Feb 22
In a recent blog post on the Business on Main website called, ?10 Ways to Take Advantage of a Rural Location?, members of the Young Entrepreneur Council (of which I am also a member!) offered up ways to boost business even if you?re in a rural location.
To add to that, I wanted to include 3 ways that you can grow your rural business using the Internet. ?These methods can be applied to any business but I?m slanting them toward those businesses who are located in a rural setting because it is often these businesses who don?t necessarily feel that the Internet will help them grow their business.
Grow Your Rural Business Using the Internet
It?s hard to tell why rural businesses resist creating an online presence to market themselves. Maybe it?s the established companies who feel their current marketing strategy works, so why fix it? Or perhaps it?s local shops that feel their only market is the people who live in their area, so what?s the point?
Here?s the point. People travel all over these days and before they leave home, what do they do? They research what places they?ll pass on the way. As for a working marketing strategy with no online presence ? in today?s age, if you?re not using the Internet to market your business, your strategy is most certainly broken.
Establishing an online presence is a lot easier than you might think. Here are a few suggestions to help you get started:
Social Media
If you?re like over 845 million of us, you already own a Facebook account, and you?ve probably clicked plenty of ?likes? for other companies. Now, why aren?t you using it to promote your own business? You can easily set up a fan page and invite your customers to join. You can then let them know about sales or products, or just get to know them better by connecting in a more personal way.
As the people in your local area like your posts and share them with others, your reach will grow exponentially to not only those inside your local market but to people outside of your local market as well. ?Wouldn?t it be great to be that place that people need?to go to when passing through your town?
Online Business Review Sites
Say you?re eating at a new restaurant tonight. Most likely, you?ll check their ratings before you go. It?s just what we do these days. People research furniture, health gurus, novelty shops, and ? that thing that you do. Which is why it?s a good idea to have a profile on the top review sites for your industry. Once you get it set up, be sure to ask your (satisfied) customers to submit reviews.
Business Website
I know this is obvious, but you totally have a business website, right? If you don?t, you don?t have to admit it, but you do have to get one immediately. Even if all you put up is a one-page blog listing your direct contact information on it, that will do until you can upgrade. But be sure to upgrade. ?(And if you need help with this, our virtual team can most definitely help!)
When your customers or potential clients search for your business online, they don?t want to find an entry on a telephone list, they want to see your space, your products and they want to see you. If you don?t have an online presence, you?re missing out on a lot of ? mostly free ? marketing that could increase your business a lot more than you think. If you wanted, you could even start right now. What have you got to lose?
Don?t forget to also continue reading about this topic over?on the Business on Main website in their article called, ?10 Ways to Take Advantage of a Rural Location.?
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Source: http://www.erinblaskieinc.com/blog/2012/02/22/grow-your-rural-business-using-the-internet/
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