Bizsuccess

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

By: Susannah Morgan

Even if your small business doesn’t have tens of thousands of dollars to spend each month for a comprehensive, integrated TV and radio campaign, there are dozens of ways to market your company successfully. Instead, reach your customers on a more personal level with these tips:

1. Send incentives to new homeowners.

Get in touch with a list broker to buy the contact info for new residents in your neighborhood. Mail them a coupon to try your services and welcome them to the area.

2. Meet and greet your neighbors.

Set up a booth at community events and join in on town parades. Volunteer at local food drives and participate in charity races.

3. Support local teams.

Personalize plastic megaphones, pompoms, or koozies to hand out to the crowd during your local high school’s football game. Print a coupon on the back of the game ticket, put an ad in the program, or advertise your business on the scoreboard.

4. Get in the paper.

According to a survey by Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project, people depend on their local newspaper as their top source for community information. Take out an ad in the local paper or write an advice column relating to your industry.