by Lorraine Ball

Created on: May 21, 2008   Last Updated: September 11, 2009

Growing up in NY the highest compliment you could pay someone, was to say they were "Street Smart". This indicated the individual knew how to get things done, with a commons sense no nonsense approach to life. This same common sense approach is what makes Street Marketing, ideal for the small business owner looking to create a big impression on a limited budget.

Street Marketing is built on the same foundation as traditional marketing; clear goals, concise description of a target customer, and a well thought out plan.

The difference is a matter of focus!

Unless you have the marketing budget of Coca Cola or McDonalds, you don't really have sufficient funds to support a true mass market campaign, one that reaches all consumers. Savvy Street Marketers narrow down their audience to people who are most likely to buy. They spend marketing dollars reaching a concentrated group several times, rather than trying to touch everyone once. This does not mean they limit to whom they sell, but simply to whom they actively try to reach with marketing materials.

Street Marketing takes leg work

How do you decide where do you invest your money? Take time to do some analysis and planning on the front end. Study your past sales, where does most of your business come from?

Also take time to look hit the streets. Look at census data, and local real estate and business publications to find uncover neighborhood trends. The local chamber of commerce may have some additional insight into where the "action" is.

And finally, are some sub-groups or communities ignored by your competitors? Each of these groups may make attractive targets. Be sure the community you select is large enough to support your business objectives. Then plan your attack.

Your goal is to get their attention. It is about reaching the right customers, with the right message, at the right time. Instead of running a 1/8 of a page advertisement in the Sunday paper, alongside five of your competitors, consider buying a larger advertisement in a smaller newspaper, or neighborhood directory. You are more likely to be noticed and remembered for supporting their community. And if you advertise on a regular basis, these smaller newspapers are more likely to make room for your press releases and informational articles.

Be on the Street on a Regular Basis Be Consistent!

If you join an association, show up for meetings on a regular basis. You won't necessarily get referrals the first time you attend a networking meeting. But hang in there, as you become part of the "regular" crowd opportunities will drift your way.

Consistency makes your message more noticeable in other ways as well. Be sure that all your marketing material; ads, brochures, door hangers, postcards, web site, trucks, invoices, and yard signs all look as if they are part of the same company. Use the same fonts and same colors in everything you do. Always place you logo and phone number in the same position in all your advertising material. This will train your customers over time where to look for the information they need.

Work Smarter Not Harder

Effective marketing does not require that you spend a lot of money, it simply demands that what you spend, you spend wisely. You don't have to outspend the biggest competitor in town to be successful; you just have to outrun him on the street.

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