Internet Marketing vs. Local Marketing: Which is Best for your Business?

The choices on where to focus your marketing efforts to promote your business can be overwhelming.  The “Internet Marketing” gurus claim that’s the only way to go. Other marketing experts are strong believers in local networking and speaking.

If you try to do it all, you won’t be effective at anything. Your best strategy is to choose your best options and work with them for a while. Then look at the results, and do more of what works and less of what doesn’t.

There are many options both online and offline. So how do you choose? For starters, it helps to understand how internet marketing and local marketing each work.

Internet marketing is similar to your kitchen crockpot. You put dinner in the pot in the morning, then it cooks very slowly, and by the evening you have a yummy meal. So if you can wait, it’s worth it.

The problem is if you’re hungry in the morning and have no food to tide you over, you’ll starve waiting for your crockpot to produce.

Local, face-to-face marketing is like your kitchen microwave. You put the food in and it cooks in minutes, so if you’re hungry, you can eat almost immediately.

In other words if you need business now, relying solely on internet marketing is likely to feel discouraging and not bring results as quickly as you need them. It’s a slow build.

On the other hand, face-to-face marketing is the fastest way to get clients immediately. It’s all about the “like, know, trust” factor. It takes a lot longer to build that on the internet, whereas you can build it in a half hour flat with a good local speaking engagement.

Now if you really want to have a fabulous marketing blueprint, then combine the two!   Here are 5 steps to strategically combine both types of marketing:

1. Set up a quick and effective internet presence that allows you to build an email list of prospects without breaking the bank or taking up too much of your time. Now you’re ready for phase 2.
2. Begin local face-to-face networking and speaking to get clients quickly, and leverage your efforts by also getting the people you come into contact with locally onto your email list. This will get your internet marketing “crockpot” going.
3. As time allows, do more low-key internet marketing activities to fill your crockpot, and while it simmers continue your local in-person activities.
4. When you’re ready and time allows, do a major internet “launch” of a product or service, getting clients and building your list even more.
5. Wash, Rinse, Repeat.

As you engage in marketing activities, whether online or off, be sure to carefully measure and evaluate their effectiveness.

If it’s producing results, do more of it. If it’s not, take it off your list. Your goal is to find the right combination of working “funnels” to get clients and build the business of your dreams!