Promoting Your Web Sites in the Dirt World

© 2004, John Calder
http://www.TheEzine.net

Internet entrepreneurs are familiar with all the ways you can promote your web sites and your business online. Writing articles, paid advertising, posting to forums, cross-promoting, JVs with others, etc. Are there good ways to promote those same businesses in the offline world?

Chances are that no offline promotion will have the same reach, for the money spent, as online promotions have. The Internet offers a medium to target specific audiences very easily, rivaled perhaps only by direct mail and specialty print advertising. When measuring your promotion efforts, it's all about the conversion rate. Generally, you want to convert a higher percentage of a narrow audience, rather than a small percentage of a 'blanket' audience. Unfortunately, most dirt world promotion opportunities, including radio and newspaper, tend to convey their message shotgun-style, covering a wide and diverse marketplace.

A lot of your offline success will be determined by the type of online business you operate. If you sell products and services to other marketers, for example, you stand very little chance of successful offline promotion, except perhaps at a marketing seminar. However, if you run, for example, a computer parts business online, it may make sense for you to team up with and co-promote local computer user groups, electronics swap meets, auctioneers, and even some computer retailers that don't offer parts or service. That's a very natural blend of offerings, among non-competing entities.

If you are fortunate enough to find such events, your main concentration should be on building your own mailing list first, or failing that, creating a shared list between you and your offline partner. You can offer premiums, incentives, and giveaways if you'd like, but don't just hand them out. Get a name and email address in exchange. If you do this, be sure to comply with CAN-SPAM and other applicable laws.