There is so much hype surrounding online businesses and people are in awe of giant corporations. However, the idea of running a local business may actually be more exciting than handling any of two business models just mentioned. When you think of it, local businesses allow you to mingle and rub elbows with people from your community. The responsibility of coming up with not just effective but inventive marketing strategies fall upon small business entrepreneurs. There are times with the creative spring goes dry so here is a few helpful tips that one can try out. When you can connect to your local community you can create opportunities and good will.

Contests

The idea behind this marketing concept is simple: people are attracted to contests because it presents to them the possibility of maybe winning something. The best thing about holding contests is that it’s a straightforward way of attracting more customers. You can opt to have a draw or a raffle which is rather simple as compared to other contests. Ask participants to enter their names, telephone numbers and email addresses for the draw or raffle. You can even ask for permission to send promotional materials via email or direct mail.

If possible make the contest about people who use your products. It could be the most imaginitive outfit, the best deck built with your products or the best recipies from foods you sell. Obviously not every company will lend itself to this type of promotion but if you do have products people use to make things with this can add to sales just by participants.

Now for the prize. You do not have to come up with extravagant prizes but you do need to put out prizes which are appropriate for the event. In order to appease most of your customers, make sure to give out consolation prizes. You can always choose something affordable like shirts or caps with your business’ name printed on them. And make sure that runners up get something as well.

To help with your contest’s publicity, hire people from the media or prominent local personages to judge or to draw out the names. This will instantly translate to more exposure for your business. Many people will be willing to get involved at no cost to you just to have the publicity involved in being one oof the contest judges.

Fundraisers

Part of being a community is the ability to help out in whatever little way you could. You will feel a lot better after helping out on a local cause and you are helping your business out as well. Host a fundraiser for a local charity and you might find that more people are far more willing to purchase from you. Ask the local media to cover your fundraiser for publicity.

It is very beneficial to any company to be seen contibutiing to the over all welfare of the larger community. Many big companies do this because they know it helps their company be seen in e better light. The fact that this is a public event means, of course, you are getting greater exposure and an opportunity for more people to find out about what you offer.

Your author Chris Marentis is the founder and CEO of the company Surefire Social a local internet marketing company company. and a resource for local search marketing