Locality marketing is the foundation or cornerstone of all small business venture success, those entrepreneurs that have chosen to ignore it, have paid the greatest price through failure to get their business off the ground or, have stagnated to a state of also-ran mediocre businesses.
What is Locality Marketing?
Locality Marketing is defined as pinpoint or location awareness, created in a defined and limited geographic area, thus highlighting, a particular spot, point or destination for consumers who eventually become customers to find your business. Or alternatively classified as, placing you and your business on the map.
Why Do We Need To Do Locality Marketing
Locality Marketing is classed as a ‘Below the Line” Marketing effort, Below the Line sale promotion is an immediate or delayed incentive to buy, expressed in cash or in benefits or kind, and normally having short duration. It is an extremely efficient and cost-effective method for targeting a limited and specific group close to your business premises. This limited or specific group is also classified as our Primary Market.
The Primary Market is what sustains you in the long run, why is this?
1. Consumers are close to you, they work and live in the area.
2. You can measure your marketing efforts and success with greater ease.
3. As an entrepreneur, you are normally a member of the same community of consumers.
4. Consumers become customers; customers ultimately become friends.
5. As your success gains momentum your business flourishes,this obviously negates the normal risks associated with a fledgling business.
There are varying media and forms of locality marketing that offer you the choice of employment to aid your awareness efforts, we will focus on those in future articles.
A Unique Effort – “Neighbourhood” Marketing.
The climate and global warming effects are topical and relevant, as a business owner you perhaps have a wish to make an impact however small or insignificant, potential and existing customers are all aware of this topical issue.
To gain credibility from naturalists and all climate mavens, a recommendation is that you become involved in your botanical neighbourhood. Trees are the most vital part of our biosphere,due to their ability to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen.
Adopt all the critical or visible and larger trees in your neighbourhood, thus converting these efforts into what can then be classified as your neighbourhood,or more appropriately “neighbourwood” how is this achieved?
- At compass points in a circular radius, (about a greatest area of two to three miles from your business), adopt the trees, a prime example: (The big old oak at the corner of Jack Avenue and Jones Street), adopt trees at all the compass points surrounding your business, thus you garner a wide coverage of adoption. Traffic and people flowing toward your business site are thus reminded of your presence in the neighbourhood.
- Approach your local district council or municipality and offer to support and nurture the trees you identified and selected on their behalf, thus you become the official keeper of the selected trees.
- Place small billboards or plaques in close proximity to the trees, advertising your business and your part ownership of that tree.
- Include the trees as a background graphic in all future advertising material and mediums.
- Plant trees on Arbor Day within your primary market and give them to the community, get free press for these efforts. The press openly entertains stories of nature and goodwill.
- Become a defender of all botanical matters in your primary market, Join forums, groups and conservation efforts.
- Sponsor old style swinging cradles in parks in your primary market, this garners a respect and love for trees in children from an early age, and the community will be grateful for your involvement in their children’s recreational activities.
- Arrange talks at elementary schools on trees and their benefits to the planet, this is a subtle form of advertising for your business on a platform not often used, and less commercial or garish in its appearance.
When you have achieved the desired awareness, you then own the “Neighbourwood“.*
* NEIGHBOURWOOD – ALL BOTANICAL PLANTS SUCH AS TREES AND SHRUBS LOCATED IN A LIMITED AND SPECIFIC AREA IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO A BUSINESS OR COMMERCIAL DESTINATION. A brand new addition to the English Language lexicon, courtesy of Vernon RC Boxall and Ezine.
