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Taking online to offline...a success story. (9)

10-28-2011 06:56 AM #1 windjc (Member)
Taking online to offline...a success story.

In 2009 and 2010 I did pretty well in affiliate marketing. It was a grind and so when the last of my 6 figure campaigns came to end I decided it was time to use everything I had learned about direct response online and take it offline.

Since I had studied many different aspects of online marketing including SEO I decided to network with owners of small to medium nationwide businesses (3-5 mil/yr. rev) located in the LA area. Most of them of the retail variety have NO CLUE about online.

But I wasn't looking for "clients". I was looking for partners.

Now I have revenue share contracts with buyout agreements (if they decide to sell the company) with a handful of these businesses. All I do is take their budget (which I advise them on) revamp their online business both with the direct response marketing I learned in AM and the traffic targeting of SEO combined with the leverage of their national brands to direct customers offline to online.

I get around 15% off the top of all online revenue generated for as long as we hit milestones that I advise and preset.

Its not hard to take a company doing 3 million nationwide in stores and 10k/mo online with a crappy online business plan and revamp the online business to do 100k/mo+. Once you get it set up, it practically runs itself. Not a bad way to make $15k-20k/mo. (per company) leveraging someone elses business.

And its GREAT for the companies because most retail brands make 3-5% profit offline and 40%+ profit per sale online.

Yes it takes sales skills (to close the deal), confidence and results. But in many ways its so much easier to leverage the skills we learn in AM with an established brand.

Now that these are running I am going back into AM. So hopefully some of you will help catch me up on AM 2011.

10-28-2011 07:10 AM #2 paul1107 (Member)

great story @windjc - something that I've been thinking about lately, can you tell me about what criteria you set in chosing your partners, did you know the clients previously for example, any type of market that you targeted etc?

10-28-2011 07:21 AM #3 allthegold (Member)

This is really encouraging and highly related to the path I'd like to take myself.

10-28-2011 07:24 AM #4 windjc (Member)

I think there a many different industries to target, but I went after food retailers (think healthy snacks). It is very easy to leverage offline brand awareness by turning individual healthy cookies in a retail stoe into "advertisments" for the online business for instance. I looked for companies with upside growth potential and mass appeal. But it would work with niche companies too, imo.

10-28-2011 07:32 AM #5 windjc (Member)

Originally Posted by paul1107

Networking is key. I didn't approach my first client directly. I was introduced through other mutual contacts who were aware of my online results. After I had a track record with one it was easier to attract other relationships. Non competitive industries of course.

I am somewhat introverted. I have good social skills but am not a socialite. So networking has never been my joy. If its yours, you are already at advantage in that respect.

I will say its important to be nice but very confident. Never cocky. Name you price and conditions and let them know, without saying it, that you are worth every % point.

Otherwise you'll just being getting a "client" not a "parnter". I have always worked for myself, and in the rare case that I don't, I ONLY work with partners. I let them know that upfront in a sincere, friendly, but matter of fact way.

Many of these owners are "dying" to increase their profit margins. If you are good, they need you. And they know it.

10-28-2011 07:33 AM #6 allthegold (Member)

windjc,

What's your take on using these methods in service-based companies? I've got an accounting professor that thinks that online lead-generation could totally reshape the way that regional CPA firms acquire new business clients.

Edit for clarity: CPA here means Certified Public Accountant.

10-28-2011 07:38 AM #7 windjc (Member)

Originally Posted by allthegold

Of course it could. Some CPAs are probably already doing it. But here's the important thing. Chances are your accounting professor hasn't the foggiest about how to lead-generate or convert. If you can make this happen you are gold. Have him introduce you to his accounting pals and layout a plan for them. Create contracts, budgets and milestones. NO HANDSHAKE AGREEMENTS. Ever.

Or if he is looking for clients then have him put his $$$ where his mouth is. Get ONE result with one client and then you can expand it from there.

There is really a 1000 ways to skin this cat. My OP was just one example.

10-28-2011 08:33 AM #8 palmtree (Member)

Hey this is an awesome post. One of my projects on deck is to start doing different types of (email, social, search) marketing for local businesses. Definitely huge potential and takes different sort of skills (networking, social, business, sales) than sitting behind your computer in affiliate land all day. It's completely out of my comfort area but hopefully will be a big growing/learning experience!

Do you have any more information, like your website, or forms or anything you use with your clients? I'm in the dark about the nuts and bolts of dealing direct with companies like this.

11-07-2011 10:26 PM #9 theguvna ()

Congrats! And, this is soooo true:

"But in many ways its so much easier to leverage the skills we learn in AM with an established brand"

Id be interested to hear about the contract clauses you have in place for this. I do local lead gen on a cpa basis, but not a rev share in the company.

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