Marketers, How Do You Acquire Customers Around Your Own Area?

Lots of great responses here. It's true that "one and done" marketing is a randomized approach and certainly not the way to go.

With all of my clients, I start every marketing challenge with a strategy session - the reason is simple. In order to come up with a cohesive, targeted plan we first need to dive deep and learn the "why" you're in business, how you're different from your competitors, and who your ideal audience is. Once we've nailed down baseline data, we can then begin to talk about strategy. (Approach to reach your intended audience)

Strategy first. Always. The details will follow.

Relationships....start them, nurture them and grow them. Reach out to people you want to do business with and find out what THEY need. Give with out expecting anything in return. Become the "it" person in your geographic area in your field. Show people how much you care about them and they will come to you when they need your help. Join a BNI group in your area. I have just the tool you need to help in all these areas if you want information on how it works contact me....

Please keep up with the local events. Use many platforms like this to reach out to local business. I've found much success on LinkedIn. You gotta find your niche. What makes you comfortable and it works for you. Most business owners don't answer phones as much, over the pass 17 years you would be amazed that they would text you or email you to tell you what they need and/or want. A lot do business that way and that works best for them, even the local. Good luck out there!

Many people forget about their local Chamber of Commerce as a resource. Perfect for local networking, membership is very reasonable and members usually get a profile/listing on the Chamber website which is searchable for anyone looking for what you have to offer- and newsletter with very affordable ad rates for members should you choose to place an ad. Membership also provides access to the local member database (addresses and emails of key individuals) and Chamber meet and greets/activities. Members can also sponsor community events for added exposure. Worth checking out from a networking standpoint.

I like Sabrina's answer about needing a strategy first. So, let's assume you have a strategy, your product is absolutely wonderful and competitive in pricing and you know exactly who or what business it will fit. I would knock on doors. Leave the briefcase or presentation material in the car. Just introduce yourself and shake hands. What you want in the first visit is information about who the decision maker (contact info) is, how their business functions and any recognizable reasons/needs they may have for your services. Ask what groups or chambers they belong to and show up. Try to find a way for them to meet you 3 times before asking for a specific appointment. Social Media? Direct Mail? Nah ... slow boat to China. Go meet your potential clients. If your selling widgets, then advertise like everyone else. Join the maddening crowd. But doing business with people takes a personalized approach.

I've used a number of methods to make initial contact with local prospects including e-mail, telephone calls, B2b Web Sites and so on. I have found that the "in-person surprise visit" is by far the most effective, and it's also the most time consuming way to make that contact. The people I want to deal with appreciate the fact that I cared enough to invest my valuable time to visit them in person. There is no better way to start building a good relationship with a local business person. Local businesses are often overwhelmed with e-mail and telephone solicitations - so a personal visit makes you stand apart from the swarm.

Networking, Networking and more Networking. This site is great LinkedIn, Facebook, and local events.

Hello Nicole, There are many different marketing approaches that you can take. There are a lot of valuable answers. Having said that, I believed that marketing for every business is as unique as the people running the businesses. Therefore, your marketing plan should be specific to your business and clients. I custom design marketing programs for businesses. My marketing programs are sustainable programs as it entails attracting the right customers as well as creating a sales funnel so that your can close as many leads as possible.

Since my marketing programs are custom designed, I won't be able to give you a general answer. If you are interested in finding out more about how I can help you call me at (949) 400-7942 for a free consultation.

You need to build a local presence online in your area which will rank you on Google and make sure you are working with someone who is a Google Partner. Its better if someone is looking for what you do and they find you on a simple Google search instead of you seeking them. Hope this helped in some way.

Put a face to your approach take an active interest in your community and let them know you're there in the daily battle with them.