Turn ignorance into sales
Well, my wife and I recently made the plunge. We got a dog. It's not our first dog, but it is our first dog for quite a while, and we're currently adjusting to our new house mate. The process my wife went through to acquire the dog (I say "my wife" because she did all the work. I just get to play with the puppy.) has given me a few ideas I'd like to share with you. First of all, we selected a breed of dog we knew nothing about - a Havanese. Second, we went to a breeder we did not know, and finally, we have this bouncy little fluff ball that we know almost nothing about caring for.
This is the power of the internet (and public relations) in a nutshell. Ignorance can be turned into sales. My wife and I - and Lilly, the cute machine -- are living proof of the axiom. I won't bore you with the details of the internet searches Nancy did that eventually led her to discover the Havanese breed, but this is the point I wish to make: this state of ignorance is often where a potential buyer for your product of service begins. Not only do they not know who you are, but they may not even know exactly what it is they need. We weren't looking for a Havanese, we found a Havanese.
Mining the internet, in short, often leads to discovery. Now I have two points to make about that: 1. you have to have a robust presence on the internet in order to be discovered, and 2. you have to have a presence off the internet to help attract discoverers. Point number two is where public relations comes in. For instance, suppose you are a dog breeder - a breeder of a relatively obscure breed of dogs called Havanese. You put up a website telling all about the breed and all about your breeding expertise, of course, but you need to do more. Advertise? Maybe, but why not do the free, i.e. public relations, stuff? Do interviews with the local paper about the breed. Volunteer at the local animal shelter and make yourself available as a rescuer of the breed. Enter dog shows. Make presentations at groups of animal lovers (and what group isn't interested in dogs and informative topics?).
Imagine yourself standing in front of a group of strangers, none of whom know the difference between a Havanese and a hatband, extolling the benefits of this friendly, companionable dog. These strangers came to the meeting with no idea of acquiring a dog, but now they're curious. They'd like to know more. You have turned them into explorers, discoverers. The next step is for them to find you, and find you they will.
With public relations and a functional, informative website, you have turned ignorance into success.
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