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Getting local only leads/advertising?

by TracyBelshee
3 replies
  • SEO
    • |
I'm not sure if this is the best section to post in or not, but here goes....

I currently work for a local towing company that offers service to the surrounding towns, and if necessary, between here and the coast about 60 miles away.

The work we do is emergency assistance so it's rarely a planned service.

In the next month or so, I hope to break off from the company as an employee and go into business for myself. They will be my client, but I will perform the services from home as a dispatcher as well as maintain our websites and a few other services that do not require being on the road any more.

My goal is to work Monday through Friday for them and use much of what I do aside from dispatching for other, similar projects I can potentially turn into other business for myself.

One of the services I hope to provide for them for extra income is to provide leads. I'm not looking to become a lead company for other tow places, simply provide leads from the local area.

What I'm wondering is where do I find information on creating leads from the local area only? Much of what I have read here on the forums is aimed at those trying to reach the largest, most wide spread audience they can.

Some of what I plan to do is going to relevant business near the coast on the weekends to get us in the door. I'd give them my contact info, and if they send work my way, get a finders fee from the people I work for currently.

But aside from that, what is the best way to create leads locally online for the big jobs we do (semi's, motorhomes, etc.)? These are high ticket jobs and if I can bring them directly to the company, vs. the people call our shop, I can potentially earn some good money.

Any ideas on how to build that sort of system? Or where, here on the forums I can find discussions that are relevant?

Thanks in advance.

EDITED TO ADD....

I will be working on our current websites, so what I'm hoping for is advice separate from that so I can completely separate the leads I personally bring in from what is generated by our current sources.
#leads or advertising #local
  • Profile picture of the author BKKBound
    Why would you want to limit yourself solely to the local leads? Just think, you already have significant expertise in this industry...wouldn't it make sense to take the leads you generate and then on-sell them to other companies in different geographic areas? Sure focus on local leads as well but if you happen to be generating ones in other locations...sell them!

    Now, you can target local leads by looking at honing in on keyword searches that are specific to your local area. Put yourself in the shoes of a prospect and start trying to ascertain what they would be searching for. Then run some limited tests on Adwords with a basic leadgen form to test the specific keywords and traffic/conversion.
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    • Profile picture of the author TracyBelshee
      Originally Posted by BKKBound View Post

      Why would you want to limit yourself solely to the local leads?
      Primarily due to logistics (at least in the near/foreseeable future) and good customer service.

      The leads would, by necessity, come in via a telephone call directly to me. The customer will generally be broken down either on the side of the road, or in a campground and need service ASAP.

      If they call me and are in another area, I could, theoretically, get basic information and track down a company near where they are. The problem with that is all too often, they are in limited cell phone areas or have low battery, etc.

      Another problem is they are generally tourists on vacation and all too often barely know where they are. This leads to us working to track them down in an area we are more familiar with. Not sure, at least at this time, that I'd be very helpful tracking them down using only google maps or landmarks in an area I know nothing of.

      There are, I'm sure, ways around this, but for the short term, I don't feel comfortable taking on the responsibility for this type of lead generation when there is often a lot at stake for the customer right now.

      This is something I would probably be interested in down the road using a call service to help with the calls, etc.

      As for the rest, I really appreciate both you and ppscslv's tips for garnering local traffic.
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  • Profile picture of the author ppscslv
    Start doing:
    - local SEO campaigns with local citations via local directory listings, YouTube, Slideshare, Scribd, micro niche blogs, etc;
    - ads via Google Adwords and Facebook Ads (target only local people);
    - landing pages from Google+ and Facebook (at the beginning you should use some paid ads via Fb & G+ to get local followers);
    - also, create profiles on Twitter and Pinterest to target local people.

    It should be enough for the beginning...

    Good Luck!
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