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11 OFFLINE WAYS TO ADVERTISE YOUR HOME BASED INTERNET BUSINESS Copyright © Donovan BaldwinWhen many people begin start a home based business, they are unaware of all the possible ways of getting their new enterprise recognized. While many of the suggestions below may seem apparent after a little thought, many who are new to home based businesses and internet marketing tend to think primarily in terms of getting high rankings in search engines and overlook the possibilities of working offline to get people to their online site.
However, the internet is a huge sea, and it might be easier to begin creating your internet empire by becoming a fairly good-sized fish in your small, local pond first.
The following list is by no means all-inclusive, and someone else composing the same list might have several different items. As a matter of fact, I came up with 13 items and cut the list down to 11. Why 11? Well, everybody else offers 10 items. I just made MY LIST stand out just a teeny bit by being a little bit different.
1. Become recognized as an expert. Hopefully, your home based business is offering a product or service with which you already have some familiarity. It shouldn't take much research or study to become an "expert". Remember, an "expert", to most people at least, is someone who knows more than they do. Once people get to know you as an expert, they seek out your guidance or knowledge. It is easy to refer them to your website for additional information, or have them email you so that you can answer their questions more completely than giving an off-the-cuff answer in a social setting. Once you have convinced them of your willingness to help and your knowledge of the subject, they will be more willing to follow your recommendations as to products and services.
2. Use return address labels with your home based business name and website or phone number on all your correspondence. While outside mail is diminishing in this computer age, most of us do still send out correspondence. There are many simple computer programs which will allow you to create simple return address labels which contain your web site and a simple sales message. This technique has boosted my sales in one program in particular.
3. Volunteer in your community. Whether network marketing or internet marketing, it is contacts, contacts, contacts which will drive sales. The more people who get to know you as a valuable member of your community, as an expert in your field, and as someone who can be trusted to deliver honest information, the more people who will be willing to either use your services or recommend you to others. Additionally, community recognition may include a free plug for your business. Possibly the biggest benefit of all is simply that you feel good helping the community out and working with your other citizens.
4. Offer free information, reports, or newsletters. As an expert, it should be a simple matter to offer something of value for free. Most often, this will be in the form of an information item. Items of information are generally almost free, and can generate an interest in your service or product in particular. Since the person has already requested a free report, you are dealing with someone who is interested in your service or product, and, if your report or newsletter actually contains usable information, someone who will have begun to trust you.
5. Concentrate on a niche. Once again, it's easier to start out as a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in the ocean. Simply put, it might be easier to sell lug nuts than to compete with Ford and General Motors and try to sell the whole car. It's also easier to be an expert on a niche, particularly at first, than to try to be an expert on the whole industry.
6. Hold a contest. People love contests, and can be easily encouraged to visit your site to enter your contes and provide you their email or snail mail addresses. Many marketers will tell you that having and responding to a large list of interested parties willing to receive your mail is one of the best ways to create sales.
7. Follow-up not only inquiries but sales as well. Most marketers with or without experience realize that you must respond to inquiries. However, many do not realize that corresponding with your customers is an excellent way to create additional sales. If you have a brick-and-mortar store or are a network marketer, getting your customer to visit and use your website often allows you, as the saying goes, make money while you sleep. It can also free up your time for making contacts with NEW customers or prospects. A satisfied customer is also more likely to order from you again. You can link this up with item #8 to create more customers and MORE LOYAL customers.
8. Offer service outside of sales. I used to be a federal purchasing agent in Austin, Texas. If I ever return to that area and need to buy anything in the office supply or equipment field, I am first going to check to see if Steve D is still around. Even when there was no potential profit for him, Steve helped me and other purchasing agents track down items, even if the item was eventually bought from a competitor. This resulted in a lot of personal respect for Steve and his company, but also broght him a lot of business from us just because we were grateful and knew we could count on him whether the item was sold by him or not. Include useful information on your website, even if it doesn't necessarily bring you direct profit. You can add value to a product by providing ancillary services at no extra charge. For example, one company throws in discounted vision, chiropractic, and prescription benefits at no extra cost if someone buys their dental plan.
9. Get a gimmick. Let's face it. You're at a bird show, and one guy in a suit is handing out business cards, and another is dressed like a pirate and has a parrot perched on his shoulder. So who's going to get the most recognition during and after the show? "Oh yeah! You shoulda been there! There was this cool dude from the XYZ seed factory dressed like a pirate with a parrot..." you get the picture! Can you design an eye-catching logo or have one designed? Could you tie that in some way to your website? A gimmick can bring in extra traffic whether you have an internet business or a brick-and-mortar business. Just ask the Peabody Hotel in Memphis.
10. Give away items with your website on them. This might seem like a no-brainer, but it is one of the simplest techniques around. I order cards from VistaPrint.com, and on the back is a calendar. How simple is that? People didn't always want to take my old business cards, but the ones with the calendar are always accepted. My website's on the front, and I have seen online sales from the distribution of these cards. The item can be a calendar, pen, refridgerator magnet...you name it!
11. Use advertising on your automobile. Be careful here. Everybody nowadays has an advertising panel on the side of their car. I speak from experience...it can be an effective advertising tool. I have been stopped in parking lots and even flagged down on the highway by people wanting information. I have seen people in the next car writing down my website. Make your advertising stand out, and don't try to make the entire sale through the sign. Tease with a few words, or even a catchy website URL that arouses curiosity. By the way, as I mentioned, everybody these days seems to have those magnetic signs on their cars. I have found a great company that does it just a bit differently. You can get more information on how their product can "drive traffic" to your web site at http://drive-traffic.xtramoney4me.net/.
There you are. Eleven tips, just like I promised. It's possible that you even came up with a few more while reading this. Good for you. The more inventive and creative ideas you have (and implement) on marketing your business, the more likely you are to be successful in internet marketing.
About The Author:
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Donovan Baldwin is a Dallas area writer. A graduate of the University Of West Florida (1973) with a BA in accounting, he is a member of Mensa and has held several managerial positions. After retiring from the U. S. Army in 1995, he became interested in internet marketing and developed various online businesses. He has been writing poetry, articles, and essays for over 40 years, and now frequently publishes articles on his own websites and for use by other webmasters. He has blogs on the subjects of weight loss and health, hybrid cars and alternative fuels, and internet marketing and related business topics.
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