Promoting business - what do you think of my idea?

[Planky1]

Have just been updating my website and was thinking about how to promote myself more. I have done pretty much everything on Lynne's amazing thread but I need to drum up more business and am not in a position to do any paid advertising at the moment.

I then got to thinking about local businesses, about how hard times are shutting the small local businesses down and how the big wigs, like supermarket chains for example are really taking over and raking it in.

I'm all for supporting local shops and businesses, I use them whenever I can, I go to our local butcher for our meat and try to use local shops if possible for other things too.

This then got me thinking that I could be on to something. I am going to have a "Other Local Services" section on my website. All my clients so far have mainly come from my website and a few from word of mouth. I've had over 16,000 people view my website (shame they didn't all book though! ) but the point is, they viewed it and viewed every page.

I will approach local businesses and ask if they'd like to feature on my website promoting their service, in exchange for having some of my cards in their shop and recommending me or having me feature on their own website if they have one.

I have one client whose daughter owns a florist very local to me and she has been struggling to drum up business herself, so I'm sure she will love to be promoted elsewhere to help, as they too have been trying to think of what they can do. My husband is also starting out on his own after being made redundant before Christmas, so I will of course feature him too.

Feel quite excited about my little idea. What do you think? Have any of you tried something like this and if so, was it successful?

 

[Murnettie]

I think it sounds great x

 

[souz]

its a great idea and lets face it, it isnt going to cost you any money and cant do you any harm! the village i live in has a facebook page and all things to do with toddington go on it, we too have been promoting using local businesses as so many seem to close down. We had a gift shop open before xmas so are all trying to get cards and gifts from there when possible.

good luck x

 

[Planky1]

There are loads of Facebook pages doing that sort of thing these days, it's great. I have advertised on a few of them, had a couple of enquiries but nothing else from it as they are more selling pages than community pages. So that's what got me thinking, was that I need to do something else. Worth a shot!

My hairdresser has just gone mobile too, so I can also promote her, she already has some of my cards but this hopefully will get her really promoting me

 

[souz]

definitely worth a shot hun, thats what is great for me living in a village, its a real community affair and we all recommend each other.

have you got involved in your local school and scout groups etc?

great if you can tie up with a hairdresser, what about offering pamper parties or kids parties with her or offering a wedding service together?

 

[Planky1]

definitely worth a shot hun, thats what is great for me living in a village, its a real community affair and we all recommend each other.

have you got involved in your local school and scout groups etc?

great if you can tie up with a hairdresser, what about offering pamper parties or kids parties with her or offering a wedding service together?

Yep, we spoke about it last week when she came to do my hair, she had a few enquiries from people wanting pamper evenings of hair and nails, so that's in the pipeline already

 

[tjmadmum]

What a brilliant idea! I am all for supporting local businesses! Let us know how it goes xx

 

[fireballoraiste]

Class idea, great spirit

 

[wendynailedit]

Great idea! Also, my website man told me that the more links you have to other sites on your site, the higher you both move up the google ranking...I'm not very techie, but its all about search engine optimisation! If you tell these businesses that, it might make it even more appealing! Good luck! Xx

 

[Planky1]

Great idea! Also, my website man told me that the more links you have to other sites on your site, the higher you both move up the google ranking...I'm not very techie, but its all about search engine optimisation! If you tell these businesses that, it might make it even more appealing! Good luck! Xx

Yep I already knew that which was why I thought it might please them to feature and hopefully be more than happy to hand out my cards for me. I'm not techie either but have plugged away at my site by myself for months and now show first on google for my area, so I'm chuffed to bits

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[Wellyb]

Fab idea planky, might try that myself if you don't mind

 

[Planky1]

Fab idea planky, might try that myself if you don't mind

Sure, go ahead :hug:


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