No one person has all the ideas or all the answers about successful marketing for private investigators. I try to help through this blog, some articles, materials and my website, but there are clearly other sources you should investigate. Here are some of my favorites:
www.Pursuitmag.com - This online magazine has useful information on tons of investigative topics, including marketing. You will find about 30 marketing articles stored there for your immediate use (a few of which were written by yours truly). Mind-opening stuff. Check it out.
www.Pimall.com/nais - Click on books, then click on PI Marketing. God Bless Ralph Thomas! He has advanced more products, served more investigative professionals and written, published and sold more investigative books than anyone I know in the industry. His National Assocation of Investigative Specialists is legend. If you haven't already checked out his stock of PI marketing books, it is your loss.
www.Kelmarpi.com - It's no accident that Kelly Riddle is one of America's top PIs, and he shares his expertise on various topics, including marketing, through a series of books and tapes.
www.DanKennedy.com - Chances are you have not heard of Dan Kennedy, but you need to know about him and his products. He has helped businesses of all sizes with their marketing, advertising, copywriting and more. I've purchased and subscribed to his materials, and have met him and some of his successful clients in my Ohio backyard.
www.LetBobHelp.homestead.com - Of course, I do hope you turn to my website when you want marketing and public relations products prepared especially for private investigators, such as my PI Marketing CD, or need customized assistance.
Hopefully you will find all of these websites of great value to you. Now, here is one where you can help someone else. Help me put an end to Alzheimer's disease, support research and provide education and resources to those impacted by Alzheimer's disease. Go to www.ToledoMemoryWalk2010.kintera.org\mackowiak
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
Who is next
I thought maybe it was fear that was making me so aware of the news articles about the arrest of a suspect in the stabbings of about 20 people, five of whom died. My awareness was heightened by the fact that one of the stabbings took place in my hometown of Toledo, Ohio, where a man was stabbed outside of his church. The fact that most victims were minorities, and that I did not fit that targeted group, did not mitigate my own personal safety concerns, and it simply makes the hatred behind the crimes more reprehensible to me.
But it turns out I was part of a larger population than I thought, because when the suspect was arrested while trying to board a plan in Georgia - - hundreds of miles from his last stabbing episode in Toledo last weekend - -it made the top news on major websites, like CNN, and on national news.
My point is that many seemingly local stories have impact in communities across this country, creating increased need for people to want to know more: more about crime investigation techniques, more about personal safety, weapons, racial profiling and other topics.
Can you inform people about one or more of these topics? Can you help the local news media provide the public with useful tips? Can you use these topics for public speaking at the Rotary, the Kiwanis, or the general public in your local library?
I'm sure you can.
Opportunities are all around us to reach out to the public - - and thus promote your investigative agency - - by tracking news stories and finding a local angle to a national story.
www.letbobhelp.homestead.com
But it turns out I was part of a larger population than I thought, because when the suspect was arrested while trying to board a plan in Georgia - - hundreds of miles from his last stabbing episode in Toledo last weekend - -it made the top news on major websites, like CNN, and on national news.
My point is that many seemingly local stories have impact in communities across this country, creating increased need for people to want to know more: more about crime investigation techniques, more about personal safety, weapons, racial profiling and other topics.
Can you inform people about one or more of these topics? Can you help the local news media provide the public with useful tips? Can you use these topics for public speaking at the Rotary, the Kiwanis, or the general public in your local library?
I'm sure you can.
Opportunities are all around us to reach out to the public - - and thus promote your investigative agency - - by tracking news stories and finding a local angle to a national story.
www.letbobhelp.homestead.com
Monday, August 2, 2010
A Facebook in the Crowd
Time and again at professional investigative conferences, I have seen PIs mesmerized by the latest technology, from video cameras to blood splatter detection equipment, and everything in-between. It's good and important to be up-to-date and have an interest in new trends and tools that can help your business.
It's also no secret that technology spins its alluring web to younger people today, from cellphones to Facebook. Fortunately I see that many investigators of all ages are using Facebook to connect with each other and potential clients.
If this is not you, what are you waiting for? Your competition is already there. You simply can't say that this isn't for you, and you don't have to frequently update your Facebook page with pictures of your cat or summer vacations. But you will be amazed at the connections you will make.
And, you may want to consider advertising on Facebook: it is quite economical, you control the dollars you spend, you can target all sorts of demographics (location, age, education levels), and even if the click-throughs to your website are limited, you will get thousands of impressions (people who see your ad).
There are other social media networks you may want to join, like Linked-in. Word is Google is developing one of its own to challenge Facebook. But you must get on Facebook. (Don't forget it's free.)
Has any PI ever been hired just because he or she has a Facebook account? I don't know.
But I am sure that there are PIs who have not been hired because they are not on Facebook.
Here's to your success!
http://www.letbobhelp.homestead.com/
www.rolandosmashedpotatoes.blogspot.com
It's also no secret that technology spins its alluring web to younger people today, from cellphones to Facebook. Fortunately I see that many investigators of all ages are using Facebook to connect with each other and potential clients.
If this is not you, what are you waiting for? Your competition is already there. You simply can't say that this isn't for you, and you don't have to frequently update your Facebook page with pictures of your cat or summer vacations. But you will be amazed at the connections you will make.
And, you may want to consider advertising on Facebook: it is quite economical, you control the dollars you spend, you can target all sorts of demographics (location, age, education levels), and even if the click-throughs to your website are limited, you will get thousands of impressions (people who see your ad).
There are other social media networks you may want to join, like Linked-in. Word is Google is developing one of its own to challenge Facebook. But you must get on Facebook. (Don't forget it's free.)
Has any PI ever been hired just because he or she has a Facebook account? I don't know.
But I am sure that there are PIs who have not been hired because they are not on Facebook.
Here's to your success!
http://www.letbobhelp.homestead.com/
www.rolandosmashedpotatoes.blogspot.com
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