Get Off the Internet

ETR is an Internet business. There’s no doubt about it. And there’s no doubt that we’ve experienced some major growth in the past few years. Four short years ago, ETR was a $3 million business. By the end of 2007, we’d grown to nearly 10 times that amount. And that’s just so far.

If you’ve got an Internet business, I’ve got a secret to getting your business to leap forward: Get offline.

Here at ETR, we’re all about multi-channel marketing. Wendy Montes de Oca has written about this before. Basically, it means that you should market your business in as many ways as you can.] Online, you can market via your e-newsletter, via other people’s e-newsletters, in banner ads on websites, in paid and organic search engine results, and much more.

But that’s not all you should do. To truly be successful as a direct-response marketer, you need to take your marketing to the offline world too.

Here are three ways to take your marketing into the “real” world:

1. Take advantage of a traditional direct-mail approach.

Start collecting names and addresses from the customers on your e-list. One of the best ways to do that is with a simple online survey. To get people to respond, give them a tangible product that has real value. A DVD or CD is perfect. After your customer has completed the survey, tell her you need her name and address in order to send the free gift. Once you have her name and address, start testing direct mail to her. For instance, if you are having a conference or an event and you have not met your quota through your typical e-mail blasts, send your customers invitations through the mail. I bet you will be pleasantly surprised with the results.

2. Put yourself out there.

Attend conferences and seminars as often as possible. I attend dozens of conferences each year. It’s a great way to meet potential partners, clients, and even employees. If you wind up speaking at a conference, you can market your products directly to your audience.

3. Get people talking.

Word-of-mouth marketing is one of the most powerful tools in your marketing arsenal. Read my article “Use Your Mouth” for a few strategies you can use to get people buzzing about your company.

Having a profitable Internet business doesn’t mean the Internet is the be-all, end-all of your marketing efforts. Get offline, and you’re sure to see your business grow by leaps and bounds.

[Ed. Note: MaryEllen Tribby is ETR’s Publisher and CEO. You can meet all your marketing objectives – and achieve all your personal, social, financial, and business goals – with the help of ETR’s Total Success Achievement program.]