Small Business Owners: Beware the hype of internet marketing!

It is easy to get caught in the hype of all the online marketing.  With the number of internet marketing programs you can buy into, it’s easy to feel that by having 20,000 followers on Twitter and 5,000 friends on Facebook, these are the reasons behind building a successful business. 

But behind every successful online presence there is usually a very successful offline one first.  The two go hand-in-hand.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Building an online presence is important and, in fact, integral to many small business owners, particularly those of you who sell services and their time on a 1-2-1 basis.

But when someone meets you face-to-face and your online presence it is not backing up the online presence – is not congruent to what they’re expecting – everything you have built online will just crumble instantly.

So when building an online strategy, never ever forget the power of networking, the power of standing up and speaking at events, the simple act of handing a business card to someone physically.

Always remember that behind every successful online presence there is usually a highly successful offline one too.

Other articles you may be interested in:

1. The 5 Marketing Rules for Small Business Owners in 2009
2. Marketing Drip-Feed is Essential for Small Business Success
3. Why marketing a small business has nothing to do with selling