MarCom Professional

Nearly every time I give a speech someone says: "But my buyers aren't online. My buyers don't use Google to find answers to problems or to research products."

When I hear this question, I immediately think that the questioner is just fearful of social media and is making an excuse so they can stick to the traditional marketing they've done all along like billboards, yellow page ads, and direct mail.

Some excuses (markets purported to not be online) I've heard recently include:
- people who donate money to humanitarian non-profits
- government agency workers
- senior executives at large companies.

I always say: "Nonsense! These days everyone is online. Executives use Google, government workers read blogs, people who donate money watch YouTube videos. And even if they don't go online at work, they do at home. Stop making excuses and reach your buyers in the way they want to be reached."

But I was wrong.

Today I am giving a keynote at a conference sponsored by Gulf Marketing Review Magazine in Riyadh, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Yesterday, in the outskirts of Riyadh, I finally found a market that really isn't online. I shot a short video in the middle of a raging sandstorm to explain. So I apologize and stand corrected. I'll now admit that not all buyers are using the Web.

If you're selling camels at the Riyadh camel market, then keep marketing the same old ways.

But if you're not selling camels in Riyadh, then you need to stop making excuses and implement ways to reach your buyers directly with great online content.

• Write a post
• Invite colleagues
• About us

• Search

  Advanced search