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Are tiny towns worth targeting?

by Delta223
9 replies
For a common service like plumbing or some other home trade is it worth targeting the small towns of 2,000 - 15,000 people? Or are the small town biz owners a harder sell due to the small community atmosphere? My main service is websites/business videos, with digital marketing services on the back end.
#targeting #tiny #towns #worth
  • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
    Originally Posted by Delta223 View Post

    For a common service like plumbing or some other home trade is it worth targeting the small towns of 2,000 - 15,000 people? Or are the small town biz owners a harder sell due to the small community atmosphere? My main service is websites/business videos, with digital marketing services on the back end.
    They are not easier or harder to sell. It's how you pitch them.

    Small town businesses need to advertise to pull people from surrounding towns. and every biz owner knows everyone else...so most really hate their competitor in a personal way. They are dividing up a small pie.

    Here are the real advantages of small town business owners;
    They get pitched less often, so are more open to talking to you.
    If the town has one newspaper/direct mail advertising magazine...the people who bought ads there? Contact them first. Advertising buyers are the most likely to buy your services.
    And the real advantage is, any work you do for them online will show up well in a Google search. They'll see real results faster than people in big towns.

    I've sold a higher end local online marketing service that included multiple videos, a website, a blog, listings in every directory.....

    In a town like Philadelphia, there are hundreds of competitors fighting for the same customers. Being #1 on Google is nearly impossible. And there is a really good cane that at least a few of those competitors have already hired an expert to get them online exposure.

    But a small town of 30,000 or less? You can make them the dominant online presence in their niche, with relatively little effort.
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    • Profile picture of the author Joshua Young
      I agree with being able to make them the dominant online presence in their niche. I've had a lot of success working with business owners in small towns. It's definitely worth it.
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  • Profile picture of the author PaulintheSticks
    In my experience, most small town biz owners (<15k) don't advertise other than in the church bulletin, local newspaper, etc. Many times, they are the only "plumber", so they don't need to especially if they are in a rural area like me where the next nearest town is 20 mi away. I did have success selling ads on the local restaurants menu door to door but I don't target small towns any more. Too much work for too little opportunity IMO.
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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      Originally Posted by PaulintheSticks View Post

      In my experience, most small town biz owners (<15k) don't advertise other than in the church bulletin, local newspaper, etc. Many times, they are the only "plumber", so they don't need to especially if they are in a rural area like me where the next nearest town is 20 mi away. I did have success selling ads on the local restaurants menu door to door but I don't target small towns any more. Too much work for too little opportunity IMO.
      I've found something similar, but in much smaller towns...maybe 5,000 or less. And only if there isn't a much larger town just a few miles away.

      In fact, if it's a small town, next to a large city...they are competing with the competitors in that city....and they are used to seeing (and HATE it) local customers going to that large city.

      Not only is it easier to do marketing for these business owners...my appeal is that I can help stop local internet shoppers from going outside their town....but it's easier to get them ranked in their town.

      And if there are only 2 plumbers....they almost always HATE each other. Taking business away from a competitor they hate is sometimes a strong appeal.

      At least that's my experience.
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  • Profile picture of the author yukon
    Banned
    Are tiny towns worth targeting?
    Do people in tiny towns have money?
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  • Profile picture of the author innn
    "Word of mouth" is certainly one of the main instrument of promotion in small towns. But here, most importantly, carefully prepare for its "launch." It should be borne in mind that information on the course of its transfer from one person to another can be accentuated with additional facts (truthful or not). Therefore, it is important that the positive information is at the beginning, and at the end of the chain.
    Also, standard marketing events for megacities can be "welcomed" by the audience of a small city, as for residents such events will be a novelty and, with a competent approach, can cause great interest. It is clear that it is necessary to take into account the specifics of a small city. But it is quite possible to transfer part of the developments already used by you with the orientation to a particular audience and it can quite bring the desired result.
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  • Profile picture of the author TJGoonan
    Hone in on the demographic of the towns' residents
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