SOWPub Small Business Forums

SOWPub Small Business Forums (http://www.sowpub.com/forum/index.php)
-   SOWPub Business Forum (http://www.sowpub.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=2)
-   -   Marketing to new homebuyers idea (http://www.sowpub.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4308)

Larry Foster August 27, 2007 12:35 PM

Re: Marketing to new homebuyers idea
 
Thanks, Pete and Xenia.
I seem to be having trouble being clear. I apologize for that.
I am not looking at new homebuyers.
What I was looking for were some ideas beside home buyers.
I used home buyers only as an example because it has been mentioned here in a few different threads.
New home buyers definitely wouldn't work for me.
How would you get traffic to a community portal or website?
Thanks for your patience
Larry

GordonJ August 27, 2007 12:43 PM

OK, let me give it a try Larry...
 
Do you already have a community portal set up?

Is this an idea? or a done deal?

I think (although I reserve the right to be wrong here too) that you are trying to find ways to drive traffic...LOCAL customers? to a Community based web site...and by being able to have TRAFFIC...

you can sell ads on this portal to local businesses?

Right or Wrong?

If this isn't it, you really do need to work on clarifying your question, fair enough?

I'll reserve MY answer once I know if I'm barking up the right tree.

Gordon Alexander

Sandi Bowman August 27, 2007 02:03 PM

Re: Marketing to new homebuyers idea
 
Larry, we have a local community business location/ads site online in this area. What he did was go to the local businesses and present a package deal to them that would see their business advertised on his site. All the ads are the same size (last I looked, anyway), and the same price. The design is his with approval/collaboration with the business. The business provides the content, pictures etc.

His basic idea is that local people, and visitors, would find the site useful when looking for specific items or services. He eventually offered both the standard ad plus, for an extra fee, a listing in the categorized section so people didn't have to scan everything to find them. It seems to have worked well.

He advertises the site several ways: brochure in the visitor's center, newspapers, flyers, and lots of word of mouth as well as the Chamber of Commerce.

Sandi Bowman

Larry Foster August 27, 2007 08:52 PM

Re: Marketing to new homebuyers idea
 
Thanks everyone for your patience and responsiveness.
I apologize that my question isn't clear. It is to me but I know what I'm trying to say. :)
Gordon, it's not a done deal.At one time I had an idea for a free weekly print paper with one purpose to drive readers online. It's gathering dust at the moment.
I would like to do lead generation and list building for local businesses.
I guess what I would like to know is how would you get traffic for local small businesses? Those that have no reach beyond the local community.
If I go to a florist, roofing contractor, an insurance agent, jeweler or any kind of local biz to offer marketing, what would you do to get them business? Online or offline.
Online, there is Local Search. Offline, there could be bought lists, classifieds in other media, posters on bulletin boards. But no marketinng to new home owners.
Thanks
Larry

Ankesh August 28, 2007 06:02 AM

Re: Marketing to new homebuyers idea
 
Thanks Larry for asking.

It is really really hard to persuade people to log on to a website by promoting offline. Your weekly newspaper ad buyers won't see a terrific response rate. Unless they provide coupons or bonuses that people can redeem online only.

Here is an idea you may like:

Fish bowl marketing.

* Place a book or something in shops in your community
* Collect email addresses (maybe give incentives to people to give you their email addresses)
* Run a newsletter
* Promote the stores who allow you to collect email addresses at their venue - via your newsletter

There was an awsome discussion on such an idea some time back on SowPub.

Larry Foster August 28, 2007 06:40 AM

Re: Marketing to new homebuyers idea
 
Thanks for the ideas, Ankesh
Larry

Rob Yaggie August 28, 2007 10:18 AM

Re: Right Tree for Me
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by GordonJ (Post 16754)
I'll reserve MY answer once I know if I'm barking up the right tree.


Hi Gordon,

Regardless if that is the right question for Larry, I would appreciate your answer. I'm very interested in ideas to make a community website successful. This would include content of interest and marketing ideas.

Thanks,
Rob Yaggie

GordonJ August 28, 2007 10:51 AM

Rob, see my post: ATTENTION Larry Foster...
 
check out the site I mention. IF it is of any interest to you, then here is my affiliate link to make the purchase...and get MY support too:

http://gjabiz1.luckyyank.hop.clickbank.net

Lucrative Home Based Business


And I'll comment on it later this evening.

gjabiz

PS. And in the meantime check out the soon to be gone forever (perhaps) works of yours truly at www.flylowcollectdough.com

MichaelRoss August 28, 2007 03:34 PM

Think Outside The Atom
 
Larry,

Thanks for asking about getting business for Local Businesses.

You asked... "how would you get traffic for local small businesses" and "what would you do to get them business". And these are Two Different Questions.

Before you go rushing off to create a Local Community Website, if things are "slow to no" in this small town, how do you know the residents there even have a computer, and if so, how often they access the Web? And, aren't poor as church mice and couldn't buy Additional Stuff from the businesses even if they wanted to?

Also, as there is a Wide Range of what can be done to market a business, you could be spreading yourself thin trying to solve everyone's marketing problems - including your own. And how much of your Marketing Knowledge could be applied in this small town?

Take the florist, for example. Assuming there is only one in town and everyone already knows about it, do you know how often people buy flowers? Birthday? Funeral?

You could try the old "How mad is she? Roses $5" sign out the front during afternoon rush hour. And what then? What else do you have up your sleeve for the florist?

You May be able to Convince all businesses in town to have a fresh bunch of flowers on display each day. You might convince them Easily or it could take forever to do so. But if such a thing worked, what else do you have for the florist?

If that's your whole bag of tricks in this small town, then YOU are now out of business too. Your business is one of the small town struggling businesses.

I'd be more inclined to Focus, if you want to get into the "sell advice to businesses" business. Kennedy is known for Chiropractors. Polish for Carpet Cleaning, I think it is. Jason for Martial Arts Halls - Adam Katz was dabling in this too.

This way, you can do one business in each town, or in each side of a larger Town or City. Looking Outside of your town, as Phil hinted at.

Whichever way you go, just make sure not to turn Their Problems into Your Problems. And don't bust a gut trying to help people who do not want help.

Besides "Advice" or "Advertising Space" have you spoken to any of these businesses to see what Other Problems they may have?

For instance, speaking with a Take Away store owner, he told me he couldn't get the Good Oil for his fry vats because no-one around the area supplied it. And he Hated having to Filter his oil. That's TWO opportunities there...

Start a Mobile Oil Filtering business - or - become the local Rep for the Good Oil, even traveling to the Main Supplier to pick up a Large Supply for distribution into your area. Chances are other similar businesses have the same problems.

Michael Ross
www.hotsheets.info

bobmcalister August 28, 2007 05:33 PM

Re: Rob, see my post: ATTENTION Larry Foster...
 
so ...gja bizMAN....we buy the postcard deal and you help us do it ? goodness ...you gonna be a busy man !~

thanks

it does sound interesting...


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 03:50 PM.

Powered by vBulletin Version 3.6.0
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.