With more than 1.3 million people residing in Dallas, according to 2016 U.S. Census Bureau figures, having a strong local presence can help drive your business forward and build an impressive customer base. Part of establishing a strong business, especially one focused on local business, is becoming a name that locals recognize and want to shop with.Getting to know your neighborhood and the people in it can put you on a first-name basis with the very ones who can ensure that your company succeeds. Giving back to those in the community that are helping support your business will show your recognition and allow you to grow in the city.
To get you going, 11 members of Forbes Dallas Business Council share some locally focused marketing approaches they’ve employed in Dallas, ones that have helped them successfully develop their business. Here is what they recommend:
Experts in Dallas share some free local resources businesses can tap into. PHOTOS COURTESY OF INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS.
1. Meeting People Face To Face
There is no substitute for having boots on the ground and meeting people face to face. In our business, that means meeting with local not-for-profits and charities, as well as local retailers that may offer our product. In a world that is increasingly technology-driven, personal relationships are still key. – David Grubbs, True Coffee Co.
2. Industry Workshops
The best locally focused marketing initiative we’ve employed is the Video Marketing World workshop here in Dallas, Texas. We bring together 500 marketers to the Gaylord Texan Hotel and Resort to learn all about video marketing from some of the best instructors on the planet. – Jeremy Vest, Vidpow LLC
3. Speaking At Local Events
Speaking on panels at local events is a great marketing initiative I use to inspire and educate others to do business with us. I have spoken on STEM panels to an audience of children, and the organizers would connect with us to discuss opportunities. Speaking at local events is a powerful tool to gain exposure. – Tiffany Ricks, Hacware, Inc.
4. Customized Marketing Materials
We’ve recently spent some time redesigning our sales materials to really reflect our brand and product vision. As part of this redesign, we integrated images that could easily be changed out and replaced. Now, whenever we’re sending our materials to a new sales prospect, we customize them to include images of their own buildings. This has been well received and has led to more meetings – Bradley Joyce, Skyrise
5. Sponsored Instagram Posts
Our most effective marketing campaign in Dallas was our series of sponsored Instagram posts with Dallasites101 that generated interest around our partnership with the Southern Methodist University and our hospitality offerings on campus. – Adam Ward, Blockparty, Inc.
6. Hosting Events
The power of community around a particular topic has obvious benefits. I’ve run various Meetup groups, such as the Dallas Content Strategy Meetup and, most recently, EOS Dallas. Hosting local events and bringing in speakers or peers who might be further along has always been instrumental in placing me top of mind with the people who matter most to my business. – Steve Floyd, Pioneer Digital
7. Promotion In Local Newsletters
Our first significant growth came through (organic) promotion in local newsletters. A Google search on Gmaids leads people to our site, but when they also see what locals say about us in influencer blogs and in Yelp reviews, it validates their purchase of our cleaning services! We have streamlined the collection and publishing of client reviews because that is the beating heart of our marketing. – Karen La Spina, Gmaids
8. Local Networking
Local networking groups have proven to be very beneficial at many levels, but the long-term secret is to follow up and stay in touch with the people you connect within these groups. – Jim Thomas, Fitness Management & Consulting
9. Collaboration With Student Organizations
We collaborated with a student organization at SMU to utilize our app for airport pickups and dropoffs during a large event. We achieved success in the effort when arriving students installed our app, scheduled their rides with our drivers, were picked up and dropped off successfully. – Santosh Krishnan, RideConnect Inc.
10. Support For Local Charities
Since our business sells technology to large companies, we need to be able to reach C-level executives. One marketing strategy that we have used locally is to advertise and support charities at local private schools or schools in high net-worth neighborhoods. Children at these schools often come from affluent families, and many of the parents are C-level executives. – Lawrence Schwartz, Trivie
11. Creating A Large Database Of Leads
An effective strategy we used consisted of creating a substantial database of potential interested clients, then applying a reach-out plan featuring texts, emails, and phone calls, arranged strategically for maximum effectiveness. Our initial target was Texas-based oil and gas entities. – Mark Williamson, Dittmar Capital, LLC