As a company that is very much focused on web and internet marketing, people might be surprised to hear that we often recommend and help our clients with offline marketing activities as well.
It's fair to say that the internet has provided a vast number of opportunities to market your business, and often far more affordable than some of the more traditional marketing mediums such as TV and Radio.
The internet has to some extent leveled the playing field allowing small businesses to compete with larger corporates as everyone is able to get their marketing message across at relatively low cost.
However it's important to remember that internet marketing is just one part of an overall marketing strategy, albeit a large part, but there are lots of offline activities that can be really effective and generating business and increasing the profile of your brand.
For example direct mail can be a very effective and relatively low cost offline activity, ironically some people feel this is more effective than email marketing now, because less people do it, therefore those that do stand out more.
Networking is another key area, this gives you the opportunity to meet with other like minded businesses on a regular basis, and to talk about what you do. Most networking events are held outside of core business hours and therefore offer a perfect opportunity to market yourself and your business without having a drain on your or your sales teams productivity.
Telemarketing can also be very effective, although it's important to understand that this can often have a lower conversion rate than other marketing methods, and therefore the service or product should be of a high enough value to justify the cost and ensure a return on investment. Lower conversion rate does not mean it should be discounted as part of your marketing mix as long as it is profitable.
It's also important to realise that marketing your brand goes beyond the obvious planned activities, virtually everything you do helps to either improve your brand or damage it, from how you and your staff answer the phone, your personal appearance, punctuality for meetings and speed of response to clients. The list is endless, but I think this makes the point sufficiently.
So whilst we are firm believers in the power of internet marketing, we would always encourage people to remember that a marketing strategy should contain a number of methods online and offline.
It's fair to say that the internet has provided a vast number of opportunities to market your business, and often far more affordable than some of the more traditional marketing mediums such as TV and Radio.
The internet has to some extent leveled the playing field allowing small businesses to compete with larger corporates as everyone is able to get their marketing message across at relatively low cost.
However it's important to remember that internet marketing is just one part of an overall marketing strategy, albeit a large part, but there are lots of offline activities that can be really effective and generating business and increasing the profile of your brand.
For example direct mail can be a very effective and relatively low cost offline activity, ironically some people feel this is more effective than email marketing now, because less people do it, therefore those that do stand out more.
Networking is another key area, this gives you the opportunity to meet with other like minded businesses on a regular basis, and to talk about what you do. Most networking events are held outside of core business hours and therefore offer a perfect opportunity to market yourself and your business without having a drain on your or your sales teams productivity.
Telemarketing can also be very effective, although it's important to understand that this can often have a lower conversion rate than other marketing methods, and therefore the service or product should be of a high enough value to justify the cost and ensure a return on investment. Lower conversion rate does not mean it should be discounted as part of your marketing mix as long as it is profitable.
It's also important to realise that marketing your brand goes beyond the obvious planned activities, virtually everything you do helps to either improve your brand or damage it, from how you and your staff answer the phone, your personal appearance, punctuality for meetings and speed of response to clients. The list is endless, but I think this makes the point sufficiently.
So whilst we are firm believers in the power of internet marketing, we would always encourage people to remember that a marketing strategy should contain a number of methods online and offline.
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