Small Town Marketing: How to Connect Your Business with the Local Community
Opening and running a small business anywhere can be challenging. In large cities, your business is competing with a number of large companies. Running a small business in a small town, however, comes with its own unique challenges. Harnessing the power of small town marketing may be the key to your success.
Marketing to mass amounts of people using the Internet has made advertising and marketing much easier than it once was, but when it comes to small towns, a different method of marketing may be required. While the Internet is available in most areas of the United States, in smaller towns and communities people may be more focused on their local community rather than what they read online. Small town marketing may require a different set of skills than you may be used to. Like small towns themselves, "small town" businesses may need to do things differently.
Tap into the Power of Word of Mouth
Spending one-on-one time with clients and customers is crucial when it comes to promoting your business in a small town. Since the community is often tight-knit in rural areas, residents of these small towns rely on word of mouth from friends and family.
Word of mouth, the oldest method of marketing, is a highly trusted way to promote your business. In fact, members of small communities may feel more inclined to give your business or brand a try based on what someone they know says rather than reading an advertisement or searching on the Internet. Because the amount of information available online can be overwhelming, it’s easier to trust the advice of someone who has personally experienced what your business has to offer rather than reading an anonymous review.
Offering a friendly hand to neighbors of your business can also promote your business without actually doing any marketing. Once you have established yourself in a small town, people will begin to associate your brand with you. If they accept your friendly attitude, they may be more willing to see what your company is all about.
Marketing face to face also gives the customer a chance to see what kind of person is running the business, rather than dealing with a nameless corporation.
Make an Impression
In a smaller community, more people will be focused on what services and products you have to offer rather than your "branding," but the appearance of your business can help to capture the attention of passersby. Before your business is established or you’ve had time to get to know members of the community, they will only know you by your brand or logo.
“Is that the place with the big, purple heart in the window?” You want people who have not actually been inside your place of business to recognize, remember, and share what they’ve seen with other people. Before meeting the person behind the mask, people will associate your business with your logo. If you logo is small and uncreative, new customers are more likely to continue walking by without even giving your storefront a second glance.
Though much of your marketing is not done online, even small towns can get the word out to larger areas, so maintaining a creative and interesting website is also an important aspect of marketing. A catchy logo on your website can guarantee to grab the attention of visitors from other areas who may have heard about your business.
Offer a Freebie
While it may be difficult to spare free products or services if you’re just getting started in a new area, it can often be a wise investment. Offering a to the first 25 people to visit your store is a great way to get clients into your business even if they don’t make it in time. An incentive can give people a reason to get up and check it out.
If you receive more of a crowd than you had imagined, try offering a lower rate on a service or coupons for a small percentage off of a product that you have for sale. People are more willing to try new things if they are offered a discounted price.
If a customer does not like your product or service, they may still be willing to spread the word about your business because of the discounted offers and friendly service they received.
Conclusion
Emloying more than one method of marketing, regardless of where your business is located, can be beneficial. Tailor your marketing to the culture of the community and the residents where you're setting up shop. Being a small business in a small town gives you the benefit of having a personal relationship with each of your customers. Remember that each new client is an individual, so catering to their specific needs can help guarantee a successful business startup.
