EXECUTIVE REPORT
Look forward - look local
Raising the profile of your business within the community can attract more customers. Adam Bernstein explores some of the options.
It’s true that the high street has had its fair share of challenges in recent years, especially with competition from suppliers on the Internet. However, it is also important not to lose sight of two things that hire has going for it: a local community to target and the difficulty some other suppliers find ‘selling’ online. So how can you engage with your community?
First off, consider the free options available like Facebook and LinkedIn, as well as groups in the locality. Most people think of Facebook as a conduit to share pictures, videos and gossip. However, a good number of potential customers use the platform to keep abreast of what is relevant to them. The advice here is to construct - and maintain - a good Facebook presence and at the same time, watch (or join) village or town-based pages. Each will have its own rules on advertising, but well-placed messages can work wonders, especially if they come via a member who posts a link to your business.
Value-added offers
Take care not to irritate group members with overly frequent or irrelevant posts. However, you can incorporate tactics such as entering those who use the ‘share' and 'like’ buttons on posts into a competition, perhaps to win a free product. Use time-limited or value-added offers, such as free upgrades, to generate a sense of urgency to do business.
Consider using location targeting on Facebook. Here, you are trying to put your content - whatever it may be - in front of local people.
While this involves some cost, it will help pinpoint a customer base. Of course, do not ignore the need for a website. An actively trading site is not critical, but without some form of online presence, customers will not know of your existence. For this reason, consider location targeting via Google Adwords.
Put yourself in their shoes
Local groups are another potential source of new business. For example, you could look for a platform that allows you to offer advice to would be DIYers. Use it as a soft-sell with tips, for example, on PPE. Higher education, voluntary organisations, and business breakfast clubs are other ways to propagate a company among the locality.
Wherever you visit and whomever you talk to, let the advice do the work here. Put yourself in their shoes: what would you want to know? And if you have time, join a local chamber of commerce or your parish or town council. Be seen as the business that gives to its community.
Could you sponsor a local event? Depending on where you are based, there may be regular activities organised and run by other community groups. In many cases, they are looking for fellow businesses to support their cause, either by teaming up to organise the event or just by donating money in exchange for being mentioned in their programme, website and advertising.
This is an excellent way to get your business in front of local customers. If you are in a more rural location, there is no reason why you can't expand your horizons to support initiatives in neighbouring areas.
Something else to consider is SMS (text) marketing. Clearly, this requires customer consent and an ability to know when not to burden customers with too many messages. However, used correctly, you could send customers a short text to alert them of new equipment that’s just been added to the fleet, for example.
Welfare 4 Hire donated hire revenues from an AJC EasyCabin unit finished in a special livery to support local charities last year.
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This form of local marketing is ideal for those who want to contact their customers in real time. And it can attract a better response than email.
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