Community First: How to Build Profitable Business Promotions in Small Towns
If you build it right, they will come.
Most business experts would like you to believe that promotion has a specific structure of rules to follow for success.
Follow these steps, and a successful promotion is assured.
They feel that way because they've never had to do it for a small business in a small town.
Before we begin with the how-to, let me show you some of the challenges a small-town business owner will face.
You have a smaller population base.
In a big city, 20,000 - 30,000 people might be within a few miles.
If you just get 1 percent, you'll have 200-300 people.
In a small town, you can start knocking zeros off those numbers.
If you only get 20-30 people, the promotion may cost more than the potential business it creates.
The small-town business owner must know their local market much better than the big-city owner.
A more significant percentage of your market already knows you.
In a small town, people know if you're a big business in a mall, a small storefront downtown, or a home-based business or service.
In a large city, you would have more anonymity.
Local people already have a perception of who you are and what you do.
The most wasteful thing you can do in marketing or advertising is trying to change someone's mind.
If you doubt that, see: "Understanding Why Customers Buy."
It's harder to keep a secret in a small town.
For most promotions to work, they need to be a surprise.
Keeping your competitor from finding out about your plans is not easy.
The Promotion Steps And How To Use Them
1. The Reason
If you're going to do a promotion, there must be a reason.
What exactly do you want the promotion to accomplish?
"Increase business" is not good enough.
To do a successful promotion, you must have exact goals that can be written down.
Try to come up with at least three ideas for your promotion and write them down.
The most common promotion is the "Grand Opening."
Even with the grand opening, there must be specifics that you want the promotion to accomplish. (See: Time to Plan Your Annual Small-Town Business Grand Opening)
2. The Necessary Information
Once you have the promotional goals, the next step is providing information that will complement the promotion.
Does anything have to be printed for this promotion? Newspaper layouts? Photos? Flyers? Handouts? Coupons? Radio Ads?
If so, what information must be assembled to create the ads for your products or services?
Who will oversee the information and get it to the proper people?
What if this person is unable to perform these duties?
Is there a backup person?
Create a "checklist" for each step of the promotion project.
3. An Accountable Person
Someone must oversee the total project and assume final responsibility for all aspects of the promotion.
This would include proofreading all ads and printed materials, making sure legal disclaimers are included, if necessary, scheduling printing, and scheduling radio/TV spots.
If co-op advertising is being used, comply with the guidelines for logos and other materials. (See: Use Co-Op and Co-Branding Advertising to Build a Successful Small-Town Business)
4. Keep It To Yourself
News travels fast in small towns.
If your competitor hears the details of your promotion, they may try to de-rail your efforts.
Ensure you impress all employees and media people that confidentiality is paramount.
5. The Customer
Sorry to disappoint you. This is not your promotion.
This is the customer's promotion.
You will be very disappointed if you want them to come to your business for your benefit.
Customers rarely do anything to benefit any company.
They act to benefit themselves.
It amazes me how many companies promote the business without benefitting their customers.
Customers want four things.
They want to feel safe, they want to save time, they want to save money, and they want to feel good.
The more of the four you can provide, the more successful your promotion will be.
Some Final Thoughts On Creating Promotions
The best advice I can give you is to do your homework before doing a promotion.
A small-town promotion that doesn't work can be disastrous to a business.
Much capital is expended, and little or no new business is realized.
If possible, find a mentor in another city your size.
In Bozeman, MT, where I am, we often use Boulder, CO, as a mirror city to me.
If I get a problem question from a local business, I'll get some advice from a similar business in Boulder that may have experienced the same problem.
Call and ask them how they promote their business. What do they spend?
Where and how do they advertise the promotion?
And, most important, what did you do that failed?
Looking back, what could you have done differently?
Don't be afraid to contact people who can help you. In most cases, they're glad to do it because they once were where you are now.
If there is a secret to success, it's this: find someone who is successfully doing what you want to do and copy them.
If done correctly, promotion can be a gold mine for your business.