A big part of running a business in a small town is to become a prominent part of the community. People are more likely to do business with you if they like and respect what they know about you, and if they hear your business name a lot, they will think of you when they need your goods or services.
Get Involved In the Community
Look around for clubs that interest you and join one. Be a part of a local sports tournament; if you have enough employees to form a team, all the better. You might also have a booth at the county fair that educates people about your area of expertise. Another way to get involved is to sponsor a community event such as a fun run.
Sponsor Local Charities
If your town has a food bank or shelter, you might sponsor a food drive. You could also sponsor a little league team. If you hear of a local church group planning a trip to help people in a foreign country, you could donate money.
Run Small Ads in the Paper Often
It is better to run a small ad in your local paper regularly than a large one once a month. More people will notice and remember you that way. You might even just put an ad in the classifieds; it is possible more people will notice you there than elsewhere in the paper
Ask Your Vendors to Share Marketing Costs
Offer to mention your vendor's products in your ads if they split the costs with you.
Partner with a Complementary Business
Some businesses are natural partners, like a gym and a health food store or a video rental and a pizza parlor. Find a business that compliments yours and ask the owner if you can do some ad campaigns together. You can also give out each other's coupons to your customers, put up posters, and hand out one another's print brochures.
Mail Out Brochures
Make sure people know what your business has to offer. You might have better products or more reasonable prices than a national chain in your area, but they get more business because people do not know about you. To remedy this, you should mail out print brochures describing what you have to offer. In your print brochures, be sure to tell people how you can benefit them and keep the tone conversational rather than technical. Connecting with people is the key to bringing in more business.
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