Evolving Tactics in Home-Based Business Marketing – From Print to Digital

The Pre-Internet Era

Before launching my bricks-and-mortar window blind business, I was deeply involved in the home business scene during the 1980s and early 1990s, a time before the internet became a household thing. Back then, marketing a home-based business required immense effort. We primarily relied on direct mail, which involved creating physical promotional materials, managing extensive mailing lists, and making countless trips to the post office.

To drive traffic, we used traditional advertising methods such as print media, word-of-mouth referrals, and shared mailshots where you split the cost of the mailing with a few other promoters. Mainstream publications in the UK, like Exchange & Mart, offered affordable classified ads, and niche home business magazines were prominent. Among these, from memory were  The Millionaires Magazine, Fucus magazine, and I even had my own publication, Viking International News.  They were  A5 size and had a 500 to 5000 circulation and you could advertise in these or send your promo leaflets out with them for a fee.

They typically featured an affiliate or MLM system where subscribers could promote subscriptions to the magazine which would lead to monthly commissions. I remember subscriptions being about £5 a month, with a £3 per month commission in the case of my magazine,  for each new subscriber introduced.

The Millionaires Magazine used a multi-level marketing model that allowed earnings down to five levels of referrals.  The potential income from introducing 5 who introduce 5 down 5 levels at £1 each is over £3000 a month (you do the maths or math) which back then was well over average wage in the UK. I’m afraid that the ideal world world doesn’t exist but some made good money from this.

The MLM Challenges

It wasn’t all smooth sailing.  If you think that dodgy income schemes are a product of the internet era think again, back then the landscape was rife with crooks and pyramid schemes masquerading as legitimate MLM opportunities.

Infamous examples include the Bills Paid Club and FPW (I believe it was an acronym for Frequent Programming World), supposedly a fantastic new  “computerised money making system”.  These schemes eventually collapsed when money ran out due to a slowdown in new people joining prompting new legislation, in the UK at least, to crack down on MLM programs where pay-outs depended solely on recruiting new members.

Transition to Digital.  Affiliate Marketing Today

I sometimes wonder what would have happened if the offline business hadn’t taken off and I’d been one of the pioneers of the online make money online scene.  We’ll never know I guess.

Today, affiliate marketing has evolved into a sophisticated, predominantly digital practice. Traffic generation now leverages online platforms like social media, search engines, and emails, enabling broader reach and precise targeting. The modern approach encompasses diverse strategies including blog posts, videos, and social media.

Engagement strategies have also advanced with technology, using sophisticated tools to track user behaviour and personalise follow-ups, which significantly enhance conversion rates. Monetisation methods have diversified beyond direct sales to include ad revenue and sponsored content.  And hey, no more trips to the post office!  Back when my village post office in the UK used to love me.  They used to stick the stamps of the enveloped for me for free.

Core Principles Remain Intact

Despite these changes, the fundamental marketing principles, what I call my THEM framework – Traffic, Hook, Engagement, Monetization remain consistent. This framework emphasizes that those who transition from THEM who are strangers to THEM who are your fans are your most significant assets.

Although tools and tactics have transformed with the digital age, the essence of effective marketing remains the same.

Create connections, engage effectively, and monetize those relationships. The shift from physical to digital has not only streamlined processes but also reduced costs, enabling marketers to reach massive audiences and achieve more with less.

In conclusion, whether through print or digital media, the principles of effective marketing continue to guide businesses towards success, proving that some things don’t change even as everything around them does.