Is Offline Marketing Working?

by 65 replies
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It would be nice to hear from other warriors if they are still finding offline marketing working or is it getting more competitive.

Also what info products would you recommend?
#offline marketing #consulting #gold #marketing #offline #working
  • They're a very few worthwhile endeavors where you won't find competition. There is gold in the hills. Even when it's saturated, there will still be plenty of churning and turnover. If you're drawn to it, go for it!!!
  • Well if marketing offline ever 'stops working' I'm pretty sure society is doomed. =P

    ~Dexx
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    • I guess I should have been more specific. Consulting with offline brick and mortar businesses to provide online exposure and seo services.
    • I'm with you on this... I do feel like it is getting more competitive but it all depends on your area. It's still nothing like affiliate marketing, though.
    • I completely agree!! I love web 2.0 and that whole shabang but offline is here to stay NO DOUBT

    • lol :p

      Im finding offline marketing is very much alive.... I run a marketing services company in the UK and I am doing really well so far...!
  • I never tried offline marketing for my websites / services, but I think it will work! Delivering flyers to companies with possible options.... thinking about it more and more to try
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    • In My Humble Opinion, SEO is the LAST thing anyone should be offering, even if you are the best SEOer in the world. There are so many other more lucrative things to offer.

      Funny you started this thread. I just got off the phone with an old friend who just called me out of the blue with an idea that nobody is doing yet and will make her thousands if she does it. I thought of the idea a couple of years ago and just didn't do it because...

      Anyway I didn't take the wind out of her sails or her sales by saying Oh I already thought of that and was too lazy to do it. And if she does this she will succeed, it's a noFail idea that will take a LOT of work.

      So I guess you get my thoughts on this. Offline marketing for online services is alive and well.

      George Wright

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  • Still working? We haven't even scratched the surface yet...
    The internet is still in it's infancy...new technology being developed every day...
    Mobile marketing is just starting to take-off here in the states...
    ....The best has yet to come!!
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    • Very true. We are still in the dark ages of the internet really. It doesnt seem like that to us, but the internet is still pretty brand spankin new.
  • Funny thing, businesses have been marketing without the internet for a few thousand years.
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    • Yes I have a few clam shells to barter.=)

      What I was really asking is providing online services for offline/ brick and mortar stores still lucrative and worthwhile?
      • [1] reply
    • MichaelHiles,

      Thats Funny but true.
      Offline is 30% and online 70%
      Pluse offering deals and more always helps.
  • I'll give you a hint of what is still hot: WP blogs. You explain to the business owner why they need a WP blog in addition to their regular site and offer to set them up for a couple hundred or so dollars. However, it does help to have a few sites to show as sample that you have made.

    I tell them that with a blog they can update on a regular basis while their main site mostly stays the same. Then you show them how xyz company just made a post advertising their new promotional offer or discount and they can then relate.

    Of course for a couple hundred you give them a basic package and anything else like content is extra. I like to get the client to make the content when possible but do offer "back page" content for an additional $20 per page (I pay $5). Then there is SEO and that can be a nice monthly paycheck right there. Then there is that little something you noticed was wrong with their main site, or maybe they could use a lead capture system... goes on and on and I almost always make more than just the blog sale. Sweet.
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  • Yes, I doubt it will ever die. Afterall, new businesses start and open up daily worldwide.

    GoGetta
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    • Offline marketing will never go away. It does n't really matter whether there is competition in this market. As long as you can connect with your prospects and continue to solve their problems, you will make money.
      You really need to align yourself with good Direct Mail Providers and good DirectMail Copy writers to put your message across targeted prospects for every information product you can think of.


      Alusine Sesay
      ***********
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  • Banned

    Offline marketing is huge. There are millions and millions of business owners out there who are always looking to increase their business.
  • Banned
    OffLM is not new. People have been consulting Offline businesses long before the internet.

    OffLM will always work and there will always be plenty of money to be made. Biz owners have different needs. A "mom and pop shop" has different needs the a $50 million medical supply company.

    As businesses grow needs change. New businesses are starting everyday. They'll need services too.





    Source-JD, Offline Service Provider
  • It's just as good as it always has been. Sure there are a LOT of companies calling these businesses and offering 'Get you in Google' services and charging for websites - but for every business that says yes - 5 more say no.

    There are tons of businesses that need help in many ways that anyone understanding internet marketing can do.

    I help all sorts of businesses and have been for 10 years and it's not really any different now, except that these days more of them realise they need a website.
  • Banned
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  • Look into Radio ads
  • One of my niches is Quiznos Subs. Here are just some of the monthly retainer fees that I get:

    *** Check #1***

    *** Check #2***

    *** Check #3***

    *** Check #4***


    So does it work? Of course it does. All you need is the right system, a well thought out funnel to take EVERY CLIENT down (with obvious flexibility of course), some great closing scripts and you are all set.

    Hope this encourages you !

    Success to you Reapr,

    Chris Negro
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    • How often do you close those kinda deals?
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  • Nice work Chris. I'm fulltime Offline as well and I love it. I don't have any other job and all my bills get paid.

    If you want to do offline you actually do need to know your stuff though. You gotta get your clients real business or they just get pissed.

    There is a ton of money to be made if you are smart about it.
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    • Very true London, its hard to get a offline client to pay you $1,500 to $4,000 per month if you are not a skilled Internet Marketer. For the retail businesses that can't afford me, I sell them Internet Education product that I affiliate for $395.00 and $149.00 a month and this creates some residual income as well.
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  • The thing to realize is that MOST businesses think that Google is fair. They pay 2-3k for a website and then expect customers to just show up. You have to educate them. And then bring the rain.
  • I think it will work because its the way things use to be done in past before internet was arrived..
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    • Yes - It is still working. Are you kidding? I've moved most of my business away from the rather incestuous IM market to the offline. SEO on it's own won't do it. You have to offer complete packages and then outsource the "Joe Jobs".

      Most of my Internet style income is now derived from the Offllne market although I am engaged in a major piece of work due for release in the Autumn. (In the Fall for our US Cousins!)
  • Of course it's getting more competitive... but that's not a bad thing. There wouldn't be more competition if there wasn't money in it.
  • Who would do seo for only $100 a month? That is crazy....
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    • You know how I can tell who the amateur hacks are?

  • A business' best source of traffic and money is previous clients. Don't need the internet for that. The internet work is more for 'shock & awe'. It is a rare business that has systems for everything. Implementing those can raise the net profit 20-50% before even touching a web site.
    Getting hired by a business not in biz 5 years+ and without an existing web site is too much work. One with a client base and already halfway there (mentality-wise) is far more lucrative.
    In the current 'atmosphere' I wouldn't do 'SEO' work for less than $24,000 yr., if even then. It is a waste of time and money. Consulting pays better, has better results, and does not take as much time AND does not rely on 3rd party search engines (or 3rd party anything) to work.
  • There are lots of offline marketing things you can do to promote an online business, from including URL on your business card or truck to drive offline traffic to your website. Also you can include a web address on your return address for postal mail. Is that the kind of stuff you are referring to?
  • Offline marketing works. Period.

    Two choices:

    Market A: Owners/Admins/CEO's don't know what they want/need - You have to educate them first. Takes time, it's consuming, most of the times it's a pain.

    Market B: Owners/Admins/CEO's do know what they want/need. Straight forward interaction between you and company.

    You just need to choose WHO do you want to do business with.

    References?

    DogSout, Michael Hiles, Chris Negro or Dexx are guys you should listen to when it comes to understanding how you can interact with offline business owners.
  • Here we go again another Offline marketing thread with people promoting there O.L.M. sig Mean while i spend $247 on a Offline marketing info product and haven't received much!
  • Read: http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...huiWDQo1KC6cF8

    That has over $247 worth of info. Good luck.
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    • I think our little business is coming at it from a bit different direction. Our main daily biz has been around for over 15 yrs and has been very successful. It got too big to handle so we sold half of it to a friend about 6-7 yrs ago who has also done really well for himself.

      My husband is the guy who is out there every day doing the work and I hold down the fort here at home, doing the administrative end of things and taking care of our online biz.

      We started our online biz last fall and it was slow to take off, but with a newly revamped website and some appropriate advertising and getting ourselves noticed online, it's really starting to do well.

      Some of our regular customers in our main biz are attracted to our online biz as well, it lets them do what hubby does, which doesnt actually take away from our main biz because hubby is plenty busy enough. Our online biz brought us a customer from 200 miles away who has bought a selection of our product to use in his own biz. This is a client we could never have serviced before, due to the distance.

      So I think the bricks and mortar people are every bit as important as the ones we gain online. There's no other way we could have serviced people outside our general area if it werent for the internet.
    • If you pay $15 for a large pizza and they deliver one slice of pizza! Would you be Ok with that!
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    • Definitely valuable ...
    • Thanks for the link. I have to say that after reading through that thread that there are some great ideas in there. With all the information and ideas it appears that the answer to my original post has been answered.
  • No, And you do have a legitimate grievance. All I am pointing out is that there is enough info in that to start a 100K a yr biz, I know because I know of over 10 people that did just that. accept what you cannot control, do what you can. All I know that has worked.
    (If I paid 50 cents for a large pizza and they only sent a slice is closer to the proper analogy, however, you still are correct that you were not given what was represented. Myself and 198 others would appear to be in the same boat, however at some point it becomes useless to dwell on it.) I hope you are highly successful in spite of that fiasco. It isn't the 1st time I messed up, doubt it will be the last. All I can do is carry on.
    Mark
  • Many local businesses want and need more customers.

    If you can build a website, start there as many businesses don't even have one.

    The amount of new businesses in most metropolitan areas, increases on a daily basis

    Create a plan, work the plan and stick with it.

    You do not need many clients to create an income stream that will support you.

    All the best ... Ron
  • I'm thinking of selling an offline info product that will make all others look amateurish at best!

    I will have a long sales page with all kinds of hype and list all the modules that i will deliver to you within a reasonable time frame. I will limit it this to only 200 warriors. The price $247-$297

    I will make about $55,000 in record time!

    But I realize that this might be worth a lot more and it's too much work so I will only deliver what ever I feel like delivering to you! And you will all be OK with this.. Why? Well because that is the way things work here.

    Anyway, this is the last comment from me about this. I know that it is a little off but I had to say this.

    P.S.??
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  • Any service that can help local businesses build their customer base is always going to be popular. I bet their are 30 companies in my town doing SEO, websites, blah blah but not one doing leads collection/email marketing, in other words, getting customers directly.

    I really like the idea of selling leads to various lines of businesses. For example, in my area there are thousands of lawyers, dentists, real estate agents that I can auction leads to the highest bidder. This way the local businesses do not have to worry if its seo, blog posts, whatever, just that they are paying for valuable customer leads.
  • It's interesting when these threads come up to see some people saying "you have to offer x" or making out that you're not a real marketer if you only offer low cost services.

    The truth is - you can create your business model in any way you choose. There are MANY ways to be successful since success is a personal thing.

    If you want to make $5k a month and work 2 hours a day - that's easily done in many ways.

    If you want to make $100k a month then your business model will probably require a lot more time (yours or other peoples - which translates into your money to outsource/employ).

    One way doesn't preclude the other and you can have a sliding scale and move your focus as you get more clients and experience.

    There is no right or wrong way to make money helping others.

    Anyone who tells you otherwise is just married to their own model.

    If you're not technical and want to outsource everything - that's fine.

    If you like to do the work yourself - that's fine.

    Different operating models have a different impact on what your options are and the way you need to adapt to new clients.

    I personally have no intention of permanently employing a team of other people and also do not intend to spend 16 hours a day working - so that means I outsource some things and affects the amount of business I do.

    So in theory I can probably only make a few million dollars a year if I keep myself busy with good clients.

    I can live with that.

    If I wanted to make $10Million next year I would need a different model.

    Not having a team of permanent staff and aiming for $10M doesn't make me a failure as it's not my goal.

    If your goal is to work from home, helping small local businesses - you can easily make enough for a full time living without ANY large clients.

    There are a lot of people who will tell you that you're not worthy of being in this business if your goals are small - I find that thinking a little offensive.

    Many small businesses not only don't understand the internet and websites - they don't want to. If all you do is offer one-page brochure sites for a few hundred dollars and monthly/annual hosting - you probably have a market of several thousand customers in your local area.

    If we round it down and say 1000 local tradesmen and small businesses - if all you charge is $200 for what you do and $50 a year hosting, that's still $200k and $50k a year residual.

    Most people can offer more value to most clients than $200, so even if there were only 250 potential customers but you averaged $400 per customer - that's still $100k and 12.5k and year residual.

    That's not bad for the low-hanging fruit in your area. Most of those customers are probably still out there because everyone else is trying to charge them $1000 for more than they want/need.

    Create your business in the way that suits you and your target customers and there's plenty of business in almost everywhere.

    Andy
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    • Thanks for that post ... inspirational in many ways.


    • Offline marketing is a massive niche. It is definitely not saturated. Maybe some aspects of it, like maps listings, are getting more competitive. But you just have to be creative and approach it from a different angle.

      Maps are definitely still doable. You could also try, getting them set up on Adwords if they have the budget.

      Facebook is also huge for small businesses. You could set them up a page, and have them offer some sort of coupon for people to join their fanpage.

      Just gotta get creative.

      Jack
  • Offline only works if you build trust and confidence with your clients. There are certain types of businesses that are more open to "cold calling" and "cold emailing"... and for those that are not, I offer my services where I am a repeat customer.

    Building report can do wonders, especially if you don't act like a used car salesman....
  • Offline marketing works as hard as you do. It's a matter of choice. What do you want to do? How much money do you want to make?

    In any industry, marketing or otherwise, a small percentage make boatloads of dough, quite a bit more make a living, and a few don't do well at all.

    There is no EASY button.

    It just takes work. It's not like construction or plumbing, so at least you don't sweat your brains out.

    However, just because it takes work, doesn't mean it can't be fun.

    Keep looking up,

    Millard
  • I dare add, Offline Marketing Is bigger than e-market. Movies, Cars, Newspapers, Magazines, Mass Media. And something more - this is the way it will be for long times.

    Marketing is "larger" than terms like distribution, advertisement, survey
  • Offline works period. I don't know of any products besides mlm products, however I work the offline with my services. Copy Writing- blog creation- Ad writing.

    Did you read offline gold yet? If not you need to.

    Also check out your local SCORE chapter and join with them.
  • As long as there is commerce, there will be marketing!
  • I cant count at least 6 people in my small close circle alone who make over $1,000 per day offline marketing. So the answer is yes. It works.
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  • offline marketing is getting very competitive, but there are so many mom and pops out there, it's not that difficult to leverage your network and get "in" with a brick and mortar business and help them with their marketing
  • I think if you are going to truly help a business, you should know something pretty well and then get in front of businesses to find out what they need.

    BNI

    LeTips

    Chamber of Commerce

    Trade Shows

    Find out what business owners need and then figure how you to make your business model around that.

    CT

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