Local Marketing Start-Up
Reading time: 4 – 6 minutes
With the whole world going viral the biggest missing link is getting the word out. So many people have moved on to SEO marketing they forget about the normal ways of advertising. Like most people selling things on the Internet they only hear about all these million of people who are online that when they walk outside they think regular people don’t count. As a result this creates a big niche for anyone who has the Heart & Hustle to bring it about.
Think about it….. as of the 2000 census there are 650,000 people in Memphis. The racial makeup of the city was 61.41% African American, 34.41% White, 1.46% Asian, 0.19% Native American, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.45% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.97% of the population. So TO ME I see if anyone in Memphis set up a local marketing team to get the word out in Memphis they could sell a rapper’s album in their market HEAVY! If there was a African American book that needed publicity they could call up someone local to organize a local campaign just for that market. Knowing there are 400K Black folks in Memphis alone would be worth it.
Now I know this is a little bit more than what people may call a start-up but it’s a great opportunity. If you set up a marketing company that would be a funnel to marketing to certain ethnic audiences you would win BIG. A lot of people depend on Radio to get the word out but you know like I know not everyone listens to Steve Harvey, Michael Baisden and Tom Joyner… I DON”T! So this leaves a lot of people who never get to know about what certain targeted media is out there specifically for them.
Setup:
- Street Marketing Team primarily signage in target market area. (Age, Gender, Income Level)
- Organize signage for Bus Stops, and near Parking Lots & Supermarkets in target area
- Meet with Influencers like Barbershop, Beauty Salons, Greek Organizations, Club Promoters etc..
- Put flyers on doors and cars and at local cultural eateries, churches and neighborhood clusters of folks.
Radio is expensive but is usually unnecessary in a local market if you can cover that area HEAVY. Most of us hear about things from our friends and the Radio is usually only needed for big promotions.
I’ll give you something to think about. If you wrote a book and you were a small time author. If you could get your book out in front of 400K black folks for let’s say 5K dollars wouldn’t it be worth it. If you made 5 dollars profit on your book and you got 1000 people to buy you would get your money back instantly. The fact that you got another 399K to know that your book is out is just gravy. Those 399k will go and tell their kin about the book and you WILL get some word of mouth money.
The reason why I say keep it local is because it’s something you can handle yourself. If you think bigger you’ll be able to contact Record Companies, Small time entertainers, Companies that are introducing new products and just about anyone else who wants to heavily hit the market you cover. You don’t have to know people in the next city as you can dominate your city and develop all of these contacts yourself.
Some of you can see what I’m saying. If enough Brothers & Sisters did this in each city across the country we could funnel our own products to each other without buying into White Owned Media. (It’s absolutely stupid to go to White People businesses to sell to Black folks) In the meantime you can keep getting new clients who see your reasonable prices and a high return being a SUPER bang for the buck. In essence you have become GrapeVine Media for a market. All this Start-up needs is a little bit of organization as we already know the cat who runs a street team, prints flyers, creates marketing materials and if you grew up there you already know where folks are at. The last part missing is you putting this together determining your real costs and letting other people know you can deliver.
Extra: When I was growing up I remember Ice Cube was on the radio stating that his album went Platinum in LA alone. This was all done with neighborhood advertising on every bus bench in front of every school in the hood! You don’t have to be all over to sell millions.
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This is what I’m doing write now. The hardest part is to convince my clients that it’s more important to lock down the city then try and travel. I am going to print up more cd’s tomorrow the best mix-tape in tthe world is useless if it stays on a shelf.
Switch the game around and let them know how many people they will get to reach. A million in LA is the same as a Million in New York. It’s just people want to be known all over instead of make a lot of money.
If you locked down your local market and made a website advertising the special demographics of it then you can sell it to other people. Everything isn’t hip hop as even Clorox wants to sell to a targeted market. You just have to build the system and then little by little reach out to small businesses that need to get the word out.
Freeman,
I’am an independent insurance agent ( in business for 6 months) representing companies such
as AAA, Progressive, Travelers & more. Any marketing ideas would be greatly appreciated
Thank You
All I can think is that you need to get out into the areas where people are making money still. Beauty Salons and Barber Shops are still getting hair and things done. I think you can go to another barber once a week and patronize them and talk to them about getting insurance. So many people come through there you should be able to meet everyone.
Beauty Salons you can give the beauticians a discount if they help you sign up people. Overall you need to be outside of the shop if you want people to give you some business.
Most of us are weary of Insurance because so many cats are pimping fake insurance like Trimerica saying that they will see you life insurance. We all know that CON but it seems you represent some good names and I think if you present yourself as all business you’ll get some cats switching over to you.
Hey Freeman,
This is my magazine I’m doing pretty much what you got posted, I’m marketing specifically to the urban market in the Greater Los Angeles area. My pocket-sized (4.25 x 5.5in) urban nightlife magazine LAXperience is a perfect promotional outlet for local events, products & services. Each month 10,000 copies will be distributed to over 300 locations throughout Los Angeles starting with our premier issue in May. Contact me asap to get a full page ad for only ***$125 w/graphic design.***
Thats essentially 10,000 flyers for $125 you cant beat that
Checkout Link Below
http://issuu.com/laxmag/docs/laxvolume1
Mediakit
http://www.sendspace.com/file/5movqq
Kashif Davis
Magazine Publisher
LAXperience Magazine
matrxent@aol.com
623 694 2692
The Shaw – I usually don’t allow cats to advertise on the R&G but you’ve been rolling with me for quite some time and contributed to the R&G on backchannels so I got to let it ride.
Keep pushing your product homie and I like how you are keeping it local. That’s the money homie so lock down LA and then Run the West on em!
Good Post again FREE! Hey Crenshaw I really love the set up you got with your publication..I was going through it and that defineitly has hard work and quality writinen all over it..as im starting my hyperlocal (words of Ed) marketing agency with the Ads…I really like what you set up here. I see how it is important to get the word out to your community in a local sense instead of trying to go “BIG” and overprice with these over the top agency who is going to do more harm then good. Will make overly fancy ads that arent a reflection of the business in the area, where you just have to keep it trendy and straight to the point.
@ The Shaw – Niiiiice….
You can probably get more editorial content if you let students or aspiring writers do pieces for the experience and exposure.
You might want to take the magazine to local hotels or the airport so people from out of town can get a quick look at what’s going on.