Local Marketing Tips For Beginners
For a local business, one of the more difficult things you will have to do is market for your business and make the best possible impression with your audience. When it comes to marketing for a local business you are limited to the reach of your venture and this is why it is time for you to think about some creative methods to make an impression this year. Today we are taking a look at some of the things which you need to do this year.
1.Host a Forum
When you are marketing a business for a local town or city it isn’t the same as working for an international brand. There are a lot of differences when it comes to the way we think about marketing for a business like this, and the other businesses in your area will be more likely to be open to help you with your plan. By creating a Facebook group or forum for local business owners, you can brainstorm ways to market yourself and also ways which you can help each other gain exposure and work together. Have a think of doing this and you can create a collaborative team who will help each other with their work.
2. Trade Shows
One sure fire way to make a lasting impression on your audience is to see them face to face and talk to them. A great way which you can do this is to look for local trade shows on google and other events and make sure to attend as a brand and even attend as an individual. This is something which can have a big impact on you as a brand because you will be able to speak to people in person and form those real bonds with them.
3. Refer
Collaborating with other businesses is a huge thing if you want to be successful as a brand, and one of the ways which you can do this is speak to other local businesses at a trade show and see how you can work together. By coming up with an arrangement where you work to refer each other to customers can make a big impact on your success as a brand and it will allow you to gain a whole new audience.
4. Collaborate
If you want to work with another business and take things even further today, one of the things which you can do is create a product or a service in collaboration with another business. This is a great way to mutually benefit you both and you can gain a lot of followers and supporters from doing this, which is a super handy thing to do as a small business.
5. Hand Out Flyers
A super simple and cost effective way for you to make an impression with your followers would be to hand out flyers and make sure that you can grab the attention of people in the area. You can even ask local shops and buildings to let you display a flyer or two on their counters or walls. It might cost you a little money but it will be worth it for the local exposure you will get.
6. Send Handwritten Letters
If you are a small business starting out in your local town you will also want to think about making an impression and showing some unique appreciation to your customers. For example for a local artist, when people order your artwork, you can include a handwritten letter in the package which expresses how grateful you are for the support and maybe a little anecdote about how you created the piece of art in question. People really appreciate it when you add the effort into things and this is something which will propel you above anyone else in the area.
7. Have a Suggestion Box
As a new business in your local area you will want to have a think about ways which you can improve your services and products to fit your audience. One of the ways you can find out which changes to make is to create a suggestion box which will allow your customers to share their opinions with you. You can then take a look at this and use your knowledge to create a business which pleases as many people as you possibly can.
8. Use Business Cards
Business cards are always a great thing to use as a small business, and if you can create stunning cards you will be able to make a great impression with your audience and this will have a profound effect on your ability to succeed. Giving out your business card with your products and after providing a service will allow your business card to make its way into people’s houses and this can help you in the future as they will choose you the next time they need a product or service.
9. Use Postcards
One of the things you can do when marketing for a local business is use Google Maps Marketing and create a radius around your location to reach all of the people within a certain number of miles of you. One of the things which can be great is to create postcards to show off your business or share a promotion and post these to all of the people in your local area. It is cheap to send things with the post and it can be an effective marketing tool.
10. Write Articles
A blog can be a great way to pull the interest of people in your local area and beyond and it will allow your business to gain a larger online presence. Think about creating a blog and starting to write articles about your products and things which you are passionate about. Sparking a conversation online like this will gain you some exposure and help you to gain followers.
11. Hang Posters
On a tree, at a pub, in a bar… find as many places as you can in your local area where you will be allowed to hang a poster to share an event or promotion. This is a pretty cheap thing for you to do and it can make all the difference for you if you are trying to gain a real audience and some new customers this year.
12. Community
Join in at a community fair or a fundraiser and make sure that you become a recognised part of the community. If for example you are a company who makes cakes and other treats, you could have a stall at the local fair and give your profits to charity, and you could provide snacks and treats to athletes after a sporting event in the local area. Showing your face and being able to show that you care is great for your brand.
13. Sponsorship
As a business one of the things which you can do is sponsor a sporting event or a team in your local area. This is something which can be great for you because you will be helping out some local people but you will also be able to get your logo onto team shirts and marketing which increases your brand exposure.
14. Host a Giveaway
If you have a new product coming out which you want to drum up interest for, a simple way to do this is host a giveaway where you will give one lucky winner a free product. This contest can be done in whatever way you want and it will make all the difference to you as a brand as you start to gain exposure in the local area and beyond.
15. Public Speaking
For a new company who is looking to gain some exposure in the local area, one thing which can be helpful for you to do is speak in public and visit local community spaces. You could host an event at a library where you share your ideas for your business and show off products, visit schools to give demonstrations and even open spaces such as parks. There are many ways for you to gain exposure in the local area and this can be a huge benefit to you as a brand.
16. Get Social
Social media is a huge part of our lives and if you want to be as successful as you can this year, nailing your social media presence is a must. Take a look at some of the ways that you can share hints on social media and gain a following of local people who are loyal to you. You can join local Facebook groups to share things about your business and get advice, and you can share your day to day Work on social media stories to help people feel more involved in your life. Anything you can share about yourself and your company on social media will help people feel closer to you and this will help your business to succeed in the end.
Leave a Reply
Want to join the discussion?Feel free to contribute!