Getting new customers is a very important aspect to keeping any business going long term. Marketing never ends, and having a nice stream of new leads flowing through the doors is imperative. Today, local resources to find new customers exist both online and offline. However, as with any plan it’s important to understand who your target audience is, so that you can best target your audience via all the methods available to you.

1 – Google+ local pages – Yes, this is on the net, but it’s also a local resource for you to use to acquire new clients and customers. Set up your local Google + Page, then participate fully in the experience and you’ll gain new customers.

2 – Newspaper advertisements – Some people consider this an old-fashioned method of advertising, but it can be very effective if your target audience looks at the newspaper. Most newspapers offer both online and offline advertising opportunities today.

3 – Yellow Page advertisements – Depending upon your target audience, you might want to consider taking advantage of Yellow Page advertisements or local “Yellow Book” advertising options, too. Research your audience to be sure that they use your Yellow Book or pages of choice before spending the money. Continue reading →

Did you know that some mobile devices default to “Bing” for search? If you didn’t, you probably also need to know that Bing is the fastest growing search engine and if you’re not using it to its full advantage to promote your business, you’re missing out.

One way to promote your business with Bing is with Bing Deals. Bing Deals simply packages up all the different local and daily deals in one place so that no one has to search in separate places for them.

With Bing Webmaster Tools you can optimize your website. With Bing Search Advertising you can ensure that your customers find your website and ultimately your business. If you want to be found locally, ensure that you claim your business on Bing Business Portal. It’s free to get started. Simply go to http://www.bing.com/businessportal and follow the easy instructions provided.

Due to the proliferation of Bing search, if you’ve not done this yet you’re not taking advantage of every opportunity to promote your business. As mentioned before, Bing is the default search on many mobile browsers now – due to that fact alone it is going to grow fast. Your business needs to be where the action is and today the action is with local search. Continue reading →