Discuss: What Tools Would You Recommend For Offline Marketing?

jkstam3

13 years ago

the yellowpages!

Thanks
1 reply

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RichardHK

13 years ago

Originally Posted by jkstam3

the yellowpages!

Absolutely true! And also track down who has new websites by searching for your local web developers portfolio. Most will look nice but not at all optimised for search. If an offline business has money for a site they may well understand and pay for SEO and more.

Tools? Market Samurai and Web CEO are my main tools, with the Firefox SEO add-ons. Also use Micro Niche Finder for niche research as it is so quick and easy to operate. And Hubspot have a free online tool for basic checks on sites here.

Thanks
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Richard, Hong Kong
Business Consulting

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Digital Info Diva

13 years ago

Hm - depends on what you need to do!

I'm using all the software from Incansoft to create backlinks for my
clients....RSS, articles, web 2.0, etc. For every upload, they generate
a report that you can customize with the client's name. This is part of
my monthly status reporting to clients.

I came across a hair salon last week that was getting similar work that I
do for a comparable price. She was raving about the status report she
received every month, so of course I was curious. She said she would
send it to me.

Imagine my surprise that her status report was just a monthly email with
hand typed entries of keywords and their SE position! The keywords
looked screwy and it actually took me a few minutes to realize they were
keywords for the salon's main product that was sold. So I did my usual
market research and found that only 2 out of 8 had any monthly searches
and then it was only around 200. She was paying this guy every month
to rank for keywords that had no monthly searches!!! :rolleyes:

Bottom line - whoever is doing her marketing doesn't know what he is
doing. Instead of getting her salon ranked for the search terms people
are currently searching on, he obviously just worked on the key phrases
the client provided without taking the time to do his work and educate
her a little.

I packaged up my market research into a nice folder and took it to her.
You should have seen the look on her face when she quickly looked at
what I provided - she was obviously impressed. She was even more
impressed when I told her there were an additional 3,600 monthly searches
she had not yet ranked for. This was just today and I bet I have the
contract in a few days.

Whatever you decide to use for your clients, keep status reports in mind
because they are the proof that you are actually doing something for
them. It doesn't take much to impress them, especially when you give
them automated reports!

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1 reply

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jordan08

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Digital Info Diva

I'm using all the software from Incansoft to create backlinks for my
clients....RSS, articles, web 2.0, etc. For every upload, they generate
a report that you can customize with the client's name. This is part of
my monthly status reporting to clients.

Gail,

This is awesome and pretty much what I was looking for when starting this thread. I want to give my customers reports, of course, but wasn't sure of the best way to go about it. I really didn't want to do just the email thing and after reading your story I'm glad I didn't!

Thanks so much!

Ayesha

Thanks
1 reply

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MikeFriedman 13 years ago

Google Keyword Tool
Market Samurai
RSSBot
PressBot
SE Nuke
Bookmarking Demon
Sick Profile Builder
Scrapebox
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Ryan Shaw

13 years ago

I use Rank Tracker, Market Samurai, and Google Keyword Tools.

I like to use constant contact for businesses and outsource the design/coding to the Philippines.

Thanks

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wbinst2

13 years ago

Hi Gail, great post.

I'd never seen the Incansoft stuff. Looks great and what prices!
Which Incansoft tools do you think are relevant for offline consultant?

Thanks
1 reply

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Digital Info Diva

13 years ago

Originally Posted by wbinst2

Hi Gail, great post.

I'd never seen the Incansoft stuff. Looks great and what prices!
Which Incansoft tools do you think are relevant for offline consultant?

I'm using their software to build backlinks - I redistribute everything I upload for them. So if I write an article or press release I can then create a video from the same content. All this leads to RSS feeds, etc. The more you upload and distribute, the more chances you have to dominate the SERPs.

Thanks
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wbinst2

13 years ago

Thanks Gail

So you use only the video and backlinks software?

Originally Posted by Digital Info Diva

I'm using their software to build backlinks - I redistribute everything I upload for them. So if I write an article or press release I can then create a video from the same content. All this leads to RSS feeds, etc. The more you upload and distribute, the more chances you have to dominate the SERPs.

Thanks

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Vincenzo Oliva

13 years ago

Wait for Warrior Calvin Woon to re-open his business finder software, I've used it and it's awesome. You check off the states you want (all if you like) enter the kw..."Dentists" and it scrapes google for hundreds of leads. Best part is it pulls their email and phone number and places them in a spreadsheet. It also gives the url to their site and link to their places entry (if they have one) so you can even tell who needs a website and who needs a map, Love it!

http://www.warriorforum.com/warrior-...y-seconds.html

Thanks
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vndnbrgj 13 years ago

The tool I use, and recommend is Google Keyword Tool and Google Analytics.
They are both free, and great.
I wouldn't be where I am today without these.
I use them on a daily basis.
- Thanks
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BigTobes 13 years ago

that sounds amazing. do you know what it's called and if it's on sale again now?
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AidenChong

13 years ago

"Offline" doesn't meant to be something like bring the offline business to the online world, in my opinion.

The best tool would be our marketing knowledge, we look at what a business need the most, and fix that part quickly.

If that business has already a lot of leads, but not enough conversions, it clearly shows that the business is in need of a "conversion help", I don't think it's appropriate for me to bring in more leads for them initially.

Fix the conversion problem before bringing in more leads, so that would help them with some instant profit or instant improvements.

That's at least how I am doing it.

No offense but I was hanged for a while when I landed on this page, and found out things like MNF or SENuke... I thought I landed on a article marketing thread...

As for the autoresponder, which is appropriate for offline B&M businesses, I think iContact does a good job because you can easily import contacts from other sources.

Hope that helps.

Aiden

Thanks

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GoGetta

13 years ago

I use,

Market Samurai
Google Keyword Tool
SEO Quake for Firefox
SENUKE
Aweber

All powerful and used for different things!

GoGetta

Thanks

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deus ex

13 years ago

I use so many software pieces:
- AWeber
- Google Analytics
- Google Website Optimizer in conjunction with AdWords
- RavenTools
- Rank Tracker and Web CEO products
- SEMRush
- SE Nuke
- SEO Site Tools
- SEOBook for Firefox
- Chrome SEO
- Google Keyword Tool with the Google Properties
- Google News for syndication and link building
- Market Samurai for a lot of research
- I then use a LOT of other programs for partners, clients and our sites

Programs I am INTERESTED in:
- Incansoft
- Micro Niche Finder
- The new tools for Facebook adds, YouTube, Twitter, etc

I really dig deep and use sites like blackhatworld to find good tools to try and then I buy them.

Any other tools people? Please Please PM or Skype me

Thanks

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MWGrubb58

13 years ago

Aiden was making a good point. Marketing and business development knowledge is your BEST tool.

Most business owners say, "I want more customers!" These new customers can lead to revenue, but not necessarily more profits. The lead acquisition costs and fulfillment costs can be killing the business owner.

You may be bringing more leads and even more customers... but profits can be going out the door. You need to help the business owner with lower acquisition costs, lower fulfillment costs, and HIGHER prices.

Why higher prices?

That's one of the "underground secrets" most marketers don't know about.

If you give a 10% discount, you've got to sell TWICE as much to break even.

Raise your prices 10%, and you've only got to sell 66% as much to break even... just a little more to make profits!

Cheers,

Millard

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1 reply

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Digital Info Diva

13 years ago

Originally Posted by MWGrubb58

Aiden was making a good point. Marketing and business development knowledge is your BEST tool.

Most business owners say, "I want more customers!" These new customers can lead to revenue, but not necessarily more profits. The lead acquisition costs and fulfillment costs can be killing the business owner.

You may be bringing more leads and even more customers... but profits can be going out the door. You need to help the business owner with lower acquisition costs, lower fulfillment costs, and HIGHER prices.

Why higher prices?

That's one of the "underground secrets" most marketers don't know about.

If you give a 10% discount, you've got to sell TWICE as much to break even.

Raise your prices 10%, and you've only got to sell 66% as much to break even... just a little more to make profits!

Cheers,

Millard

Millard's absolutely correct. I have built and sold 2 offline businesses in my career. This was back when I knew how to build the business, but I didn't really know anything about marketing. And many small business owners are the same. They know they have to advertise, but they don't necessarily know how to do it right.

And when times get tough, the first thing they do is lower their prices! That's not always the right thing to do.

Here's an example of what Millard is referring to: My very first online product I priced at $97 after tiresome testing. I then ran a split test at a lower price. At the end of testing, I made just a few dollars more at the lower price, but it took over 3 times the visitors to make that money. I had better quality sales, less refunds and less overall work to do at the higher price, so that's where I left it.

These are concepts many offline businesses are not aware of or don't have the time for because they are so busy with their business. This is where "we" can help them to understand what their website can do for them.

Do you know what the advertising rates are in your city?

In my city, the best known and most used magazine advertising rates are:

1/4 Page = $3,540/year
Back Page = $30,000/year

Your 1/4 page ad costs $295/month
Your back page ad costs $2,500/month

These magazine ads are sold based on circulation. There's no guarantee anyone will ever call you from one of those ads...not unless you also manage to get a feature story published in the magazine. People just get used to seeing the same ads in THAT magazine, but that doesn't mean they will actually remember the business when they need it. Businesses have a better chance of generating new customers from direct mailers like Val-Pak, etc.

People are actually using the Internet to look for businesses from work. Then they can drive there on their way home. Local news agencies are using the Internet to look for "experts" when they have a related news story. Imagine the money they are saving by obtaining search engine ranking to get new customers they would never get with traditional advertising methods.