Copyright: wavebreakmediamicro / 123RF Stock Photo
Much of today’s marketing advice is geared towards businesses who are thinking bigger than their hometown.

With advances in digital technology, company owners no longer have to worry about getting customers to actually walk in the door and buy something. Instead, the modern shopper can drop by – at least online – anytime, from anywhere in the world.

Along with this, the modern of place of business also no longer needs a physical location. Employees armed with mobile phones and/or laptops can easily be in contact with each other and potential customers. Email and text marketing services can aid in this effort by allowing people to communicate faster and easier, and it doesn’t matter if someone is a few feet away or five zones.

If a supporter/customer has submitted a phone number and specifically asked your company to send them texts, that’s really all you need to legally add them to your customer database and other lists for future communication.

However, even though every company can now have a potentially global reach, it still actually can be a good idea for many to use traditional commerce and marketing methods by focusing on being part of the local economy.

Luckily, texting can be a useful tool here as well.

• Create a separate SMS mailing list for local residents. Along with the “everyone” group of all customers who have signed up to receive texts about general offers, you can create a secondary group that only includes people living within a certain amount of miles from the main office. You can send this group different worded messages with more local references that you know readers are familiar with and will enjoy.
  
  
• Text more often. Though you still want to respect the guidelines of not overdoing business texts and maybe sending no more than one or two a week, you might be able to bend the rules a little, since some recipients may personally enjoy hearing from a local company and local employees they know.
  
  
• Offer in-person deals and coupons. During a particular promotion, you can send a text out about a discount that’s available to every customer, plus potentially deeper discounts for in-person purchases. This could appeal to people who live near your location, and possibly even encourage people who don’t live nearby to take a trip your way if it’s a good enough savings.
  
  
• Create a local VIP club. Your hometown sms subscribers might enjoy being part of a club that offers discounts and even special events. There could even be part of the company web site dedicated to the club, with photos from past events displayed. Residents may look forward to seeing their pictures online, or even some photos that non-local customers will see.
  
  
• Multi-channel marketing. Although it’s fun and easy to text, especially at the bulk level, a good marketing campaign doesn’t rely just on texting. Better outreach can also include email and social media messaging. So a marketing effort that targets locals also should include these formats as well for those who don’t text or prefer other choices. These areas can also refer back to each other and encourage visitors to sign up for all of them.
  
  
• Narrow down preferred times of days to send messages. While people who market nationally have to guess on ideal times for recipients around the country, if you know your local area well, you’ll know when people are getting up, when workers and students are heading out, when they’re having lunch, and when they’re wrapping up their days and heading home. Your messages can be targeted for these different times. You also can avoid some common mistakes by sending out messages at times when people don’t have time to read them, or even are inconvenienced by them. A well-timed message may be enjoyed but a poorly-timed one could lead to annoyance and ultimately blocking.
  
  
• Better exposure. Text marketing services can include references inviting people to sign up for various services such as an email newsletter or regular texts. These can be in noticeable places through town that attract attention or are related to your particular industry. Perhaps restaurants, chambers of commerce, even stores, but especially your own main office/headquarters. The visibility will simultaneously help build your brand at a local level and a larger level.
  
  
• Promote your hometown. If you’re proud of where your company is based, then talk about it, especially through social marketing. You can encourage your national audience to equate your quality products or service with a quality place or even seek collaboration. Hopefully, other businesses or business development organizations will return the favor and boast about you in their digital publicity and promotional efforts.
  
  

For more suggestions and strategies for making text marketing services work efficiently for your organization, visit Trumpia.com.

Free Mobile Marketing Success Kit

Get Your Copy Today