Good ways to advertise to the local market?

[beley]

I'm looking to target our local area and wanted some suggestions... what do you think I should do? Would postcard mailouts work well, or should I try something more hands-on and cold-call?

Or would a newspaper ad or radio spot work better? Your opinions are appreciated!

[allan]

Originally posted by CDHost
I'm looking to target our local area and wanted some suggestions... what do you think I should do? Would postcard mailouts work well, or should I try something more hands-on and cold-call?

Or would a newspaper ad or radio spot work better? Your opinions are appreciated!

I found that neither work particularly well unless you can afford to do them long term -- these means of advertising are best as reminder oriented advertising -- for me the best print advertising I did was in the yellow pages.

[Altco]

How much did it cost for the yellow pages?

[allan]

Originally posted by Altco
How much did it cost for the yellow pages?

I got a first time discount, so I paid about $60 a month.

[iBiz]

Yellow Page Listings, Newspaper Ads (mulitple), Billboards, Flyers delivered with Pizza Boxes, Mailouts, cold visits & walk-ins, Signs on my car & truck, Flyers in the Post Offices and local businesses, yard signs, were just some of the many things we tried. We got mixed results with all of them and did a demographic of what brought us the most business and where the majority came from in the beginning.
We have gotten the majority of our clients on the local market from word of mouth and basic people networking. Meeting people and letting them know what you do, passing out business cards and going to functions that your potential clients also attend.
I once bought desert for a VP of a company I had been trying get my foot in the door with. Ran into him and his wife at a restuarant during their annavesary. Slid the waiter enough money for any desert plus a nice tip and instructions to bring them anything they wanted. Three days later, I got a call from him to do a presentation. Now they are my most loyal customer and have recommended our company to many others.

Good luck in your marketing and never give up. For every ten tries, you might land one sell, so go out and hit up 50 people and come home with 5 exciting sales.