Big Fish in a Local Pond…
Posted on by Ryan Deiss in Editor's Column, Startup Business
Local Businesses Need YOU...
Do you have ANY idea how much smarter you are, at least marketing wise,
than any other business owner in your town?
No? Try talking about what we do as marketers to the local yokels and
watch their eyes glaze over and their greed glands start to water, even if
your explaining basic opt-in strategies and simple autoresponders, they will
think your a genius, I guarantee it.
A few of my students have really caught on to this and are making a FORTUNE
right in their own back yards.
One guy in Florida is selling the “brain dead” simple service of setting up local
mom and pops in Google local, Google’s simple local listing tool.
He does a really great job and ads photos and some interesting copy for each listing.
His fee: $200 for about 20 minutes work so he can do 10-20 a week. Plus, he
uses an outside sales person on commission and never even sees the customer.
Another sharp student in Atlanta sets up and maintains local businesses Twitter,
Facebook and YouTube accounts then updates them from time to time.
Her fee: $175 a MONTH minimum and she has built up to over 100 clients in just a few months.
Do that math!
Lastly, this one really killed me. One of the more clever guys I’ve seen offers a
“Who’s talking about you” service for local businesses that send alerts to the
business any time they are mentioned online in a search engine, social media etc…
He charges $79 a month for his service and relies largely on the free Google
Alerts and Twitter Search service for most his information. I don’t know his
numbers, but he has 6 full time salespeople on staff and has had for a while.
The big point is, you ARE smart. Smarter than most of the businesses owners
in your area and NOW is the time to share your skills and collect some great
fees in the process.
Best Wishes,
Ryan
P.S. Comment below and tell me if you offer a local service, have a question or
just want to be heard. Go ahead, brag a little…
Free Training Event
Bahawalpur
02. Mar, 2010
I am a new subscriber and I have learned so many good ideas from you so far..
Travis
02. Mar, 2010
Wow this is a great idea. I am defiantly going to try this. Thank you so much for the idea.
sterling myers
01. Mar, 2010
Yeah I have been doing this service for website owners getting there sites listed on the first page of the google search engine for certain search terms I charge them $200 a month recurring fee for this service I use a software that gets 1000′S OF BACK LINKS BUILDS WEB 2.0 SITES SUBMITS RSS FEEDS PROMOTES VIDEOS & BUILDS BOOKMARK SITES LINKING ALL THESE TO YOUR MAIN MONEY SITE. It takes10 minutes to set it up then it runs in the background without any further attention. You can get a 7 day free trial Here if this helps you for your business http://www.bruteforce-seo-evo2.com hopes this helps for thoese who want to sell seo services.
Kathy
01. Mar, 2010
You’ve got me as a new subscriber, funny things so easy, and I never thought of this, I am still learning and need to learn a few of these techniques to help business, great post!
Jason Stanley Marshall
01. Mar, 2010
I have truly enjoyed helping the local market.
Here is a great example of what you are saying Ryan…
One of my local clients asked me if he could get on Google. I said sure we can work on that. He replied “So what do we do? Do we CALL them or something?”
Jeff Walker in his product launch manager training likes to say “The one eyed man is king in the land of the blind.”
I have been setting up sites and blogs for clients using wordpress. We also offer SEO, social media marketing, email marketing, iPhone app creation, and anything else you can think of that has to do with the internet.
My suggestion is to start your local consultation business off with one service and then you can literally offer any service you want after you are established. All you have to do is become a great project manager and find some trustworthy VAs you can outsource your work to.
You can always go back to past clients and offer them your newer services
Have Fun!
Jason
Joe Klohr
01. Mar, 2010
Ah Ha,
I have seen the light a while back. I thought I wasn’t smart enough to do work for local mom & pop shops. But when you talk to these people you see the eyes gleam over and you can talk circles around them.
With Social Media becoming the #1 most popular thing amongst the average person… their is another idea you could sell a service for – twitter, linkedin, facebook – set them up and show them how $$$
I did a business search in my area and there is over 200,000 businesses. If I can just get 5% of their business @ $30 a month, I would be happy.
Patrysha
01. Mar, 2010
I first began offering local web marketing services 6 years ago. Things have changed a lot since then. The demand for services that help small business tap the online market is higher than ever. I’ve gone slightly beyond the basics and provide full marketing support, but even if you just offer one thing and do it well, you can do well locally. Local small business owners need online marketing and so do the customers!
David Matthies
01. Mar, 2010
Yup! Maybe local businesses leveraging the Internet is the final frontier for Internet Marketers. I’ve been doing this for over a year now and and it works like a charm. All my efforts now focus exclusively on working with local business owners. They get it pretty quick especially once they start seeing new foot traffic coming through their doors.
Great business model!
David
Chris McCargar
01. Mar, 2010
I $mell money here… !!!
Great post, Ryan. FANTASTIC idea! When is the program available?
Like some others, I wouldn’t have thought of it ‘cuz I live in “Bumblef#%*”, Ontario …pop.2700 and thought it was too small!
I’ve just seen the Light… Thanks for this! Looking forward to hearing more.
Chris
Robin Murray
01. Mar, 2010
Hey Ryan,
Thanks for posting this great article. I started offering a service like you described and so far the response has been great. The local business owners really have no idea of how to do even the most basic stuff that we take for granted.
I’ve had one client for the past couple of months doing just the basic stuff and am now opening it up to some other businesses in the area, too.
There’s an old saying which is very relevant which explains this opportunity and it is… “in the land of the blind the one eyed man is king.” So true.
Keith D Shrock
01. Mar, 2010
Thanks Ryan.
I have heard about local business optimization for many months – and have begun to talk to business people.
They are totally clueless — phone book, TV, old land based Radio, Billboards are not working, for them.
And we know why.
It’s been fun folowing you since Perry Belcher’s Social Media launch.
You’re havin fun — I can tell.
Good luck.
Rod Beckwith
01. Mar, 2010
Hey Ryan,
Been a while, but yeah, local offline markets are VERY under served and NItro does have a program that addresses it. $1K plus $600 OTO.
There is room for something more trimmed down…that is for sure.
Rod
Trish
01. Mar, 2010
I have been offering cut-rate prices for years now… and, well… business has not been so good in the GTA, in Ontario, throughout 2009. With so many newly unemployed here from auto-industry downsizing, money is even tighter for local businesses. And, their website have been the first to suffer from THEIR budget cuts.
However, I DO like the idea of adding “will maintain local businesses Twitter, Facebook and YouTube accounts” to the list of services offered. I’ll work on an announcement tonight… THANKS!
Bruce
01. Mar, 2010
My website tells the story. On the money.
Dr. Jack Agnew
01. Mar, 2010
I provide this service as part of my consulting business. It is amazing how all the people selling “how to” courses on this business make it sound so simple. It takes a LOT longer than 20 minutes to set up and optimize a Google Maps Local Listing!! Try HOURS! IF done right. And it’s NOT the easy sale with local businesses falling all over you to buy. I find it a tedious grind as is most selling to local businesses in these difficult financial times.
Konsulentum
01. Mar, 2010
Hey,
Great post.
Friend of mine and his girlfriend started selling social media to local and national clients. They started doing this in July (yes, 2009).
* He charged $250 for setting up Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts.
* He also sold Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn course & miniworkshops $750 each (3 hours pr course @ clients location … he didn’t have an office! LOL!!).
He got these clients by picking up the phone and just started calling.
After 4 months (just before Christmas), he called a company and it ended with him being offered a full time job doing their social media for them. He’s now paid $75.000 pr year for that. Now his girlfriend’s working alone … and she’s pissed! LOL!
True storry.
Mark
01. Mar, 2010
Yuk…
You mean I might have to talk to people?
This can not be progress!
doublewide
01. Mar, 2010
Hey Ryan-
Thanks for the great ideas.
Kat
01. Mar, 2010
Hey Ryan
I do have a pulse.
I never thought about it, but maybe I can make a business one of those ways. HMMMM! Food for thought!
Wendy
01. Mar, 2010
You are so right. I am just realizing the importance of social networking. And, yes, most of the world, most, is online! Great Article!
Paul
01. Mar, 2010
I’ve been doing almost the same thing…but the results are not what I have hoped for. Maybe someone here can enlighten me on how to make my efforts pay off.
Paul
Kelly
01. Mar, 2010
>BTW Be sure to comment and show me you have a pulse. HA!
comment made, pulse shown
Rob Keating
01. Mar, 2010
G’day Ryan
I have seen covered in a Local Business course by Kevin Wilke. It all sounds so easy.
The only thing holding me back is me, well that and a job.
I live in Canberra, Australia and talked myself out of things thinking that the local market is too small.
I often wonder if people providing this type of service to local businesses are always local or could I for instance offer services remotely to US businesses or businesses in a bigger location such as Sydney.
cheers
Rob
walter daniels
01. Mar, 2010
A perfect example of “out of the box” thinking.
This can actually lead to more of an “internet lifestyle,” because it doesn’t take the work of a big system. You’re right it being right in our own “backyard” too.
Most of the techniques for “making money” will work just fine for the little guys locally. All it takes is a basic, and ongoing honesty. Like the old saying. “Never s–t in your own kitchen.” If you mess them over, you can’t just disappear into the ether.
Dexter Gumbs
01. Mar, 2010
Great idea. Big money here as these offline businesses try to catch up. Dexter.
Oti Oteri
01. Mar, 2010
Thanks for the excellent idea.
Nick Lovell
01. Mar, 2010
Hi Ryan, thank you for your blog link. How can i get started by learning a couple of the brain dead techniques such as google local that you mention in your blog?
Best wishes
Nick Lovell
M A Talbott
01. Mar, 2010
Hey what great ideas. This got the brain cells working in my 70 year young. Thanks for sharing this with me M. A. Talbott
Jon Berghoff
01. Mar, 2010
Holy crap. That picture at the top of this post is from Groveland, California. I was actually married in Groveland, CA. It’s a great town, and the Iron Door Saloon, in the picture, is one of the oldest in California.
Stevie Knight
01. Mar, 2010
I just started offering this service locally and have a few clients. It does take some time away from my online projects. On the other hand, it’s super rewarding! I love the gratitude (and income) from offline consulting and giving these businesses a solid way to start online.
I’m looking forward to having enough clients to justify outsourcing. I’m just 2 more clients away from that goal! Woot!
I offer a free report to local businesses who want to check out our services. I think that helps establish credibility. It starts the ball rolling and gets these potential clients into my autoresponder series where I can offer live webinars that give them the “big picture” of what a strong internet presence can do for their business, especially in stressful economic times.
http://StrategicWebMediaMarketing.com
Glad you’re addressing this Ryan…it’s a great market for many of us to jump into!
Amy
01. Mar, 2010
This is a great post.
Arthur
01. Mar, 2010
I have been finding out about this market myself while networking with other business owners. It really does amaze me of how many are just now starting to realize the importance of the internet. My Blog is a hybrid and has gained a lot of attention here locally …..
Scott Mosteller
01. Mar, 2010
Ryan,
You are always spot on! I have been helping local biz owners rank on the first page on Google. The opportunity is Tremendous!! This is one untapped market. You have to have a plan to help these biz owners and show them the proof . It is not very difficult to rank.
Thanks,
Scott Mosteller
Tap
01. Mar, 2010
Yes, this is great and ties in to local search marketing which is hot right now. Actually levels the playing field for the small to medium sized business owners who want and need the exposure but don’t have the skills… yet!
Shelly Allen
01. Mar, 2010
Yes Ryan…
I have a pulse…
I think…
Let me check!
Yep… I Do!
And I am SMART tOO!
What YOU say in your article is VERY true!
Local businesses do need us!
And I am in negotiations right now with my FIRST OFFLINE CUSTOMER!
It’s FUNNY what seems so simple to US is such a BIG deal to them!
Thanks for the article!
Mike Morgan Jr.
01. Mar, 2010
I have been planning on doing this for a few months now. Still working on automating the online side of it. I’m glad to hear you talk about it, now I’m gonna work harder at completing my website.
Those figures you quoted were amazing. Good post.
Aziz Ali
01. Mar, 2010
How do I prospect or hire sales people?
Bill Lyman
01. Mar, 2010
I just set up my website to do the autoresponder (optin) pages for small biz. But since I work a 40 week, I don’t have time to call on biz. Any suggestions? By mail? Easy to get addesses
of brand new businessses from the county. Every county publishes them online. Can’t wait to quit my stinkin job.
Nancy Houtz
01. Mar, 2010
Thanks Ryan…
Actually I have been thinking about doing this for the past several months because I know there’s an untapped market out there. One problem is getting the often overworked business owner to slow down long enough to really listen & understand the potential. I’m working on a strategy.
Richard
01. Mar, 2010
Yeah, I gotta get in on this! Thanks!
Russ
01. Mar, 2010
I am getting ready to check out my local spots here in WA. I have been coming up with a pricing strategy and I will be working on it. This is a good post. Thanks.
Sandy Moore
01. Mar, 2010
Ryan, So many will benefit from your post. I love it! Business building at its best.
I will definitely be recommending it to my readers.
Great work!
You can make money or you can make excuses – but you can’t make both!
Sandy
jim cockrum
01. Mar, 2010
Please pass this to Ryan (or publish it if you want to!)
Loved your Facebook product!
Looking forward to getting that ipad you owe me!
Not sure if you know about OfflineBiz.com yet, but we have about 4,000 members and they are all doing the stuff you are talking about here. We have a VERY loyal audience there and growing. It’s the biggest “offline internet marketing” community on the web by far. You can publish this post if you’d like, or touch base with me about a JV.
I’m speaking with Brian Tracy at the TrafficGeyser event later this month on this very topic. I’ll take care of anyone you send our way on this subject.
Jim
Bryan Cox
01. Mar, 2010
Great post Ryan. I’ve been thinking about this for awhile. My holdup is trying to figure out a pricing strategy and a product structure. Hopefully you’re coming out with a new product that answers these questions and more! But one that’s not $297.
Mitch
01. Mar, 2010
I want to start something locally, just don’t know exactly whats out there for things to do. I can make websites and some basic marketing, but unique local money making ideas im at a loss. Lots of new marketing opportunities but its something like affiliate marketing I think, there is so much you can do but no real blueprint of ideas?
Matthew Neer
01. Mar, 2010
Ahh, a freakin’ awesome post man. You have truly inspired me to go out there and attack my town with social media services. It’s pretty intense. I may even have to do a blog post on this topic.
Andrew L
01. Mar, 2010
As usual you clearly outline how simple it is to make money using the Internet. You never seem to amaze me with your ideas and vision to ues basic fundamental marketing techniques to reap big rewards online.
Mark Bown
01. Mar, 2010
Have been having great success with this for over 12 months here in the UK.The biggest problem that most online marketers have with this excellent method of making money is talking to clients, you cannot hide behind your monitors.Hiring commission only sales people is one answer to the problem but they can cause just as many headaches by over selling to the clients ie. “we can get you the no1 slot on Google”. I found transferring my offline skills to online pretty easy but I doubt that someone who has never sold in the real world will be this an easy process. Outsource the selling and stick to what you are good at.
Rhonda Hess
01. Mar, 2010
Isn’t innovation wonderful. I love the entrepreneurial creativity of these folks you used as examples, Ryan. And a great reminder not to ignore the locals in a global biz environment.
Craig
01. Mar, 2010
Hey Ryan. Are you able to chase up the guys in the support. i have asked a question twice now and no-one has been able to give me a satisfactory answer. I bought the facebook course Sorry to contact you through here but i have no other way. i assume you have control on posts being viewed hence the reason i have asked here Cheers