It is safe to say the the Internet has changed our world. The way we do business, the way we shop, the way we interact with others. Its overtaken our “real” lives. The virtual life we lead and the real, physical life we lead overlap in such a way that we sometimes don’t see where one stops and the other begins. Which from a marketer’s perspective can be a good thing. Especially if you market your business online. There’s social media, diretories, article banks,mobile marketing, location based marketing, ezines, blogs, advertising channels and so many other places to draw attention to your business. The Internet as we know it today has been the single most transformational way we communicate (besides the telephone) with one another that smart marketers need to employ online tactics just to stay in the game.
But what about offline marketing? We often spend so much time, money and other resources just to stay on top of all the changes happening online we totally blow off the opportunities in our own back yard. Just for a moment, imagine your life without the internet. What would it look like? No e-mail, greatly reduced rolling news, no internet banking, no online shopping, no meeting great people from far off places you will never visit. I would venture to say that most people would not give it up completely.
And the fact that marketing your business online is so cheap – often free, why in the world would you give it up? I am not saying you should. What I am saying is to consider other forms of marketing. Things that worked in the past that you totally forgot about or no longer do because you are so focused on marketing your business on the net. Things like postcard marketing, direct mail, networking (in person), tradeshow marketing, masterminds, cause-related marketing, all the things Marketing Small Business Offline covers.
And there are many reasons why you should consider it. For one thing, not everyone has a computer. I know. Hard to believe. But its true. Some people don’t have a computer and cannot afford to get one without borrowing more than they are willing to. Others refuse to have the internet for personal reasons, and still others are likely to instinctively distrust things that are sold via the internet. For these reasons, you should have an offline marketing strategy as well as an online one.
I invite you to subscribe to this blog, read the articles about offline marketing and take action on them. You may be surprised by the results! And of course, I’d love to know just how YOU market your small business. Feel free to share…
