What if there were no Internet opportunities for marketing, no electronic anything? How would your business survive?
Yesterday, I thought about those questions as I stood at the clearance table at Staples after I’d found the DVD cases I originally came in to buy.
January is always a good time to find office supplies on sale, and I couldn’t resist taking a look at what was available.
Two packs of note cards and matching envelopes were waiting for me. Each package contained 20 sets, and at 50 cents each, I grabbed the investment.
My first, handwritten note card is sitting in front of me now, waiting for placement into an envelope for mailing to a publisher who’s celebrating her magazine’s 10th anniversary.
I’ve mentioned in the past that connecting with individuals through handwritten cards has the potential to increase business more than some Internet opportunities, especially when you continue to build relationships offline.
If the Internet was not available, the note cards may not have been sitting in clearance. Another marketer might have had the same thoughts to connect with associates, prospects, and clients by mail, a practice that for many seems to be on the back burner while hoping that the next great opportunity will appear online.
I believe that the Internet’s immediacy has removed lots of the personalization techniques that built many businesses. It’s not too late to re-energize this marketing movement, and guess what? Sending mail still works, and I bet your budget can handle the cost to buy a book of stamps.
It’s okay if you stay behind your computer and don’t visit a local office supply store to see what’s on clearance, especially if your audience is Internet based. I’ll be at the store buying items that market my business to those who appreciate the offline connection.
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Another more expensive, but still cost-effective form of off-line marketing is PR. You can use a pay-per-placement service, which is much more cost-effective than retaining a publicist – but PR in general is a great alternative to advertising.
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