Business History Books » Business Consulting » The secret of online marketing IS OFFLINE

The secret of online marketing IS OFFLINE

Question:

>I was at business convention this weekend and most of the web >designers and net-marketers seemed to agree that to make money >online with your website you needed to market it OFFLINE. >The ratio seemed to be 75% offline marketing of your website and >25% online. >Has anyone had much experience with this. Do you think offline >marketing is the way to pull internet sales?

Absolutely, your major marketing effort occur off-site, but not necessarily on or off-net or to any fixed ratio of expenditures. It all depends on the type of offer and the market you are targeting. I am a little curious on what you would define as an "internet sale". Are you referring to a complete transaction on the internet?  Or are you referring to a transaction faciliated via the internet as a communications medium? Sherman Whipple, Sargent & Associates Strategic Services 10 Industrial Park Road, Hingham, MA 02043 http://www.whipplesargent.com

Response:

I was at business convention this weekend and most of the web designers and net-marketers seemed to agree that to make money online with your website you needed to market it OFFLINE. The ratio seemed to be 75% offline marketing of your website and 25% online. Has anyone had much experience with this. Do you think offline marketing is the way to pull internet sales? RJH [modsmile: It's no longer a secret <g>  -JG]

Response:

As Director of Sales for a Web Marketing and Promtion company,  I would have to say the answer is yes, and no.  A more accuate statement would be, to make money online you must market equally-on and off the Internet.   To be successful, you must utilize all available mediums.  True, the Internet is the biggest development in human communications since the telephone.  But we can forget the tremedous marketing power of newspapers, magazines, and direct mail.  Each medium attracts a different buyer. To corner the market, you’ve got to cover all the bases.   Put your URL on your business cards, flyers, postcards and letterhead. Mention  your Web site in traditional forms of advetising, i.e. newspapers and magazines. Take advantage of low-cost *targeted* email,  online classifieds, and popular newsgroups like this one. Warning: there is a such thing as too much exposure, sending non-solicited bulk email not only gets you in trouble with your ISP, but also generates bad press for your company or organization.   Do all things in moderation and you’ll come out on top. Questions or concerns about Internet Marketing Stragegies?

Response:

Offline marketing is very important (read ‘crucial’) way to pull your internet sales. Internet can be seen as a huge library and your online advertisements are hardly more than some sticker notes on the shelves. To make your customers aware of the information you want them to know you have to reach them somehow. You can try reaching them through internet, but chances are they won’t notice you if they don’t know your name. Send them email and they will turn against you if they don’t know you before. First you have to make them aware of you and your business. Because you are dealing with real people who spend most of their time offline in real life you have to use some offline media to reach them first. The main target of your offline advertising should be A) to make them aware of you and B) to make them come to your website.  After that you can start working for making them buy your products but remember that only a  little percentage of your visitors are willing to buy your products without getting a free sample of your product. If you can not provide a sample you have to think of some other ways to make them want to purchase your products. Miska Mustonen Master Marketer Consulting Finland – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I was at business convention this weekend and most of the web > designers and net-marketers seemed to agree that to make money > online with your website you needed to market it OFFLINE. > The ratio seemed to be 75% offline marketing of your website and > 25% online. > Has anyone had much experience with this. Do you think offline > marketing is the way to pull internet sales?

Response:

Leave a Reply