Hi There, Part 8 - Crossing the ONLINE / OFFLINE Marketing divide.
by From Graham Callingwood. The Top Page Guru
Hi There,
Part - 8 Crossing the ONLINE / OFFLINE Marketing divide.
The last few years has seen a division appear in nearly all
discussions about successful Marketing: It's the distinction
between ONLINE and OFFLINE Marketing. Online covers everything
internet based (website marketing, pay per click, SEO, Email
Marketing etc) Offline covers all the 'traditional' marketing
methods (direct mail, telephone marketing, traditional advertising,
etc.)
It's an easy and often useful distinction to make between offline
and online - and I do it as much as anyone.
But in case it's not obvious, let me point out that we shouldn't
really think of offline and online as separate when it comes to the
never ending task of acquiring new customers.
The truth is that even the most successful internet companies have
discovered that their online efforts become far more profitable
when combined with an 'offline' strategy.
That's why the best 'internet' companies are using Direct Mail to
mail their existing customers. It's why the big online brands are
returning to 'traditional' newspaper, magazine and radio
advertising.
It's why many websites no longer try to sell stuff online, instead
preferring to use their sites to make compelling free offers to
potential customers, in return for those customers' contact
details. Your initial contact with such a business may be on their
website. But the follow up, where the sale actually happens, could
be on the phone or as a result of a mail insert.
What does all this mean for you? It means that you want to
continually work on your online strategy but ALWAYS BE LOOKING AT
HOW YOU CAN SUPPLEMENT YOUR ONLINE MARKETING WITH
OFFLINE MARKETING.
Some examples include:
1. When people buy from you online, put them into a sequence of
communications for future sales that include direct mail and if
feasible, phone calls.
2. If you use your website to capture email addresses (and you
certainly should be) test what happens to the response rate if you
also ask for a physical address and phone number. You'll normally
see a decrease in response but those who do respond tend to be much
better 'leads.'
3. Don't depend on just online marketing to deliver people to your
website. Use offline too, particularly your newspaper and magazine
ads and Direct Mail.
4. Use your website to do everything possible to encourage people to
contact you offline, particularly by having your telephone number
EVERYWHERE on the site.
In the years ahead, the division between online and offline will
blur. Smart Marketers are blurring those divisions now, on a daily basic
Tomorrow lets talk about a way of immediately increasing your
sales at absolutely no cost!
Best Wishes,
Graham Callingwood
Author of "Make my website work!"
The Top Page Guru
www.toppageguru.com
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