There are hundreds of thousand of small businesses that have both an online and an offline presence. Most have not undertaken any local internet marketing at all. You will often hear the term ‘bricks and mortar’ business. These are the businesses that are set up with an actual building where customers can visit and buy or deal directly. There are probably ten times that number that have a bricks and mortar business and no online business. There is a lot to be learned from the traditional forms of marketing used by those bricks and mortar businesses.
The humble business card has to be one of the most under utilized resources around. Do you have a business card? Do you use it? Business cards were popular for a reason. They are small yet contain a wealth of information. For online marketers, a business card that highlights your business along with your email address and web site urls is a must.
If you are selling products that require mailing, attach a business card to the invoice – you will be surprised how cards are retained at the receiving end. Business cards are not the only channel used. Letters, invoices, envelopes, in fact, any stationary used by your business should have your online details on display.
How does this relate to local online marketing? Your customers may not be aware you have a blog, or a secondary website, or even your email address. There are times when your customers cannot even remember the url of a product they have purchased, which is a problem for you if they are recommending the product. Having a business card makes life much easier, your customer just passes the business card on, effectively continuing the marketing for you.
Local internet marketing can still learn from what has worked offline in the past. Whilst we now live in what has been dubbed the electronic age, some paper based marketing still works effectively.
Tags: business cards, offline marketing
Local Internet Marketing is the future of small and medium sized businesses.
With only 33% of people turning to printed Yellow Pages to find suppliers, it’s essential to have an online presence that customers can find.
And being found means being on Page 1 of Google – 94% of searchers don’t go to Page 2!
Yet getting to Page 1 is generally simple as your competitors’ site are rarely optimised for good Google rankings.
A good SEO company that specialises in local SEO can leapfrog you above your competitors.
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Good point about the way the little guy can use his old school resources to tap into 21st century opportunities.
I agree w/ the above comment, too. Local IM is going to get bigger, bigger and even bigger over the next few years.
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I must concur with the above statement. It will also help you if you use the free Google keyword tool to help analyse what your best keyword or keyphrase will help. It doesn’t pay to use a certain phrase if no-one is searching for it in Google.
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Caroline,
Yes great point to make sure small businesses have their online details listed on all their physical promotional products. Anytime you can make easier for you customers to remember is a good thing. I often see small business owners make that mistake with their url’s and blogs – try to pick names that are easy to remember (and of course GEO keyword loaded).
RT @tweetmeme Local Internet Mkting Can Learn From Offline Mkting – http://bit.ly/kP2R6 – ex. You bought those biz cards: r u using them?