Powerful Offline Marketing Idea

My powerful offline marketing idea?

Stop thinking like an Internet Marketer.
1. Get realistic on the dollars. We see too many people here who think a few hundred bunks is big money. It's not. On the opposite note I see too many people that think you can outsource a service for less than $100 and charge $1,000+. Neither of these is realisitic.

2. If you have never managed a real world business I suggest you get some experience. Even if it is a part time shift manager at McDs. Being a store manager of a small resturant or retail store would be best. It will help you understand what your prospects are going thru in real life.

3. Stop assuming that whatever marketing you want to push is better than what the prespect is doing now. For a lot of offline businesses SEO, PPC, and Social are fairly worthless. And it's often the industries you see promoted here. Example: Lawyers. Stop and think how you found your last lawyer. How did you friend's find lawyers? I bet you will see the vast majority were via referrals. Some will be about branding as well. But in the real world how many will say they searched the internet and picked one? But internet marketing especially reputation management and branding can help a load as part of an overall plan. But stop telling your client they are behind the times or that such and such doesn't work. It clearly works for them. If what you offer works better once you have prioved that you will get more of their advertising dollars.

4. Be different. In the IM world it is all about copying what others have done and just applying it to a different niche. That approach doesn't work well out in the real world. You can't put up a website or send some spam and expect to get clients. Cold calling works but you better be good and be different or the prospect will see you as just another lame cold caller. So be different. Approach businesses in a fresh way. Cold walking used to be huge but now it never happens. It's why I recommend it. We know it works and it makes you different from the dozen other online marketers they hear from each week.

5. You are a amarketing specialist not an internet marketer. Learn to use things like direct mail and other "old school" marketing for your clients. You want to be their go to Marketing Consultant.

6. Think smaller. When you sell online you have to think globally. It's the only way to get enough people into the smaller niches. Online you drilled down into smaller niches. Offline drill down into smaller markets. Target only resturants or only lawyers. Or follow my advice and target only locally. Be a real local business owner that they can talk to and see in real life.

Build a LinkedIn Group in a targeted niche so you become the expert in that field to all of your members...and when they need help they will think of you first!

Great post, Aaron.

Let us think of ourselves as solution providers. We have a bunch of tools in our toolbox that may help our prospects. It's not one size fits all. We need to have a conversation and understand our prospect's world before proposing a solution.

Otherwise we're victims of our own mentality--when you've got a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

I personally love the cold walk-ins. The first few times I did feel a bit awkward doing so, but I was presently surprised at how receptive people were and if you simply go in with a genuine, helpful attitude, they tend to open up very quickly.

I mentioned in another thread earlier about using your local SCORE group as well. Other than that, it's all just networking and being the "go to guy".

I can learn many things from your posts. Your idea will help me in my real life.

Aroun thanks for sharing info.

You guys are all welcome.

Find your target market and then find what will appeal to them. Do some research into the problems they are facing and find out how you can serve them. Offer value and position yourself as a trusted solution.

If someone doesn't buy now but you know they can definitely benefit from your services, don't stop the relationship. It may be a long time down the road, but continue to offer help and stay top-of-mind as the only true answer to the problem.

Cold calling and getting referrals are the way to go for me. I've been using these strategies for a very long time and have found it very effective in generating leads and sales.