If you are after more of a mass market , or one that is harder to quantify , then I love using almost any offline media to promote a text offer . Whether you ’ re running TV ads , print ads in a small community paper , or ads above urinals , extending a text offer can be pretty effective . A local Italian restaurant could run ads with the message , text “ pasta ” to 000000 to receive a free appetizer on your next visit .
There ’ s nothing like getting people to take action immediately . This would likely drive a herd of people to a text program which would later be a great tool for method number three to big profits – repeat sales and referrals .
customer who saw their listing on Yelp . This was just a few days after we created it too .
After you ’ ve gotten some reviews , the next thing to do is to start aggressively optimizing your website . We won ’ t get into SEO for your website here , but there are plenty of archived articles from the DotComSecrets Journal that cover SEO that you can reference . Also , the Darkside of DotComSecrets is a great resource . Having well-optimized local listings and a well-optimized site will give you the best chance to show up high in the search engines .
Offline to Online :
I ’ m a huge believer in combining online and offline marketing efforts . If your target market is one that ’ s easy to quantify , then I like the option of using direct mail to drive people to a website . For example if you are selling products to daycare owners , that ’ s a market that is easy to quantify . In fact , you can get a list from a local mail house of all the daycares in your area . Then send them a compelling postcard or lumpy mail piece ( mail piece that has something in it that gives it dimension or makes it lumpy ) that drives them to your website for an offer of some kind .
Email Traffic :
Ask yourself this question . Who do you know , or who should you know that has an email list of ideal prospects for you ? Once you know the answer to that question , then contact that company and work out a deal with them . Maybe you can have them email their list for you in exchange for you mailing to your list on their behalf . Or maybe it ’ s worth paying to advertise in their email .
The key here is you must have a compelling offer . You need some kind of call to action that will get someone to click from the email to your site .
It ’ s amazing the problems you can solve simply by having more opportunities to sell . Really , that ’ s what targeted traffic is all about – giving you the opportunity to sell . So go out there and start driving some traffic !
In next month ’ s article we ’ ll take a closer look at conversions and repeat sales . If you don ’ t focus a lot of energy on these two areas , then you ’ ll likely be wasting much of the traffic you are driving . Until next month , here ’ s to big profits . DCS
By Brett Curry , the Small Business Maestro
Brett Curry is the president of Curry Marketing , Inc . and is the DCS Local Chapter leader in the Springfield and St . Louis Missouri markets . Brett can be reached at brett @ currymarketing . com
12 | September 2011 www . DotComSecrets . com