14 replies
Hey Guys....

Well, it finally happened. I've hit WSO overload. lol. I've just read too many ideas, and "potential" ways of generating leads for offline clients. In all honestly, it's done nothing but lead me to frustration and inaction.

The reason I created this thread is because I really just want to wipe the slate and get a fresh start, by just focusing on 1 or 2 solid lead generation strategies that actually work!

I'm hoping some of you guys might be willing to share some proven ways that you are going about generating offline leads for SEO clients.

I'm wanting to focus on SEO/Google Places, though I'm open to other opportunities as well (not too crazy about doing custom web design, though I have no problems setting up wordpress template sites). I do have some funds available to put towards lead generation; I just don't want to waste my limited funds on "theory" that may or may not work, ya know?

Any input would be greatly appreciated!
#lead generation #overload #wso #wso overload
  • Profile picture of the author kenmichaels
    Originally Posted by mavericx View Post

    Hey Guys....

    Well, it finally happened. I've hit WSO overload. lol. I've just read too many ideas, and "potential" ways of generating leads for offline clients. In all honestly, it's done nothing but lead me to frustration and inaction.

    The reason I created this thread is because I really just want to wipe the slate and get a fresh start, by just focusing on 1 or 2 solid lead generation strategies that actually work!

    I'm hoping some of you guys might be willing to share some proven ways that you are going about generating offline leads for SEO clients.

    I'm wanting to focus on SEO/Google Places, though I'm open to other opportunities as well (not too crazy about doing custom web design, though I have no problems setting up wordpress template sites). I do have some funds available to put towards lead generation; I just don't want to waste my limited funds on "theory" that may or may not work, ya know?

    Any input would be greatly appreciated!

    Put some mini sites together for your own business, then SEO them to death.

    Set up a capture page - webform, email, and your phone number.

    you should get enough leads for you to not only make sales,
    you should get a heavy over flow.
    Sell off the extra leads to your competitors to increase your profit.

    and its costs, damn near nothing.
    Signature

    Selling Ain't for Sissies!
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    • Profile picture of the author mavericx
      Originally Posted by kenmichaels View Post

      Put some mini sites together for your own business, then SEO them to death.

      Set up a capture page - webform, email, and your phone number.

      you should get enough leads for you to not only make sales,
      you should get a heavy over flow.
      Sell off the extra leads to your competitors to increase your profit.

      and its costs, damn near nothing.
      Hey Ken,

      This sounds intriguing! Would you mind elaborating? Like, would I be setting up sites focusing on keywords like, "SEO Atlanta" and stuff like that (but focus on smaller cities)? Or are you talking more about setting up sites focused on something else?

      I would love to see an example of what you're referring to; is there one you could point me to?

      Thx Ken!
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      • Profile picture of the author kenmichaels
        Originally Posted by mavericx View Post

        would I be setting up sites focusing on keywords like, "SEO Atlanta" and stuff like that (but focus on smaller cities)?
        yes, exactly !

        Originally Posted by mavericx View Post

        I would love to see an example of what you're referring to; is there one you could point me to?
        sorry no, learned that lesson the hard way.
        Signature

        Selling Ain't for Sissies!
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  • Profile picture of the author ryanmckinney
    Maverick,

    Yes, you are right, you have to focus on 1 or 2 strategies or you will just over extend your self and get nothing done.

    I landed my first 4 SEO clients in about 45 days with direct mailing. Those 4 clients have eached started referring me to clients.

    Once you land your first few, and do a good job, they will sing your praises. Then it gets easier from there.

    That was the 1 method I focused on for lead gen and call backs: direct mailing

    Ryan
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  • Profile picture of the author Rus Sells
    Put a suit on and beat the streets!
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  • Profile picture of the author Dr Dan
    Its really going to depend on your strengths and how you want to market yourself.

    Personally I hate cold calling, stuffing envelopes or anything that doesn't involve talking to people face to face.

    So I went to people I already knew and places that I already did business with.

    I got referrals, offered a free simple service, gathered testimonials, and got more referrals and business from those that i offered that free simple service to.

    Signature
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  • Profile picture of the author FrankRumbauskas
    Put up a blog targeted toward local small business owners, fill it with great content and SEO the crap out of it.
    Signature

    New York Times Best-Selling Author
    Certified Google Partner Company
    Fast Company's Top 30 Most Influential People Online

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  • Originally Posted by mavericx View Post

    Hey Guys....

    Well, it finally happened. I've hit WSO overload. lol. I've just read too many ideas, and "potential" ways of generating leads for offline clients. In all honestly, it's done nothing but lead me to frustration and inaction.

    The reason I created this thread is because I really just want to wipe the slate and get a fresh start, by just focusing on 1 or 2 solid lead generation strategies that actually work!

    I'm hoping some of you guys might be willing to share some proven ways that you are going about generating offline leads for SEO clients.

    I'm wanting to focus on SEO/Google Places, though I'm open to other opportunities as well (not too crazy about doing custom web design, though I have no problems setting up wordpress template sites). I do have some funds available to put towards lead generation; I just don't want to waste my limited funds on "theory" that may or may not work, ya know?

    Any input would be greatly appreciated!
    mavericx..

    OK I'm going to try and bullet this out. It's a method I use a lot and it involves that much maligned word, %$#^ calling.

    * Picture taking appliance, preferred note taking device (paper tablet ?)
    * Drive or walk down street
    * Take picture of business make notes of any particulars
    * Do 10 -12 15 what ever at first.
    * Go back to Bat Cave and get on computer.
    * Do what you hopefully know about Google places and keywords on the business. (local designation/business type/keywords/description etc.)
    * Is business listed? where do they rank?
    * make notes on top listed businesses listed for keyword used.
    * check out if they are optimized any at all. any picture, comments,etc.
    * ( In other words do all the reasrch you can and note it so you have it at the tip of your tongue. Don't spend hours on this if you know your way around GP/maps/etc.it should only take a couple minutes. Make a note page, as you do this, for each business.)
    * Have a generic WP template that you know your way around with a lead capture form on it. Stick it on a hosted domain you have. You know how to do it. You are just putting together a test/demo page.
    *Put a headline, the businesses name and picture on it. Keep it short and simple.
    * Spend the afternoon doing this for all the businesses you took pictures of. You should have one day invested in this. Now spend the next 4 days in the field.
    * NOTE:::: You need to use some common sense when selecting the businesses. However don't prejudge too much or you will drive a hundred miles and have one picture. If this bothers you make a game out of it and change your career to Private Investigator and your client is an offline Internet marketer. Get him some good info!
    * Assuming the business has a store, office, and/or someone present approach it/them.
    * Don't flip out here! Of course ask for the owner at first. Do what little dance and song that may be required and if you want to learn approaches contact me. The thing to do here is just use common sense. You may have to come back but it usually is not that hard to get to the owner if it's a small business which I assume most of us go for at first.
    * When the opportunity to present who you are happens just be up front and say I'm Mr.X and I help businesses get customers. How? Let me show you quickly if you please.
    * Now for some basic equipment. A portable or mobile computing device is nice to have. An Ipad, tablet computer, notebook computer, laptop, Iphone or smart phone. It needs to be able to pull up Google places/maps and your website with the WP page you created on it. I'm keeping it simple because there are hundreds of things you could do or demo here. This is only a "post".....and getting longer:rolleyes:
    * Ask do you have a Google Listing. You may get " a what", "I have a web site", or who knows what. (Now you already know what they have or not, from your research.) Your best prospect of course is one who doesn't have a clue or just a small clue. In your research you know if they have a web site and a optimized GP.
    * your device needs to be 3G, 4G or somehow connected to the Internet obviously. Suggest or ask them for a keyword to look for their bushiness. (Not their business name.) By type or service. Have one ready for them if they can't give you one instantly.
    Let Google be you salesman now. Show them where their competitor is and they are not! If they aren't pressed for time play with it and do a couple searches.
    * ( Now if you don't have a computing device ask if they have one handy that can go online. You may want to do this if the call is going well and suggest going to their computer and get them to type in the things you tell them. If you get them to to do this you probably have a sale! Now get the silly grin off your face! ))
    * Then say let me show you something more here. ( I don't know if you have an example of a business you have ranked well in GP or not. If you do show them that and tell them that is what you can do for them.
    * By this time you will have them interested or they won't be. I can't teach you what to do if they aren't in this post. Just say thanks and move on.( But you are not done with them , they just weren't low hanging fruit. You need to get the ladder out to pick them. Another lesson for another time.)
    * If they are talking with you and by now you should be relaxed and in your comfort zone because you are the expert.
    * Close them by asking would you like me to get you ranked at or near the top for GP? Now they are going to say how much? Don't freak! You need to decide what your strategy is here. There are folks on this forum who will say anywhere from $50-$500-$1500 to ??
    * My strategy is get a sale! A small simple sale and now you got a customer. No more cold calling on this business you now have a relationship. I do the simple sale for anywhere from $free to $150. You just need to think this out what you want to do. I say I'll do it for free if you would like a small lead capture page Like I showed you or like this. Now get the small WP template site out with their business name on it and picture. I can get this put together for? ( now you have to decide how it will be hosted, Domain'd, etc whole new site , add on to a site hosting they already have etc. But tell them the new page/site you can create for $395,$495, $what ever. Keep in mind don't blow them away because you have more you can do for them.
    * The goal here is to get a couple clients and have some success. Get a couple happy clients. You do this for 4-5 weeks as I described in general. tweak it for your needs use your head in deciding what businesses to approach with out prejudging to much and you will have 10-12 customers. Trust me. Then at that time you should not have to ever make a cold call again unless you want to. Your business will grow as big as you want and have ambition to grow it.

    This is probably the longest post I have created. And it is very basic but what I have put forward will work. It is a variation of what I have been doing for 35+ years. It ain't slick, however I have put literately millions on the books using it. For one client I did almost the same approach to a billion+ company. The sale brought in about $20 mil in revenue over several years.

    I'm just an Old Dog....

    Since I essentially did a simple WSO in this post for free, let me just say I will be doing WSO's at some time. I know I'll get stoned for saying so because I'm self promoting in the wrong place

    Good Luck and contact me if you want. There's an open invitation to anyone in my sig.

    Old Dog...
    Signature

    P.S. If I can be of any assistance in your "Off" or "On"- line sales and marketing please PM me or email at WinnersChoice-Warrior@yahoo.com . Old Dog

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  • Profile picture of the author wilder1047
    I think the WSO is the true reason 90 some % fail in online marketing, hahah.

    Direct mail, cold calling, BNI, refferals, walking into businesses.

    I'd be interested to see the real stats for biz generated from SEOing your own site. I just don't seem to think there's enough business owners that really KNOW 100% they need our services.. kind of like, oh yeah, SEO, that'd maybe help me.

    If you didn't know anything about IM, had no clue about how to find out search volumes for keywords, would you think there is as much value as there truly is to be online?

    I personally didn't start online because I saw the unlimited potential, I just did it for the freedom. $2,000 a month online is far better then $2,000 a month at a JOB... bleh!
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  • Profile picture of the author ewenmack
    Originally Posted by mavericx View Post

    I really just want to wipe the slate and get a fresh start, by just focusing on 1 or 2 solid lead generation strategies that actually work!

    I'm hoping some of you guys might be willing to share some proven ways that you are going about generating offline leads for SEO clients.
    If you are really prepared to "wipe the slate clean", and really want the most profitable lead
    generation for your offline clients, then targeted direct mail is the way to go.

    Here's a couple of examples of tracked campaigns, sitting right in front of me...

    1 Chiroprctor sends out 600 letters out to 600 clients that haven't been in for 12 months or longer. Cost per letter, $2.70. Brings in an additional $67,500 in over the following 3 months. A 41 to 1 return on investment within 3 months.

    2 A home renovator invests $87 and gets back $17,500 for Mother's Day promotion. A 202 to 1 return on investment.

    3 Yellow Pages Ad. A plumber got 48 calls in 1 year. Average 4 sale $486.62. Jobs booked 27. Total revenue $13,139. Changed the ad next year. Calls, 420 [775% increase]. Average dollar sale $550.16. Jobs booked 333. Total revenue generated, $183,203 [1,294% increase]

    Show me those kind of returns on investment that have been achieved from tracked results.

    If you can't, then you'll get eaten alive by the guy who can.

    Best,
    Ewen

    P.S. This is totally about getting the biggest bang for your clients advertising budget.
    Nothing to do with you landing those clients.
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  • Profile picture of the author localvseo
    If you have the patience and time, and this has been covered a lot in various threads, you can try old fashioned face-to-face networking. Join a bunch of leads groups, your local chamber of commerce, professional organizations etc. Become the expert in the circles you are traveling and truly add value to the people you are meeting. Offer seminars/talks on what is going on in the market and offer some free tips for people that want to do it themselves. For those that want to hire an expert, you are there. For others in the groups also looking for business, you can be a great "networker" by introducing your clients to their services which will always add value to your brand and lead to further opportunities. It's a slow and steady way to build a business, but there is a lot of long term value as you are building meaningful business relationships.
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  • Profile picture of the author mavericx
    Hey guys, sorry I haven't been back on the thread for a while...for some reason I wasn't getting email updates letting me know that there were new replies.

    I wanted to take a minute to thank all of you who have taken the time to post your thoughts and ideas in response to my question. It means a lot!!
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