Case studies integrating online and offline marketing?
 

I noticed the developing trend of integrating online marketing with local offline businesses (Please see the postings on this forum with subject lines:
"Need suggestion on reaching local businesses"
and
"I smell a "Hybrid" business trend developing..."

I am trying to assemble some market data on this topic. Is there anyone who has related experiences?


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Lets set the record straight before we get carried away...
 

There is NO TREND... there is NO HYBRID...

And if you're seeing one it's only because that's where you are now focusing.

Intergrating the net and offline business has been around from the very start - even before the Web. In fact, I wager (a friendly, as I don't bet) that using the net to bring more offline business was how the net was FIRST used in a commercial way. (classifieds on BBSs to generate leads which were then sent a real letter through the mail, which sold a real product)

In '97 or '98 I wrote an article which mentioned a website might be better off following the rules of a good Yellow Pages ad - the potential customer doesn't need to be sold on your thing, just on buying your thing and not someone else's version of it. Short. To the point. One page long.

Around the same time, BenJamin Prater (Software Secrets Exposed) also figured a one page website could work. And we all got to see him bring his idea into reality and makes sales - as he did it. And as he's done again now.

And now all the rage is

Mini-sites.

J Nicholas Schmidt combined offline and online from his earliest beginnings.

Don Alm even shared with us some of the ways he had combined online and offline with some of his AD-ventures.

We've had eShowcase - enabling you to create an online catalog of the items in your offline business.

Offline business sending press-releases by using the online submission services.

Online "seminars and workshops" are old as the internet hills.

I've been getting emails from an offline business I am a customer of, for a little over three years now.

So it's not a trend and it's not a new hybrid. It's just that you're now paying attention to it.

And that may be because it's easier to do now, then it was back then.

Michael Ross.


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Nothing else to say except... "Kudos" Michael... (DNO) (DNO)
 

Re: Case studies integrating online and offline marketing?
 

> I noticed the developing trend of
> integrating online marketing with local
> offline businesses (Please see the postings
> on this forum with subject lines:
> "Need suggestion on reaching local
> businesses"
> and
> "I smell a "Hybrid" business
> trend developing..."

> I am trying to assemble some market data on
> this topic. Is there anyone who has related
> experiences?

I'm a big believer in off-line marketing in order to generate on-line traffic. I've worked with a great many businesses that have been doing that for years.

On-line offers cheap order processing.

Off-line is needed to generate prospects...something the Internet (due to many reasons) is not good at (for most products and services).

However, most people will not spend the money to prospect off-line. They like the 'free' prospecting opportunities on the net, like search engine optimization, leaving messages on forums, free classifieds and what not. Quite often though you get what you pay for...i.e. darn few Internet-only generated prospects actually buying your product or service. I'm not saying this is the case in all instances...but for most products and services.

Take care,

Mike Winicki

Re: Absolutely!
 

Michael ~

> There is NO TREND... there is NO HYBRID...

I completely agree. Early on when speaking when setting up a large web site for companies they were all bent out of shape about how to do something and get approved etc. For instance "who approves the job postings?" I told them who approves them now. It's no different. Just a different medium for existing functions in most cases. Looking at it as a whole new thing really will hinder your efforts.

> net was FIRST used in a commercial way.
> (classifieds on BBSs to generate leads which
> were then sent a real letter through the
> mail, which sold a real product)

I remember a section on Bill Myers "Product Development for Profit" tapes where he talks about why he includes a free item on his order form. I notice he no longer follows that model.

~ Dan Butler




Bill Myers Product Development for Profit Tapes