View Full Version : A little experiment...
madpilot
23-02-2010, 11:02 AM
As myself and @alexpooley are known to do, we have been arguing the merits of online vs offline marketing techniques. I reckon that going out and talking to people and doing real life networking trumps online social networking, so we decided to run a little experiment: http://offlinevsonline.com.
The idea is pretty simple: Alex is only allow to use online methods to gain leads, where I can't use the trons at all. We can spend up to $250, we must track the time spent and who ever can get the most leads in the least amount of man-hours over the next month wins!
We are marketing n00bs, so feel free to heckle us along the way, because I'm sure we will make rookie mistakes.
Also, if anyone has any tips that will help me win, feel free to let me know ;)
Gold! My money is on Myles.
Haha awesome. My money's on Meftos too.
I'm interested in what the results are in terms of client quality and project (dollar) value between the two techniques.
Curious coincidence - I've just recently received a couple of Sitepoint books that might help each of you - The Principles Of Successful Freelancing (http://www.sitepoint.com/books/freelancer1/) and Online Marketing Inside Out (http://www.sitepoint.com/books/online1/).
Franki
23-02-2010, 12:03 PM
@alexpooley, without seeing the site, I don't like your chances much as you have more factors to rely upon (ie the site being the sales person that can't overcome objections in realtime), whereas meftos can ply $250 of alcohol and get a coupla drunks to sign the dotted line...
...but you're in with a chance if the site is good. You've got no time for SEO, so spend the $250 on PPC... you may win from lead/time ratio...
Alvin
23-02-2010, 12:11 PM
A tidy sum could possibly made by taking odds and betting on the outcome. Not that i would be interested in that sort of thing.
madpilot
23-02-2010, 01:23 PM
I'm interested in what the results are in terms of client quality and project (dollar) value between the two techniques.
Curious coincidence - I've just recently received a couple of Sitepoint books that might help each of you - The Principles Of Successful Freelancing (http://www.sitepoint.com/books/freelancer1/) and Online Marketing Inside Out (http://www.sitepoint.com/books/online1/).
While we won't be publishing actual prices, we'll try to provide some percentages or something so we get an idea of this, as I reckon that is an important metric...
@alexpooley, without seeing the site, I don't like your chances much as you have more factors to rely upon (ie the site being the sales person that can't overcome objections in realtime), whereas meftos can ply $250 of alcohol and get a coupla drunks to sign the dotted line...
This is exactly the argument I have. With the short time frames I guess this is actually testing online vs offline networks, and quality vs quantity of links between people...
Should be interesting though.
short term - my money is on offline... go meftos.
Long term - online will win.. (sorry alex)
alexpooley
23-02-2010, 08:00 PM
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alexpooley
23-02-2010, 08:02 PM
... and that's me out of ideas. Anyone got advice?
@franki yep that's what I'm thinking too. I still get to see people IRL though, just the initial engagement has to occur online...
jexley
24-02-2010, 10:08 AM
This is freakin' excellent and I'm once again reminded that though I love my home office and being force-fed a play-doh duck just now (it's the duck's birthday apparently) it would be an absolute hoot to share an office with you powernerds. You guys have so much fkn fun.
My business has pwned from networking (see Franki's comment about beer) and is now pwning a bit from online stuff. I'm with Gary's estimation that face-to-beer is going to get more leads in a month, but the website leads will win out in the long run.
That said, Go Team Pooley, use those brains! Sorry Meftos, but he's gonna need all the help he can get. Good luck boys!
Brilliant. I'm imagining Meftos wearing some kind of super hero costume whilst he goes about this. Whaddya reckon Myles? :)
Matt
heist
09-03-2010, 02:24 PM
Hola Meftos, Alex,
Just checked up on this - looks close. How long left now?
One thing about the site - At the end of the posts you ask the reader questions, but there's no way to leave comments.
Hola Meftos, Alex,
Just checked up on this - looks close. How long left now?
One thing about the site - At the end of the posts you ask the reader questions, but there's no way to leave comments.
looks like the comment form is on the main article page (ie. after you click the article title), rather than the site's home page.
Franki
09-03-2010, 05:42 PM
3 vs 4. close. but what's the average time per lead so far?
heist
09-03-2010, 07:07 PM
looks like the comment form is on the main article page (ie. after you click the article title), rather than the site's home page.
hrm, didn't show up anywhere for me today. looks like the comments bit is loaded dynamically, so it's probably just another artifact of the stupid filtering at my client's offices.
madpilot
10-03-2010, 11:34 AM
Yeah, it's using disqus, so you need JS.
Franki: It's a bit hard to say at this point, as those conversions where from existing networks - ie chatting to people that we already knew about new things etc, so relative time is quite short. However there has been a lot of build up time before the challenge started. We are about to start a new campaign which will involvd both offline and online stuff, so that will give us some better data.
As such we'll probably extend it a little bit, as the campaign is taking a little longer than expected to get up and running. Stupid real work :P
... Stupid real work :P
There is the issue, damn work! ;)
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