Getting into the chatiry spirit

[Baa]

There are a lot of online marketing techniques and it's easy to dismiss offline marketing but some offline techniques can be far easier and more quickly profitable than online.

Why charitable?

Summer is coming up, all the car boots have begun and scout groups and similar are now operating. A lot of these events are local and many are held in aid of charities and good works in general, they are also looking for stall holders and sponsors right now! This is just one way you can market to people in your community, get your name on many events in your region and people will begin to pick up on your business and what you do.

It's often not expensive, flyers and catalogues are usually given freely to all visitors and sponsors and stall holders are often listed as well as other opportunities it's one of the simplest ways of telling people what you do.

Is it cynical?

It depends on your view but you are helping the charity or group with donations of money and or time, it's a widely accepted practise.

What are the opportunities?

It depends on the event, from fashion shows to snail racing there is something you can opt to do.

You can donate items for stalls.

Sponsor for inclusion in the catelogues, websites (if they have one), banners, posters and flyers.

Hold a stall, even if you only produce a catelogue or have a laptop, download your website catelogue onto a disc and show people what you have, and take orders on the day.

Rent a space to stand and hand out catelogues to visitors and discuss what you do.

Offer make overs.

Probably the most common one is donating prizes for a raffle or tombola. Most visitors buy a ticket and most events read out donators names as well as have it printed somewhere.

If you are really skint offer to volunteer if you can wear a promotional t-shirt for your own business.

None of this guarantees custom of course, from my own experience it's worth a shot and customers love meeting retailers face to face, if they feel they know you, you gain their trust far more easily and quickly than any amount of online marketing you can do.

Oh yes and if you attend it's often a good day out yacking to folk and joining in the fun as well.

[scotserve]

Nice post Baa
Even being heavily involved in the online industry I do fear at time people are too busy bowing down to the great god google and missing the opportunities that pass by their nose.

However i do think that in some cases people running online businesses forget it is still a business and lose track of opportunities the same business can have offline.

I have used a couple of the methods you describe in the past and I can assure anyone reading this that it takes far less time and effort than constantly fighting for the first page google link

[Rainee Bows]

Nice post Baa
Even being heavily involved in the online industry I do fear at time people are too busy bowing down to the great god google and missing the opportunities that pass by their nose.

However i do think that in some cases people running online businesses forget it is still a business and lose track of opportunities the same business can have offline.

I have used a couple of the methods you describe in the past and I can assure anyone reading this that it takes far less time and effort than constantly fighting for the first page google link

Here Here ... cant beat a bit of meet n greet


Rain
xxxx

[Baa]

Thanks   

I find it incredible that so many don't want to even consider meeting people in order to discuss business. I have days when I'd rather not but if it means making a couple of hundred quid in a lunch time and getting to know what products and services customers like and having a yarn into the bargain, I'm not going to complain!

So many say they are working their way through the *free* marketing avenues first and give up because the return is slow when they could have been out for a day with family or friends and gaining cash, new customers and sometimes even new friends all for £5 or £10 and a bit of thinking.

[Rainee Bows]

Maybe thats the difference between those of us that have in the past or are now running businesses that include bricks and mortar premises as opposed to online only ?

 



Rain
xxxx

[Baa]

Could be!

Is retail really for the shy though?

[Rainee Bows]

not if you have bricks and mortar premises  no i wouldnt say so , dealing with customers face to face takes a certain people ability, you dont necessarily need that online though if you never take your business beyond that, I've seen plenty of people with online retail sites that dont try to build relationships with their customers, no personal replies to mails, everything is automated,  and their attitude borders on downright rude to be honest.

They can get away with it online can't they, no-one can see their faces as they communicate .......

Have you never had a mail that makes you think that if the business owner was right in front of you they would be sneering underneath a fake 'we'll keep our customers happy' smile ? 

Rain
xxxx

[scotserve]

I think in part it is the internet persona thing where people can pretend to be something they are not whereas you cannot do this in a bricks and mortar business as easily
How many do you see setting up dropship sites and being ashamed of being a sole trader making out they are bigger ? so many like to try and hide behind the "anonymity" of the internet which i feel gives of the wrong impression to begin with.

As you say Baa it can be difficult to get a feel for what your customers want without some one to one feedback and of course the best way of building business relationships is through contacts, my top 3 reselller clients are all people I have met through doing shows

As for charity solutions - I once sponsored a charity to pass out leaflets for me on a "flag Day" - paid them £50 to give a leaflet to every one that made a donation, as a local charity they were well pleased to get a bulk donation and I got a great response as well ( that was for a retail shop i had at the time)

Nice topic this but do worry that a lot of people entering into dropshipping would feel this is too much work.

[Baa]

not if you have bricks and mortar premises  no i wouldnt say so , dealing with customers face to face takes a certain people ability, you dont necessarily need that online though if you never take your business beyond that, I've seen plenty of people with online retail sites that dont try to build relationships with their customers, no personal replies to mails, everything is automated,  and their attitude borders on downright rude to be honest.

They can get away with it online can't they, no-one can see their faces as they communicate .......

Have you never had a mail that makes you think that if the business owner was right in front of you they would be sneering underneath a fake 'we'll keep our customers happy' smile ? 

Rain
xxxx

Very true! I wonder what their repeat customer rate is 

I think in part it is the internet persona thing where people can pretend to be something they are not whereas you cannot do this in a bricks and mortar business as easily
How many do you see setting up dropship sites and being ashamed of being a sole trader making out they are bigger ? so many like to try and hide behind the "anonymity" of the internet which i feel gives of the wrong impression to begin with.

As you say Baa it can be difficult to get a feel for what your customers want without some one to one feedback and of course the best way of building business relationships is through contacts, my top 3 reselller clients are all people I have met through doing shows

As for charity solutions - I once sponsored a charity to pass out leaflets for me on a "flag Day" - paid them £50 to give a leaflet to every one that made a donation, as a local charity they were well pleased to get a bulk donation and I got a great response as well ( that was for a retail shop i had at the time)

Nice topic this but do worry that a lot of people entering into dropshipping would feel this is too much work.

I agree again, very sad as well though, it needn't be more work than sending a prize to them. Still, in my less generous role, while many are still trying to do battle with Google the rest of us can earn the cash much more easily