NB: This article is based on a true story. A 25 year veteran real estate expert actually made the above statement to me few years back. Details below.
What do you sell? Is it physical or digital…or a mix of both? Is it a product, or a service? The answers to those questions determine how you go about selling.
Know this however: No matter how you choose to sell, a Web Marketing System (WMS) will always be a useful addition to your marketing and sales arsenal.
The global downslide in economic fortunes makes it even more imperative to adopt a WMS. It is the key to staying profitable for the long term, in these trying times.
Even in Africa, where development is said to occur at a lesser pace, more people are awakening to using the web for business in this manner..
However, some still resist it…
A Real Estate Client Once Claimed Property Buyers Did Have Time for Facebook (True Story)
I recall a real estate client whose company has branches round the country, telling me that using Facebook for business marketing was a waste of time.
He said “Look Tayo, I’ve been in this business for 25 years!“. This happened about 3 years ago.
According to him, property buyers did not have time for social media. He claimed they usually preferred to read print publications focussed on their areas of interest, and of course watch TV and Radio. He actually went as far as saying young scam artists were the ones who spent time on Facebook etc!
This was in response to my suggestion that he let me setup a facebook page for his company, as a part of the Web Marketing System I was developing for him.
I replied that those he referred to were the old and rich persons investing in real estate. I noted that a new generation of young millionaires was emerging e.g. via the entertainment industry. And many of them were/are keen on investing in real estate.
Despite my explanation, he refused to have a Facebook page setup. So, I suggested creating at least an Article Marketing account at www.ezinearticles.com. He agreed – and I published some of his articles that had been featured in national newspapers.
Using the Ezinearticles widget, I displayed previews to the articles on his website. Then I submitted the website pages to Google, and other search engines. Before leaving, I used the PDF user guide I wrote, to coach the secretary (who functioned as webmaster), on how to use the Joomla! based website I built for them.
When A South African Company Contacted Him Via The Article Marketing, He Changed His Tune!
About 2 months later, I got a call from this CEO. He told me a South African company had called him saying they had read one of his Ezinearticles.com articles found via Google. They apparently found it to be an authoritative piece on the properties market in Nigeria.
As a result, they wanted to get his insights with regard to investment opportunities. The call lasted for about an hour. After that, they sent him a $100 Amazon.com gift voucher as a way of saying thank you.
He was excited…and surprised. But I was not. When I’d read his articles, I’d told him publishing them online would win him credibility as an authority on Nigeria’s real estate.
What he said next was also not surprising to me: He asked when a Facebook page for the company could be setup! I firmly resisted the urge to say “I told you so”…but I certainly thought it!
Those Who Say the Internet – or Social Media – Is Not Useful for Them, Often Need Proper “Education” on the Subject
The point of this story is that many business owners who say social media, or the Internet, is not for them, often lack a clear understanding to base their conclusions on. Most would therefore benefit from guidance provided by a knowledgeable – and practically competent – expert in the field.
This article offers basic insights for such persons. If you need more help to discover how YOU can make the web work for you, click here to contact me
There’s no point in saying the Internet is not for you. I’ve heard many people say that. Quite often it’s because they are reluctant to change (or are afraid) – and not that they really know it’s useless.
This resistance to change is a big problem facing many people. To find more buyers at less cost, and with less effort, dispense with such negative thinking…or you’ll be left behind!
Be honest with yourself, and take a good look around the web. You’ll find that there is hardly any kind of business that – today – cannot be found represented formally on the web.
Smart business people are daily using their creativity to adapt the web to suit their needs. And the web enables them do it on a shoe string budget!
YOU can also do the same thing from today, and it will enable you spend less time and effort to make more money!