Offline Business Marketers How Do You Handle Client Competition?

I get most of my income via the "hybrid" (online/offline) route, and I've never had a problem working with clients in the same industry.

Part of that, of course, is that I live in a smallish town, but the other part is simply this: where keywords are concerned, there are so many that there's certainly enough room to carve out niches for everyone. Aside from that, what's wrong with having five of your clients in slots 1-5 on google's first page?

That smells like success to me!

-=Vel=-

EDIT: If I'm working with a client in the same industry as a client I've already got, I can usually guide the keyword selection in such a way that there's no direct competition anyways, but again...small town...it has its perks!

I agree with DogScout, and would add that you should make this part of your original sales process and contract. When pitching your services, give the client a choice between open competition with others in their same line of work for $X, or a no-compete for $X+.

And it doesn't even take 30 days. Off-line marketing can and should (if you are concerned about your client's welfare) a part and many times a huge part of the picture. If you are an on-line 'expert', then your on-line work will shine; but the package can include any type of marketing. Direct marketing in particular. I am a member of the local chapter of GKIC and include those techniques and information on my clients behalf. I believe that the on-line work is only half (or less) of the 'battle', in much the same way as on-page SEO is only half (if that) the battle with on-line ranking.
My sale is a 'sales' package, not a 'marketing' package, on or off line, but it is due to having the upper hand on-line that even allows me access to many clients.

I have seen contracts that have made me laugh out loud. They look like they were drawn up in 1996, not 2009. These are the rule, not the exception! It is almost as if once they got their IT degree (or whatever degree it was) they stopped learning. As if the world would always just stay the same.
Anyone at this forum cannot deny that what worked 3 years ago would probably not make a dent in a ranking today. (Except for me, I am new. Lol). There are tons of companies that promote local SEO services that have less than a tenth of the knowledge the newest person here has.

"It isn't what you know when you know it all; it is what you learn afterward."

lol

Bottomline is: if the client decides to 'trust' someone with no clue, not much you can do about it. After you have gotten their trust, don't do anything to compromise it for mere money. In the long run, it will cost you money. As I see it anyway. Over-deliver and share every move as well as why. They won't understand anyway. lol. You don't say anything and take a big contract with a competitor, even using different keywords and in no way compromising the 1st clients position, doesn't matter. The chances of the 1st client understanding that are slim. (Otherwise he'd be doing his own work and not hiring you). He/she find out, kiss any referrals or future work from them goodbye. If you are in a small town market, and that client is a member of the Chamber, you may as well move.

Yeah I actually do some offline stuff for them too. It depends on the business and where their market is. Many times they are just not using the tools they have correctly.

I have always loved marketing but never got into it until doing internet marketing. Then I started helping friends who own businesses and that turned into, my offline business.

So I am still learning but love the success stories I am hearing from my clients. And that is from online and offline work.

I can't tell you how many times I meet with a business that never thought of using separate phone numbers for that advertisements to track what each campaign is doing.

I love both the online and offline side.

When you say your clients make a ton of money within 30 days, do you advice them on how to better market their business offline? If so, what strategies do you use? If I was taking on a restaurant as a client, I would advice them collecting customer email addresses and possibly phone s for sms marketing in the future. Put their web address on receipt so customers can visit site to get a coupon. If there are any resources you would recommend for helping offline businesses becoming more successful, that would be great. I can think of guerilla marketing tactics that would work but not sure if these are what you are using.

I don't really know if you could define a rule of thumb on when to offer your services exclusively and when not to offer an exclusive arrangement. In many cases it would make sense... especially if you are doing SEO for local keyword phrases.

As you mentioned, just because you are working with a burger joint does not mean you could not work with a local pizza place. I think it really boils down to the level of overlap of keywords, geographic location, etc.

If I'm a business owner and someone is driving traffic to my site utilizing online means, I don't want them driving traffic to my biggest local competitor's site. It's just not good business and opens up liability with trade secret issues, etc. for the consultant.

As mentioned, some products/services will not require an exclusive agreement.

Yeah this is not some mom and pop shop that works with a certain part of town. This is a company that covers an enormous area and is well known by all of the competition so it is a customer worth keeping happy. In this case it is more like an "overgrown small town."

Most likely after seeing the results I have already had with them they will be paying me on a monthly basis. But I thought I would get some advise on what others are doing anyway.

Thanks for posting Andrew. Yeah in this case I will be targeting the services that my current client does not offer and have already spoken with him about it. He actually knows the competitor and has no problem with that.