Marketing Hamilton: Can Local Business Owners Market Offline For Online Leads

Marketing Hamilton embraces offline and online marketing tactics and strategies - probably a strange comment coming from a social media and video marketing consultant.

But if someone tells you that offline marketing is dead and no longer working, run don’t walk away. In fact, because so many businesses are abandoning offline strategies in favour of the internet, this might the right time to go contrary to the trend.

In particular, I’m talking about classified ads.

In fact, offline classified ads that drive traffic online (or to a toll free number) are proving to be quite successful.

Google took the traditional classified ad online with adwords and perhaps it’s time your business took them back offline. But, with a twist – take them offline to drive people online.

This is beginning to sound strangely like the movie, Back to the Future!

Perhaps you’re asking why market offline, and rightfully so. This is why:

• You will reach people who aren’t online

• Low risk

• It’s local

• Conversion rate will be higher because you can prequalify the buyer... higher opt-in and conversion

• You can target to buyer by choosing the niche magazine or publication

• Lower competition

• It works

• Classified ads can go online to local blogs, ezines, websites etc.

• You can easily test them for a small amount of money and then scale them up when you hit a successful campaign

Testing is important. Test different publications, headlines, body copy, call to action, offer...

Some questions to ask and answer are:

• Is the ad targeted

• Have you identified your target audience – I mean specifically targeted them geographically, by affiliate group,

• Is the product target to their needs – more importantly to what they want

• Can you grab their attention with a 2-3 word headline (cheap cars, make money, travel now...)

• Can you deliver body copy in SoundBits (lose weight, get more leads, have fun...)

• Do you have a strong call to action

• Can you deliver massage via multiple channels (classified, voicemail, voice broadcast, online...)

• What is your goal for the ad?

Do you have a carrot to dangle to move them along the sales funnel (people love free... if it has a perceived value in their eyes

Do you have a multi-step sales process (smart move)

Are you looking for the home run (good luck)

So what would a good classified look like? Well that depends. A tried and true, time tested ad grabs their attention quickly, delivers an immediate benefit and asks them to take the next step – and all in 3-4 lines of a classified ad.

Business Owners

Get Leads, close sales,

Visit...

Well you get the picture.

It’s not what you know... it’s what you do with what you know!

Until we meet.