Local Marketing Strategies
You do not have to go international to be a success in business. Concentrating marketing on your local community can turn a profit, and can be more cost-effective than a coast-to-coast ad campaign. With a mix of community events, social networking and locally targeted Internet marketing, you can boost your local profile and make your neighborhood the base of your success.
Other People Are Reading
-
Personalized Marketing
-
Marketing to customers within 10 or 20 miles of your business allows for one-on-one, personalized marketing. You can discuss your business to your friends, families and neighbors, to members of the local Chamber of Commerce or to families of your children's friends. You can also partner with local schools, churches or businesses on events or giveaways that will draw attention to your company and what it has to offer.
Social Networking
-
Twitter and Facebook have turned into standard marketing tools, and you should not overlook them in a local campaign, "Entrepreneur" magazine states. If you have opened a vegetarian restaurant, for instance, Twitter Search will allow you to find people in your area tweeting about vegetarian food--potential customers for your business. You can also use the Meetup website--a tool for people with shared interests to meet and schedule events--to announce get-togethers, giveaways or other promotional events.
-
Websites
-
Even in local marketing, it is important to maintain a Web presence, search-engine expert Alan Rothstein states on his website. To localize your website, make sure that the text includes keywords about your geographic area and the services you offer. Update it any time you make changes to your business, so that customers know before they visit your store that you have started closing earlier, for example. The site should make it easy to find your contact information and reach you or your staff; the more available you are to potential customers, the more successful you will be.
Segmenting
-
Just because someone lives within a mile of your business does not mean they are a guaranteed sale, "Entrepreneur" states. Use e-mail questionnaires, surveys and face-to-face conversation to solicit feedback: what your potential customers want, what would make them buy and whether they are visiting your Website or store with an intent to purchase or just browsing. Different market segments require different marketing approaches: customers who are not planning to buy yet may need extra incentives such as a discount coupon, for instance. The more information you gather, the better you can plan your local marketing strategy.
-
