Hit the streets to bring the customers

[coop1979]

I do spend some time marketing online. but as a fledgling webmaster and a product of the MTV generation I have always been prone to a more active and personal approach. If you have to give it a name, I guess you could call it guerilla marketing.

Basically I do things that I have always liked to do as a part of my marketing strategy. And all my marketing activites seem to come down to doing things that we have all done since kindergarden. It's like Show and tell really.

I make flyers because I like to be funny and creative. I tell people what I do, because I like to talk. I show people my website because I'm proud of it. And I follow up because I consider everyone my friend, wierd right?

On the web there has always been this weird world called online marketing and if you didn't grow up with computers it can be a bit overwhelming. Market analysis, link popularity, page rank, algorithms, blah, blah ,blah.

Offline its a totally different story. You print off 1500 flyers. go to the places where you market group would hang. Throw up some flyers for a week or so to create a buzz, and eureka you have traffic. Fast, cheap, measurable and many times not nearly as much competition.

It's been my experience that a good word of mouth and offline guerilla campaign can really offset the lack of online marketing marketing dollars and experience you may or may not have. What do you guys think?

[Czar]

Welcome to Geek/Talk, coop.

I'm with you all the way.

Although I'm a major proponent of effective online marketing (after all, it's what I do for a living), street-smart guerilla marketing can be an incredibly powerful tool for a range of businesses.

Anything that cuts through the clutter and moves straight to where the target audience works, plays or commutes is going to be more effective than expensive blanket coverage or time wasted promoting a business right next to its competitors.

Even when you're promoting online services, offline guerilla marketing can be more effective that more accepted means. For an example, try marketing a mid-priced, regionally-focused web hosting operation through Google, online ads or an affiliate program. A few thousand later and you might have a dozen customers. If you have the right creative, the right offer, good timing and the right distribution strategy, you can avoid the $8/click madness and convert at a much higher rate by meeting businesses face to face.

[etechsupport]

Business card with your url can also help you a lot, also you can try to tie-up with your local club.