Local Marketing 101
Local marketing is important for any small business. Even if your business is mainly web based you may find that local marketing is still beneficial. Here are some tips to help you build your local marketing campaign:
Build your reputation. Nothing ensures local marketing success more than positive word of mouth. Build a positive business reputation by going a little beyond what is expected and providing excellent customer service.
Many customers are willing to pay a little extra to get great customer service and individual attention. By building your business to provide this, you ensure that you can retain your customers longer and even raise your rates a little in some cases. If you think of places you frequent you will usually think of the great service you get. I know customer service is the highest priority for my husband and I no matter what we are shopping for or where we are eating.
Spread the word. Tell locals about your business using a multi-task approach. Send out fliers or mailers in the local area. Place your business card on several bulletin boards. Barter with other related businesses so that you can promote each other’s services. Let your local paper run a piece about your business.
When you want to attract attention, it’s always best to try many different approaches to see which works best for you. You’ll also want to let friends and family know that you’re ready for business and ask them to help you spread the word too. Sometimes you have to remind your friends and family to help push your services, so don’t be afraid to bring it up to them. Since it’s not their business it’s not at the front of their minds.
Use free media. Getting your local paper or television station to do a story on your business is fantastic opportunity for all involved. Firstly, many media outlets are looking for newsworthy stories. It may just be that they’re interested in featuring your business.
Free media attention is better than paid advertisement. When people see an ad they know that someone is trying to sell them something. However, if these same people hear about you through the local paper, they’re more likely to take a closer look at your business. Media attention also may mean more credibility for your business.
The best way to attract free media attention is to write a press release. This isn’t really all that difficult to do. You’ll just need to find an angle in which to present your story and distribute it to several local media outlets. With any luck, you’ll find a local paper looking for new stories to print and they may include yours.
Also, don’t be afraid to hit up your local media with articles you have written. If you are willing to donate an article in your niche and they will include your website links, then it’s a good trade-off for an article or two. But just beware if you do this often, then you should talk to them about doing a regular column.
Finding clients locally doesn’t need to be difficult. It does take a little effort and time, but once you build a local reputation then you’ll just keep attracting the same people to your business over and over again. Better yet, they’ll tell all their friends and family about you and your services.
