you charged $400 a site (going rate in my area) and sold 10 sites a week, you could do very well.

KJ

I read that too.. but what happens if you don't know how to build a website?

Someone else suggested outsourcing this and then paying someone like a SMALL amount to make the website... but where do you find anyone these days who wouldn't charge an arm and a leg just to make a website??

[Bill Farnham]

Originally Posted by acrasial

I read that too.. but what happens if you don't know how to build a website?

Someone else suggested outsourcing this and then paying someone like a SMALL amount to make the website... but where do you find anyone these days who wouldn't charge an arm and a leg just to make a website??

These day websites are sooo easy to build with tools like Wordpress and others that this should not be your limiting factor. When I built my webstore in 1998 I paid over $7000 for the initial site, but those days are long gone.

Now I build html websites in Notepad and can crank them out at will. I do my own graphics and copy so for me this is such an easy task it's hard for me to remember days when it would have been a chore.

Put together a budget and fund it, reinvest your earnings in more sites, and grow your business organically. It might surprise you how fast you'll grow.

The key is concentrate on getting things done, and NOT on any perceived limitations.

KJ

[Joanne Greco]

I have found that putting your business name on a related product (not a pen) that your customers actually is helpful. I used to own a gym/dance studio in NYC (Brooklyn) and had small towels made up with the name of my business and the phone number. I got a lot of business through those towels.