Local marketing is the foundation or cornerstone of success for all small businesses, those entrepreneurs who have chosen to ignore it, have paid the ultimate price for not being able to get their business off the ground or have been stuck in a state of mediocre business as well managed.

What is locality marketing?

Locality marketing is defined as location or location awareness, created in a defined and limited geographic area, thus highlighting a particular place, point or destination for consumers who eventually become customers to find your business. Or alternatively classified as, putting you and your business on the map.

Why do we need to do local marketing?

Local marketing is classified as a “below the line” marketing effort. -effective method to target a limited and specific group near your business premises. Primary market.

The Primary Market is what sustains you in the long term, why?

1. Consumers are near you, work and live in the area.

2. You can more easily measure your marketing efforts and success.

3. As an entrepreneur, you are usually a member of the same consumer community.

4. Consumers become customers; customers eventually become friends.

5. As your success gains momentum, your business flourishes, this obviously negates the normal risks associated with a start-up business.

There are various media and forms of local marketing that offer you the option of employment to help you in your awareness efforts, we will focus on those in future articles.

A Unique Effort – “Neighborhood” Marketing.

The effects of climate change and global warming are hot topics and relevance, as a business owner you may want to make an impact no matter how small or insignificant, potential and existing customers are all aware of this hot topic.

To gain credibility from naturalists and all climate experts, one recommendation is that you get involved in your botanical neighborhood. Trees are the most vital part of our biosphere, due to their ability to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen.

Adopt all critical or visible and larger trees in your neighborhood, thus turning these efforts into what can later be classified as your neighborhood, or more appropriately, “neighboring forest.” How is this achieved?

1. At the cardinal points in a circular radius (approximately an area greater than two to three miles from your business), adopt trees, a good example: (The big old oak on the corner of Jack Avenue and Jones Street), adopt trees in all the compass points surrounding your business, so you get broad adoption coverage. The traffic and people flowing to your business site remind you of your presence in the neighborhood.
2. Approach your local district council or municipality and offer to support and nurture the trees they have identified and selected on your behalf, thus becoming the official guardian of the selected trees.
3. Put up billboards or small plaques near trees, advertising your business and your partial ownership of that tree.
4. Include the trees as a background graphic in all future media and advertising materials.
5. Plant trees on Arbor Day within your main market and give them out to the community, get free press for these efforts. The press openly entertains stories of nature and goodwill.
6. Become an advocate for all things botanical in your core market. Join forums, groups, and conservation efforts.
7. Sponsor old-style swinging cribs in parks in your main market, this builds respect and love for trees in children from an early age, and the community will thank you for your participation in their children’s recreational activities.
8. Organize talks in primary schools about trees and their benefits for the planet, this is a subtle form of advertising for your business on a platform that is little used and less commercial or flashy in appearance.

When you have reached the desired consciousness, you will own the “Neighborhood“.*

* NEIGHBORHOOD – ALL BOTANICAL PLANTS SUCH AS TREES AND SHRUBS LOCATED IN A LIMITED AND SPECIFIC AREA NEAR A COMMERCIAL OR BUSINESS DESTINATION. A new addition to the lexicon of the English language, courtesy of Vernon RC Boxall and Ezine.