Offline Marketing How much do you charge?

14 years ago

charge more. If you are good, then for the customer, it is like them putting in a dollar and getting two back. If you are that kind of machine, how many dollars do you think they will put in?

Most local SEO/PPC/web builders are idiots, crooked or lazy. Most got their degrees years ago and haven't done a lick of work since. I saw a competitor's contract the other day that said meta keywords was an important part of SEO. The entire contract had zero off page SEO. No backlinking, no article marketing and no 2.0 at all.

Charge more, it will be doing your customers a favor. I got the deal for more money than the other company. I was willing to accept payments... forever

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JMB Marketing Group

14 years ago

Originally Posted by baronig

I would like to know how much do i charge for offlinebiz clients.
PPC setup
SEO
LBC setup?

this is holding me back.if i charge more i loose clients less i don't make enough money.

OK, I know that:

PPC = Pay Per Click (you need $$$$ to pay for)
SEO = Search Engine Optimization (free, but you need some techie knowledge to do)

But, what the heck does:

LBC - Mean?

Enquiring minds wanna know (me, for one)! I swear I can't be that daft! :p

By the way, have you checked out:

Localbizbuilders.com?

Here's the link:

http://www.localbizbuilders.com/forums/

You'll find a wealth of knowledge / information there as it is a forum dedicated to the offline world!

Cheers,

JMB

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DogScout

14 years ago

PS-a competent PPC company will charge 2-3K to get to know the business, 2-3K to research commercial intent keywords and create the campaign. Thats 6k before the 1st ad is placed.

If they do not do this, then they are guessing. The only way to KNOW is by research & testing. Skip research and testing just got 10 times harder. You want to research free? PPC is expensive on the one hand, but after it is rolling, again it is like getting back $2 for every $1 they invest in it (and better after testing). The best PPC copywriter in the world will tell you he took a test... guessed which of two ads would have a higher CTR with 10 sets. Results? 50% wrong (or 50% right) he could have just flipped a coin. And this guys IQ is too HIGH for Mensa. Lol. Fact is no knows. they ones that think they do are dangerous. Some of the ads were the exact same with the exception of a comma and the results 4-5 times different. Who can figure that out?

Go to Google. look at the ads. Refresh the page. keep doing it. 2 in a hundred adwords ads change. That mean 98% don't test, they think they know the best ad. Egomaniacs... Madison ave types that are displaced, they need to go back to interruption advertising.
LOL
With testing, anyone can be a PPC rock-star.

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MWick

14 years ago

Well you may want to set a fixed profit margin over the amount you are willing to spend for them in return and add your own service rates on top. You just gotta set the balance so that you do not go too much overboard or too little so you do not make much.

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baronig

14 years ago

JMB - LBC stands for Local Business Listing
thanks for the link LocalBizBuilders - Powered by vBulletin
I am debating between this site and offlinebiz.com
----
Someone charges for PPC setup 800$
800$ /month PPC campaign management
200$ /per/month keyword for SEO.

he demends to be paid in advance

are those reasonable prices to charge?

Thanks
3 replies

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JMB Marketing Group

14 years ago

Originally Posted by baronig

JMB - LBC stands for Local Business Listing
thanks for the link LocalBizBuilders - Powered by vBulletin
I am debating between this site and offlinebiz.com
----
Someone charges for PPC setup 800$
200$ /per keyword for SEO.

are those resonable prices to charge?

I thought that's what it meant but, LBC doesn't = Local Business Listing. The "C" threw me off, which would stand for "Community" or perhaps "Clients". Now that makes sense!

Thanks
1 reply

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baronig

14 years ago

Originally Posted by JMB Marketing Group

I thought that's what it meant but, LBC doesn't = Local Business Listing. So, what does the "C" stand for??? Sorry, but to me it reads as " Local Business (so what does the "C'"?)

sorry it was after midnight was not thinking

LBC Local Business Center.

thank you for all the inputs.
I assume these prices makes sense
Someone charges for PPC setup 800$
800$ /month PPC campaign management
200$ /per/month keyword for SEO.

I am thinking to join an offlinebiz forum,it's good to know there is a support direction the most importantly building confidence that we can do it.

Thanks

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JMB Marketing Group

14 years ago

Originally Posted by baronig

JMB - LBC stands for Local Business Listing
thanks for the link LocalBizBuilders - Powered by vBulletin
I am debating between this site and offlinebiz.com
----
Someone charges for PPC setup 800$
800$ /month PPC campaign management
200$ /per/month keyword for SEO.

he demends to be paid in advance

are those reasonable prices to charge?

Hey, no need for debate here!. They are both equally as good. Not only that, they are BOTH FREE! Hey, no one can argue with that! Well, at least not me, since I am a member of both (both free and paid member (with Localbiz - Special Forces -- I am a paid member of which is totally optional, but what I chose to do over year ago)!

Wishing you much success!

JMB

Thanks
1 reply

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TimCastleman

14 years ago

I have a business card in my wallet that I pull out every so often. It says the following

"cheap clients write cheap checks" it reminds me to keep going after the high value targets in my area instead of the bottom feeders.

Want to know how to do the same? Here you go -

1. Decide who you want to work with. For me they have to be a local business, doing some form of advertising already, and in some cases already have a website.

2. Decide the best way to get in contact with them. Cold call, door to door sales, direct mail, etc. Pick what fits your budget, your personality and more importantly your lifestyle.

3. Take action.

A lot of people are having success with the Offline Clients in 4 minutes method by doing nothing more than these 3 steps with a few extra ones.

As far as pricing - set your price and present it to them with a straight face. Show them the value of your services and how quickly they make their investment back and it shouldn't be an issue.

Tim

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jayveen

14 years ago

Some of this advice sounds good, provided you actually know what you can do for the client moneywise. I'd have no problem asking 2k to set up a site and do SEO if I knew that it would make more than 2k for the customer, but to get to know that will take some practice. So people just starting out are going to have to do some guesswork; I'm thinking about lowballing my offer but doing so with a good, solid company so that if it works out for them I can charge more fair value.

I think I'm going to start cold-calling small businesses and just see what they say. They may already have price points in mind, and have an idea of what they expect for their dollars. In that case I just have to beat expectations. But in the last week or so I've definitely been thinking that some offline freelance work is the way to go.

Thanks
2 replies

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TimCastleman 14 years ago

I think I'm going to start cold-calling small businesses and just see what they say.

My guess is you'll hear a lot of this ... click.

Cold calling is tough and I wish you the best of luck. Seriously.

Tim
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- L.James 14 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by TimCastleman
  
  My guess is you'll hear a lot of this ... click.
  
  Cold calling is tough and I wish you the best of luck. Seriously.
  
  Tim
  
  I hear alot of clicks, but with your system i also get alot of emails saying "no thank you" ... So I guess it just depends
  
  Thanks
  
  2 replies
  
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  Jagged 14 years ago
  
  Analyze your client's marketing needs...
  Analyze your client's marketing budget...
  Analyze your client's target market...
  Analyze yourself...what you are capable of & what can offer to solve your client needs...
  Then...set your price point accordingly.
  
  By not having set pricing...you allow yourself flexibilty to approach each client "per project".
  
  e.g: I would approach Maria's Bakery differently from a Chiropractor....
  Their markting needs are different
  
  Their target market is different
  
  Their marketing budgets are different
  
  Then analyze your own skills...
  What do you bring to the table (value you offer...)
  
  Can you implement your plan easily
  
  Can you provide the services needed...or do you require outsourcing
  
  *If I created a new website for each...I may only charge Maria's bakery $1,500...where I may charge the chiropractor $4,500 for the same site....based on what I find in my analysis.
  
  Lets say...I can increase the ROI for each by 25%....The chiropractor's marketing budget is larger & his target market "per customer" yields a much higher return. His 25% increase reflects 5 new clients at an average of $5,000.00 each ($25,000.00)...as opposed to Maria's bakery...where her 25% increase relates to 50 new clients at an average of $25.00 per client ($1,250.00)
  The chiropractor clearly has the edge....He clearly would receive more value from my services...(and clearly can afford to pay more...) I would charge him more naturally.
  
  I have set pricing on my website, but clearly state it is only for guideline budgeting & not clear / firm prices. I make it clear to each client in my "analysis meeting" with them that each proposal is custom to each clients needs...& I never quote any client on the spot...
  
  Also, another thing that comes into play is your location. You can charge more for services if your in New York City, Chicago or LA...as opposed to Witchata, Kansas or Grand Rapids, Michigan....
  
  Food for thought...
  
  Good luck,
  Ken
  
  Thanks
  
  1 reply
  
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  baronig 14 years ago
  
  thank you Ken,
  I did print your post and will read it carefully.
  
  Thanks
  
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  TimCastleman 14 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by L.James
  
  I hear alot of clicks, but with your system i also get alot of emails saying "no thank you" ... So I guess it just depends
  
  I'll take a no thank you over click any day.
  
  Keep plugging away, success will come.
  
  Tim
  
  Thanks
  
  1 reply
  
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  James Schramko 14 years ago
  
  Charge what you are worth.
  
  * choose clients who sell expensive things
  * clients who already advertise are better
  * clients with crap websites have more need
  * work on your mindset, it will pay big dividends
  
  Thanks
  
  Signature
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- M4UNow Banned 14 years ago
  
  [DELETED]
  
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  TimCastleman 14 years ago
  
  Gina -
  
  Nothing, my clients call me when they want to spend money.
  
  If you call them the zeros are usually less than when they call you.
  
  Tim
  
  Thanks
  
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  GoGetta 14 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by M4UNow
  
  That's odd I get 90% of my clients that way. What are you saying on the phone?
  
  Gina
  
  I have to say I am with Gina here!
  
  Just because your initial approach is using the phone and cold calling, it doesn't mean you cannot charge high for your work. The amount you charge is based on the trust and relationship you have with the potential client.
  
  Cold calling IMO is the quickest way to find business owners that are interested, when you find the interested, you build the relationship!
  
  In my last JOB, I was selling IM services to businesses, the only tactic they used was COLD CALLING, nothing else. That business sold just before I left for around $35 million, all built up from cold calling!!
  
  So, the perception that cold calling is a waste of time and doesn't deliver the dollars is wrong.
  
  There are many ways to skin a cat and many ways to get clients, it is what ever you feel comfortable with, THEY ALL WORK!
  
  Just my 2 cents,
  
  GoGetta
  
  P.S On subject, a little on charging!
  
  Here is what I did basically when I started:
  
  I worked out my VALUE, what I was worth!
  
  I worked out what I wanted to make!
  
  I then called up competitors all over the country gaining quotes for similar services I offered. I could then look at what was being offered and for what price!
  
  Then I worked a pricing structure out looking at all the facts!
  
  My costs have risen over time although I have always from the beginning got paid well from the work I have done. Confidence in costing is a huge thing and when you gain confidence and experience, your cost is likely to rise!
  
  BE FLEXIBLE!
  
  When you work out pricing, do not just have a SOLID cost for PPC or SEO. The chances are, each client you gain will need something a little different. Some will need bigger campaigns, others smaller. Some will need more work because there is more competition, others less. And some will earn more dollar per acquisition, while others will be less.
  
  So, be flexible, work out what the competition is doing, and ABOVE ALL what you want to get paid based on your VALUE etc. and then work with each business on cost individually!
  
  As a lasting tip, I never give a price on my services in the first meeting or on the first call, never have, I always work out all the details and then go back and work a cost out, this way you do not rush into undercutting or overcharging!
  
  Good Luck!
  
  GoGetta
  
  Thanks
  
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joshril

14 years ago

I think it's incredibly important to focus on a product or two that you're comfortable with in the beginning. You don't have to be everything to everyone...

Just because some offline consultants offer virtually every marketing service imaginable, does not mean you have to.

Find something that you have some expertise with, position yourself as an expert with business owners, and show them how you can help. Once you get some clients under your belt, you can always add additional products to the mix.

Originally Posted by jayveen

Some of this advice sounds good, provided you actually know what you can do for the client moneywise. I'd have no problem asking 2k to set up a site and do SEO if I knew that it would make more than 2k for the customer, but to get to know that will take some practice. So people just starting out are going to have to do some guesswork; I'm thinking about lowballing my offer but doing so with a good, solid company so that if it works out for them I can charge more fair value.

I think I'm going to start cold-calling small businesses and just see what they say. They may already have price points in mind, and have an idea of what they expect for their dollars. In that case I just have to beat expectations. But in the last week or so I've definitely been thinking that some offline freelance work is the way to go.

Thanks

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timmykins

14 years ago

Originally Posted by baronig

JMB - LBC stands for Local Business Listing
thanks for the link LocalBizBuilders - Powered by vBulletin
I am debating between this site and offlinebiz.com
----
Someone charges for PPC setup 800$
800$ /month PPC campaign management
200$ /per/month keyword for SEO.

he demends to be paid in advance

are those reasonable prices to charge?

What you charge is only reasonable if you know what you are doing. For instance I don't offer PPC for two reasons 1) I'm not comfortable doing it (yet) and 2) for 99% of local businesses it isn't necessary as good solid on page/off page SEO will get them on the first page for local search terms.

Don't forget there are other (cheaper) ways to help businesses, like autoresponder management, which can bring them much greater return on their investment than PPC.

Hope this helps

Tim

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Ian Harmon

14 years ago

Originally Posted by timmykins

What you charge is only reasonable if you know what you are doing. For instance I don't offer PPC for two reasons 1) I'm not comfortable doing it (yet) and 2) for 99% of local businesses it isn't necessary as good solid on page/off page SEO will get them on the first page for local search terms.

Don't forget there are other (cheaper) ways to help businesses, like autoresponder management, which can bring them much greater return on their investment than PPC.

Hope this helps

Tim

The only problem I see with this is how do you know what keywords are converting? I use PPC to find the converting keywords and then once I have that data I offer SEO services around those keywords.

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DogScout

14 years ago

Originally Posted by dink

The only problem I see with this is how do you know what keywords are converting? I use PPC to find the converting keywords and then once I have that data I offer SEO services around those keywords.

Good solid strategy, it is called research and why it can cost a client a large upfront fee. You can 'guess' and make a couple hits and get lucky, but eventually you need to do the research.
Glenn Livingstons Hyper responsive Club is worth every penny of the $49 a month he charges in a blueprint to do it correctly and with high value to a client.

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Boyd Michaels

14 years ago

My first offline client: $5000. He paid in two installments over two months. This included a custom wordpress website, email autoresponder, 1-800 number, 20 custom videos, custom emails, custom graphics for the site, and a giveaway manual.

I personally have not had a lot of luck chasing Craigslist postings. I think everyone there wants their job done for as little as possible. I would stick to finding clients that are already qualified (ie. doing marketing already). Hope that helps.

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baronig

14 years ago

Originally Posted by bmichaels

My first offline client: $5000. He paid in two installments over two months. This included a custom wordpress website, email autoresponder, 1-800 number, 20 custom videos, custom emails, custom graphics for the site, and a giveaway manual.

I personally have not had a lot of luck chasing Craigslist postings. I think everyone there wants their job done for as little as possible. I would stick to finding clients that are already qualified (ie. doing marketing already). Hope that helps.

5000$ sweet deal.
do you outsource all the tasks or you do it yourself.
can you share little bit how you find prospects through Craiglist?

Thanks
1 reply

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Boyd Michaels 14 years ago

@ baronig: All of it I did myself and believe me that is not the best way to go. Although all the money went into my pocket, follow up and keeping the customer is hard if you have lost interest for whatever reason.

Going forward, I am working on a plan to outsource most of it. With a good monthly customer, I would hire a full time person in the Phillipines for around $400 a month. Then they can work on your customers campaign full time. Try Craigslist Manila to find people. But make sure you do your due diligence before hiring someone- and if there is one trait that is important above all the rest, is that they should speak good english. Almost anyone can be trained with a Jing or Camtasia video- but the communication will make or break you. Daily checkin by email is important too. I had two workers and had to let both go because timelines were not met.
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DukeNasty

14 years ago

Nothing wrong with charging a fair price for your services, but here is one problem I potentially see and in my opinion it is coming sooner than later. There are so many snake oil salesmen out there selling some form of online marketing/internet marketing and a lot of businesses are leery because they have been guaranteed 1st position in Google and all the other pie in the sky promises, but their bottom lines have not improved. What is worse, the loop between marketing and sales never gets closed so now instead of having a website that is nothing more than a pathetic billboard on the web (if they had one in the first place), businesses now have an "expensive" pathetic billboard on the web.

There are tons of firms who have developed marketing automation software that makes it easier, cheaper, and faster to achieve success online than ever before. So guess what is going to happen if you are trying to get the highest price possible for your services instead of aligning price with value? It is going to be no different than my financial advisor. He is a commodity and what he sells is a commodity. I can get what he offers anywhere. Same thing with my insurance agent. Same thing with my banker. They are all commodities and the offline marketing agency is quickly becoming that as well so why not focus on delivering value, being able to quantify that value, and being able to replicate your process from an efficiency standpoint?

E.

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badfun

14 years ago

Like any business you have to figure out how much you need to make per hour/day/week whichever in order to survive. Then you have to estimate how long you think it will take for you to get the work done. that gives you a baseline, and you should overestimate the time by as much as you can. There will be changes and unexpected work.

brent

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Offline Marketing How much do you charge?

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