Marketing can do wonders for your business if done properly. Since local marketing is a lot different from marketing to the world, many business owners fail to understand local marketing strategies that actually work.
Since there are so many strategies out there that are a waste of time and money, let’s explore simple local marketing methods are simple, inexpensive and are bound to bring in new customers:
Business Cards
Make an effort to meet at least 10 people in a given week. While social media is a great way to network, there’s nothing better than meeting someone in person. Take this opportunity to introduce yourself and your business. If you want to take it one step further, put an attractive coupon on the back to encourage people to check you out.
Cross Promote
There’s nothing wrong with talking with a few local businesses on your block. For example, if you ran an insurance agency, you could talk with a local pizzeria to see if they would be interested in a marketing exchange. You could ask them if you could leave a stack of business card cards on their counter, and if someone were to receive a quote, you would get that customer a free pizza. This is a win-win situation that can work wonders in any community.
Fundraisers
Hosting a fundraiser is a great way to draw in hundreds of new faces to your establishment. Going this route is a great way to do good for the local community, build your reputation and draw in new customers for your goodwill. Whether you want to donate some of your sales from the day or sponsor a door prize, it’s your choice to be as creative as you want to be.
VIP Cards
Customers love when they are treated like royalty. If you don’t have a rewards program yet, you may want to consider creating one. These programs can include free offers, bonus coupons or even special events. If a customer knows they might be able to score some freebies if they frequent your business enough, they will probably be motivated to keep coming back.
As you can see, these strategies won’t take up a lot of your marketing budget or time. These local marketing strategies are effective, they offer an incentive to lure new customers in and best of all — it increases your chances to win over a customer for life.
