Prospecting Made Simple - Part 1

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There seems to be more newbies joing this sub-forum.
So, I wanted to start throwing out simple ideas that can be implemented today to start building relationships with offline clients. A lot of you may already be familiar with these but they still can help get in front of clients.

Image Ads For Craigslist:
I am sure a lot of you are familiar with both Craigslist and image ads.
However, there are still a ton of business owners out there that aren't using them.
This is where you come in.

Browse the "Services" section fo Craigslist.
You are looking for the listings that don't have an img at the end.
Meaning they have an image in the posting.
The ones that do, are either using image ads or are showing pictures of jobs they have done in the past. Don't worry about the ones that have image ads.
If they have pictures from previous jobs, this will still work.

Now, find a niche that you would like to start working in.
Pick an ad that you feel you could make a lot better just by using an image ad.
Now, you just create an image ad.

You can outsource this to someone here or on Fiverr.... just do a search for image ad
Or you can create one yourself. Use royalty-free stock photos that pertain to that listing.
You can get these from sites like:
Sxc.hu
Public-domain-photos.com
4freephotos.com
Istockphoto.com
Fotolia.com

Then edit the photos to include the business' contact info.
Include a Click here, which will take them to the business owners website, and a phone number. So there are at least two call to actions.
You can create one using programs like:
Gimp.org
Paint.net
Sumopaint.com/app
Picmonkey.com
Befunky.com

Pay attention here. Pick one of the services they offer and create an image ad for that one service only. Don't create an image ad for all of their services.
For example: A home improvement company does roofing, siding, windows, and doors.
So you create an image ad for roofing and roofing only. Maybe you find a photographer who does weddings, senior pictures, and family photos. So, you create an ad just for family photos. They have other services, and will pay you to create an ad for the other services.

You simply contact the business owner and tell them you can across their posting and saw they weren't using an image ad like they should. So, you created one for them and you would like them to have it. Then go on to explain that you are an online marketing company that helps businesses build up their online presence. Tell them where the file is located and how they can insert it into their posting. As well as if they have any questions or need any advice to feel free to contact you.

Here is the code to insert an image into a posting and make it clickable:
<a href="http://TheirWebsite.com"><img src="http://Wheretheimageis.png"></a>
Replace "their website" with their website or wherever you want a prospect to go when they click on the ad. Replace "where the image is" with the url for wherever you uploaded the image. Replace "png" if neccesary to whatever kind of file the image is. I recommend hosting the image on your site and naming it the business name. So it would be YourWebsite.com/Images/BusinessName.png. This will help get their attention and will spark curiosity so that they visit your site to view your services.
Now, if they haven't contacted you in a few days just ask how they are liking it.
For additional image ads, I charge anywhere from $25-$100 each... depending upon the market. I outsource to Fiverr, leaving $20-$95 profit. Plus I got my foot in the door to begin to upsell additional services.

When you follow up, make sure you ask if they know any other business owners that they think could benefit from increasing their online presence.

Once you have an ad created, it is much easier to do this process. If you just helped a photographer in New York, do you think you could find one in California or Texas?
Sure, then you just replace the contact details and your done.

Give away at least 10 of these a week. Your business will take off.

For those of you that don't want to give it away for whatever reason, give it away on a trial. Let them use it for 2 or 3 weeks, then let them buy it. If it increased their calls, like it should have, they will buy it. If not, either let them have it or contact one of their competitors.

Take action and start getting clients!
#made #part #prospecting #simple
  • Profile picture of the author Jengonz1982
    Wow you are a genius!!!
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    • Profile picture of the author vndnbrgj
      Originally Posted by Jengonz1982 View Post

      Wow you are a genius!!!
      Haha...
      Thank you but I am in no way I genius.

      This isn't something that is a newer concept.
      However, not enough people are using it to get their foot in the door.

      I mainly did it to help newer people to the forum like yourself.
      Glad you liked it. Let me know if you have any questions.
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