Using the Internet to Promote Your Offline Business
You may find yourself wondering why you´re reading so much information about online networking, publicity and promotion when you have an offline business. The fact of the matter is that if you want to grow and expand, the internet is the way to do it faster and better. Not to mention cheaper! There are several ways you can go.
Website
Having an online presence is very important. If people see your ad somewhere, some of them will call, a handful will visit, but the majority who are interested will look you up online. And basically every business can have a website. You can set up a free one on Blogger.com if you don´t want to pay anything, just to give people basic information about your business and what it is you do. Include photos if possible, and definitely have some contact information up.
Email can be a more effective way to reach new potential clients. Most people just get angry with cold calls, and some of us aren´t good at having the phone slammed down in our ear or being yelled at. That´s where email comes in very handy. Although you need to be careful not to spam, it can be a good way to get your foot in the door.
Social Networking
Sites like Facebook and Twitter aren´t just for fun. You can use them for publicity as well, adding your website URL to your profile and joining or creating groups that are based on your business. For example, if you have a daycare, you can set up a DayCare Worker group.
Chat
This is something that has great potential for being misused, but at the same time, it is an excellent way to talk to long distance clients, mentors or suppliers. You can offer it as an option to clients who need tech support, but can´t call long distance.
Forums
Find forums that relate to your business and people who need your business and start posting. You´ll make valuable contacts and possibly get some extra publicity out of it. These can also be good places to start business relationships.
Craisglist
This site is a great resource for any business owner. If you haven´t started using it yet, go and try it out. You can post in your local area, so it is extremely valuable even to small, specialized businesses.
The internet isn´t just for games and research, you can use it to benefit your home business as well.
I agree an online presence, is almost mandatory these days. Plus it’s a lot of fun. Being a Work At Home Mom would be very cool. Keep up the good work. Emma
I have not yet given the social networks a go…Its on my to do list for the month..Hope to make new friends…
Sandy
[...] and website is always a good idea. It gives a more personable feel to your business. If you are promoting your business online, it´s a good idea to have a profile picture to lend you more credibility. A cute avatar doesn´t [...]