Marketing Online & Offline – Worlds Are Colliding! Can They Work Together?

So much confusion out there about marketing – business owners are unknowingly sabotaging themselves with their marketing decisions. Many are taking an “all or nothing” approach – going online all the way – or ignoring it completely. It doesn’t have to be just one or the other, says my Marketing Chat radio guest Howard Yermish. Good news! These online marketing tools work hand-in-hand with offline marketing – and they complement each other so well, that you can pair them together and get even better results than if you used just one of them. Howard and I teamed up to bring up a few things that we see alot that you just shouldn’t do…
1. Don’t Build A Network In Advance. If you decide that your business should have an e-newsletter, the first thing you need is a list of email addresses. This is not something you can build overnight; it’s culled from your clients, prospects, people you meet at functions, etc. If you don’t have a list, your other choice is to buy a list or spam to people who don’t know you and don’t want your email. Even if you aren’t thinking about e-marketing right now – start working on that list.
2. Don’t Stop Too Soon. So many people try something – like postcards – and send them out one or two times – and then stop. Or run an ad 1 time – and then stop, insisting “well that didn’t work.” Of course it didn’t. Marketing takes time. With the influx of email, mail, texts, and phone calls we receive each day, we are on data overload. It takes longer than ever for a single message to penetrate – up to 15 “touches.”‘ It’s necessary to build up your frequency over time.
3. Don’t Use Someone Else’s Successful Tactic. Just because Google AdWords worked for your friend who owns a pet store, doesn’t mean it will translate into success for your manufacturing company.
4. Don’t Sell to Everybody. Focus on selling to a select group, not to “everyone.” Spend some time identifying your target market – how do they get their news? What do they read? What are their working habits? What’s important to them? Based on this you can put together a plan on the best ways to reach and meet your perfect clients.
5. Don’t Copy. It wasn’t a good idea in grade school, and it still isn’t a good idea for grown-ups. If you see something that you like – an ad or a website – don’t copy it. Just like in #3, what worked for someone else isn’t necessarily going to work for you. Instead, take the elements you like best – and make it your own.
6. Don’t Outsource Your Company’s Voice. You wouldn’t have just anyone represent your company at an important event, so why would you hand over your social media to just anyone? So many businesses are handing the keys to twitter, LinkedIn and others to the new intern, figuring “well, they know social media better than I do.” They might, but they don’t know your company’s voice. The result? Poor and confusing messages that don’t properly represent who you are.
7. Don’t Wing It. Don’t let others, such as persistent salespeople, take over your marketing. Have a plan – write it down – of your intentions for the next 12 months. Stick with it. Then, one someone approaches you with a “must have”  you won’t be distracted or tempted to try something you don’t need.
We both agreed that there are some “must have’s” in today’s marketing toolbox:
1. A branded professional look: This could be business cards or  a logo. Make sure that the logos you post online aren’t stretched out looking. Take the time to ensure that your branded items are consistent.
2. An Online Presence: More than ever, a website is the first thing people look at after they meet you. It’s your new “front office,” so make sure it looks impressive.
3. Reach Out And Touch. You should have a way that you consistently use to reach out to customers and prospects. This can be via email marketing, such as a newsletter or e-blast, direct mail, or calling programs.
4. A Leave-Behind. This can be a clever give-away item, a brochure, rack card, media clippings, or an interesting article.
For those in the South Jersey area, I will be giving a workshop with Howard Yermish on this topic on April 24. For more information go to: www.bccoc.com
Contributing Source:  Kokua Technologies
To listen to the show in its entirety, go to: Marketing Chat with Nancy Sipera, 3/19/13