Local Business• Page 4 of 22 • Our Town America, Inc.

Northern Coloradans Can Reach New Customers in a New Way

Written by Brittany N. Johnson

Northern Coloradans Can Reach New Customers in a New Way | ABC Denver

ABC Denver — Our country’s busiest moving season, summer, matched up with some of the highest inflation numbers in decades. Unfortunately, that made the process of moving for many in the Northern Colorado area tough on the wallet. Our Town America, a national marketing franchise specializing in reaching out to new movers, with an office in the Denver area, is reminding new movers to take advantage of the benefits of being new to town. The Our Town America Welcome Package is just one of the ways new movers can save money as they look to regain footing after spending thousands on a move and, at the same time, support local businesses. Our Town America connects people who are new to town with established local businesses who are looking for new customers and interested in welcoming them to the community. We provide a one-time housewarming gift certificate from each partnered local business in the area, which enables the new resident to try many businesses at a much lower cost, and many times even for free! Kurt North, owner of Our Town America of Fort Collins, met with ABC Denver to discuss how new movers can support their economies and save money while local business owners increase their customer base. Click Play below to watch the ABC interview. — Our Town America supports small businesses across the nation 365 days per year. If your Northern Colorado business is looking to gain new customers, contact Kurt North at ‭970-692-3859‬ or complete a Contact Form. If your business is outside the Northern Colorado area, please contact Our Town America corporate at 1-800-497-8360 to be connected with your local representative. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]

The Law of Reciprocity: Proof that New Mover Marketing is Powerful

Written by Brittany N. Johnson

New Mover Welcome Package Generates Law of Reciprocity

Persuasion by reciprocation is based on the Law of Reciprocity; use this to your advantage to build a loyal customer base through New Mover Marketing. The art of reciprocity is ingrained in human culture. A part of sociological phenomena, the law of reciprocity states that when a person receives something, they feel compelled to return the favor. It’s a learned behavior that is rooted in childhood when parents focus on teaching their children the practice of sharing as a tool to build relationships. The law of reciprocity was put to the test in 1974 when Phillip Kunz, a sociologist at Brigham Young University, conducted an experiment with Christmas cards. As part of the study, he sent handwritten notes or holiday cards to 600 strangers. Even though the recipients did not know Kunz, he received at least 200 replies from people who felt obligated to reciprocate. The Law of Reciprocity is widely used in the business world by marketing gurus like Brian Tracy and Colin Shaw. To see reciprocity at work in your daily life, simply head to your local coffee shop for a caffeine fix. Notice how people respond when you greet them or the many tips left for the barista who made their favorite drink. The law of reciprocity is alive and well, and it’s a great tool local businesses can use to help drive profits. Our Town America Helps Add Loyal Customers Our Town America’s New Mover Marketing program relies on the law of reciprocity to help businesses obtain new customers. New Mover Marketing puts your business in front of people who are likely to buy now and buy again in the future. We send new residents a Welcome Package filled with free offers to introduce them to their local community. Between unpacking boxes and turning their houses into homes, new movers feel the urge to reciprocate the kind gesture by visiting the businesses who welcomed them and redeeming the offers. The generous welcome also prompts them to speak highly of the business to fellow neighbors, fueling word-of-mouth promotions. Quality customer service encourages new residents to return as repeat customers. To help new residents form loyalties with a local business, Our Town America’s mobile tracking technology can also send a thank you note to new movers once they redeem their welcome offer. New Mover Marketing helps solidify the reputation of your small business amongst local residents. Last year, more than 27.1 million Americans moved, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. People changed residences for a variety of reasons, including lower cost of living, job relocation, and being closer to family. Following the pandemic outbreak, remote work allowed many people who were usually tied to a corporate office to relocate. No matter how well you plan, moving is stressful. Unloading boxes and getting the lay of the land takes time and effort. New Mover Marketing strives to capture new residents before they form loyalties to your competitors and introduce them to your business with a free one-time housewarming offer. “I love helping local business owners grow their businesses by directing new residents through their doors each month,” said Susan Nagi, a multi-unit Our Town America franchise owner in Arizona & Nevada. “New movers truly appreciate the kind gesture from the welcoming businesses and, as response rates demonstrate, the law of reciprocity is in effect”. Focus on Reciprocity to Grow Business Learn more about how the law of reciprocity can help your small businesses become a mainstay in your local community by trying our New Mover Marketing and direct mail services for yourself. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]

Marketing Ideas for Mechanics

Written by Brittany N. Johnson

Marketing for Mechanics with Our Town America

Marketing for mechanics does not have to be focused on coupons and discounts to be successful. New technology and techniques can boost profits and help build relationships with customers. The aftermarket auto industry is primed for growth. Poor road conditions, aging cars, and production slowdowns are helping drive the industry, according to Precedence Research. The average age of cars on the road hit a record high of 12.2 years in May, further increasing the demand for quality car repair shops. Not only do older cars need more frequent repairs, but customers will also seek quality maintenance to ensure their vehicle lasts for the long haul. Whether you are just getting your mechanic shop up and running or are already established in your local community, a savvy marketing plan can help you stay a cut above the competition. In the past, auto repair shops relied on a combination of coupons and referrals to help drive new business, and direct mail has remained a tried-and-true tool for small businesses to add customers. However, creating a multichannel marketing strategy makes a huge difference. Think Outside the Box If you want to mix it up, here are some creative strategies to rev up profits and add new customers. Film Video Tutorials. While there are nearly 284 million cars on the road in the United States, at least 39 million Americans don’t know how to change a tire. Filming video tutorials about minor car maintenance tasks can help draw attention to your auto repair shop and encourage people to schedule an appointment for a tune-up. Giving people insider tips can help build trust and increase customer loyalty. You don’t need a film crew to make a great video. Most smartphones have adequate features to film a short video you can post on your social media channels. Fun Product Recommendations. Let’s face it. There are some wacky accessories out there for our vehicles. Posting a short product review of an LED cup holder light, an air freshener shaped like a cactus, or a crochet steering wheel cover is a fun way to spark conversation. Making it a regular feature will engage followers and provide great entertainment value. Online Reviews. Finding a trustworthy mechanic isn’t easy. An earlier survey from AAA revealed two out of three drivers do not trust their auto mechanic. To put themselves at ease, many customers read online reviews before they visit a car repair shop. Positive online reviews can help drive traffic to your business. Encourage satisfied customers to write a review of your business or send out a follow-up email requesting a review. Apply for Local Awards. Everyone likes an award winner. Many communities showcase local businesses with special awards. Make sure to apply for the awards in your area to help your car repair shop stand out from the competition. Awards give your business credibility, which can help drive sales. Local awards are an inexpensive way to generate positive PR without any heavy lifting. Find a Partner. Consider teaming up with a nearby local business to increase profits. A reciprocal deal will be a win-win for both businesses. For example, give customers at your car repair shop a $5 discount if they show a receipt from the coffee shop down the road and vice versa. New Mover Marketing. If you’ve had success with direct mail, Our Town America can help you target new residents. New Mover Marketing with us enables you to reach new community members before they form loyalties with competitors. We have more than 50 years of experience building lists that convert. Each month, Our Town America gets lists of every individual who has filed some sort of address change in the past 30 days. We filter out the duplicates to deliver lists that are 95% accurate, ensuring you get a positive return on investment. Using our high-quality lists, we send new residents a Welcome Package filled with valuable proven offers. Receiving gift-certificate-style offers is a welcome relief to new residents who are navigating an unfamiliar space and trying to get settled in their homes. As a bonus, the results of a New Mover Marketing program are easy to track. Our Town America developed the TruTrak® app that allows businesses to scan redemptions at the point of sale or at your convenience. The app is easy to download to a mobile device and simplifies your New Mover Marketing effort. Build Relationships With New Residents Click here to learn more about marketing for mechanics and how Our Town America’s New Mover Marketing and direct mail services can help your auto repair shop become a mainstay in the local community. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]

Using a Mailing List to Find New Residents in Your Area

Written by Brittany N. Johnson

Using a Mailing List to Find New Residents in your Area Our Town America

What if you could swiftly greet every new mover household “at their doorstep”, welcome them to the community, introduce them your business and develop life-long relationships before your competitor does? Great news! You can. And, even better, you can automate this process. Our Town America, the nation’s leading New Mover Marketing franchise, has had this very formula down pat for the past 50 years. So that business owners, both small businesses and franchised locations, can grow their businesses efficiently and focus on delivering goods and services, Our Town America offers highly-targeted and customized direct mail outreach programs to welcome new households to the community. “Our customized direct mail marketing program is efficient and highly effective in reaching new households in communities throughout the United States,” notes Brittany Johnson, Chief Marketing and PR Executive for Our Town America. “In fact, our New Mover Program uniquely promotes your business to an entirely new group of new mover households every month”. Direct mail marketing continues to be a leading marketing solution for all industries. Marketing experts know that the mailing list will ultimately make or break a campaign’s conversion rate, customer acquisition cost and overall company growth. In fact, great creative campaigns and wonderful marketing offers do not convert to sales without first reaching their target market. Johnson added, “The success of any direct mail program is dependent upon the data. How targeted is the new resident mailing list? How current is the new movers list? How accurate is the data?” In other words, if you are looking to find new movers by direct mail, be certain you are working with a trusted expert so that you will cost-effectively reach those new residents through a quality new movers list. Don’t burn up hard-earned revenue on great creative that never stood a chance of converting to a sale. Leave the complex elements of a direct mail campaign, such as a quality list, to the experts at Our Town America so you can focus on becoming the town favorite of new mover households each month. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]

Techniques to Identify Your Key Customer Base

Written by Brittany N. Johnson

Identifying your Key Customer Base

Producing a successful marketing campaign isn’t always an easy task, even for the savviest small business owner. Our Town America can help local businesses get started by suggesting techniques to identify your key customer base. Determining a key customer base is the first step to developing a marketing strategy that converts. A customer base is the bulk of any business’ clientele — it’s the customer demographic that regularly buys your products and services. If a business markets to its customer base, it has a higher likelihood of turning first-time visitors into loyal patrons and, of course, customer retention helps drive profits. Approximately 65% of a company’s business can be attributed to existing customers. Identifying your key customer base can help businesses plan their marketing strategy. If a brand attracts millennials, ramping up online marketing efforts will be essential. On the other hand, seniors may respond to a tried-and-true approach, like radio or newspaper ads. Understanding your key customer base can help separate a business from the competition and offer customers a valuable experience. Many business owners have an idea of the crowd they want to tap into to drive sales. Simply guessing might not be enough to get the job done. It’s vital to do the research. Whether a business is already open or the owners are delving into a business plan for a new venture, determining the key customer base will help drive sales. Our Town America has 50 years of experience helping small businesses attract new customers. Over the years, we’ve learned a few techniques to identify your key customer base to add loyal customers. Visit the Competition. Identify competitors and take a hard look at their audience. Visit similar local businesses to find out what makes your brand unique. If your business is already serving customers, consider creating a survey to help understand why customers prefer your establishment over others. Conduct Market Research. If a business is still in the planning stages, conducting market research can help you identify a target demographic. Learning consumer behavior and economic trends helps reduce risk and improve profits. Make sure to take advantage of local resources, like the local chamber of commerce, to determine trends from other business owners in the community. Networking with other entrepreneurs can provide valuable insights to help identify a customer base. Businesses that are already operating can analyze existing customers to determine the characteristics of their customer base. Build an Ideal Customer. The next step is to compile your research and put pen to paper. Define your products and services from your customer’s point of view and create an ideal target customer. Be specific; your ideal customer should include demographic and behavioral details. Target Your Key Customer Base Identifying your key customer base takes the guesswork out of your marketing strategy. Once you’ve done the research and determined your unique selling proposition and target demographic, you can create a marketing strategy that converts. Our Town America has a variety of marketing tools designed to reach potential customers before they even discover your competition. New Mover Marketing. New Mover Marketing is a niche, lucrative market. Roughly 27.1 million people relocated in 2021. Decades of data have repeatedly demonstrated that the new mover demographic is highly likely to experiment with unfamiliar businesses as they need to find new hair salons, healthcare providers, local pizzerias and more. New Mover Marketing takes building your customer base to the next level. Our Town America is the nation’s premier New Mover Marketing franchise. As part of our program, we send new movers a Welcome Package filled with proven one-time-use housewarming offers introducing them to local businesses. We use proprietary lists that are more than 95% accurate to help local businesses reach new residents as they explore their new area. Direct Mail Postcard Marketing. Even as companies invest in fancy websites and roll out video marketing, any omni-channel marketing effort should include direct mail as it continually generates a solid return on investment. Consumers get overstimulated from crowded email inboxes, which only adds to the effectiveness of direct mail campaigns. Despite having a firm grip on wireless devices, trackable direct mail campaigns like ours have shown an uptick in both foot traffic and sales – proving that consumers appreciate tangible offers. Blanketing a neighborhood with postcards does drive traffic, but sending postcards to your key customer base is usually most effective. Businesses can target their direct mail postcard campaign by a variety of demographic data, including age, income or household size. Technology, such as QR Codes, has helped move direct mail into the digital age by enabling small businesses to create a seamless call-to-action on their direct mail postcard. The QR code can lead to an explanatory video of your business and services or simply to your business’ website. The possibilities are limitless. Customer Service Solidifies Loyalty New Mover Marketing will get new customers to visit your business, but providing stellar customer service to turn them into loyal customers is up to you. At least 96% of customers believe customer service plays an important role in helping them form brand loyalty, according to research conducted by Forbes. A new report from Salesforce reveals that 88% of patrons believe the customer service experience they receive at a business is just as important as the product or services. Expand Customer Base with New Residents If you’ve identified your key customer base and are ready to create a marketing strategy to help you drive sales, contact Our Town America to find out more about how New Mover Marketing or Postcard Marketing can boost profits at your business. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]

Our Town America Rolls out Digital Program to Celebrate 50th Anniversary

Written by Brittany N. Johnson

Our Town Digital by Our Town America

Digital Journal — Our Town America, the nation’s premier New Mover Marketing franchise, is celebrating its 50th year of helping local businesses create and maintain relationships with customers who are new to the area. Since 1972, Our Town America has been welcoming new movers with one-time gifts, inviting them to sample neighborhood businesses upon move in. This unique model has helped local establishments across the nation grow loyal customer bases while allowing Our Town America to thrive for generations. Unheard of in the marketing industry, the franchise is partnered with businesses who have been employing their marketing strategy for over two decades. These businesses, with the outreach of the New Mover Marketing program, cultivate relationships with a new audience of new movers every month. “Not many business owners are able to say their business has been around for 50 years,” said Michael Plummer Jr., Our Town America’s President/CEO. “My father started this company with a simple idea to help local small business owners while he was running his own retail company. We’ve been able to take his simple idea, add in technology, and run with it for five decades and that’s something we are proud of.” Over the years, Our Town America evolved into a data-driven company using the latest technology available to help small business owners target specific geographic areas, interests, or even income levels. This creates a high return on investment for local businesses looking to maximize their marketing budgets. And for those small businesses who don’t have a large marketing budget, Our Town America built their Budget Billing program allowing them to spend within their means by capping their monthly invoice. This year, the company is proud to introduce its newest program, Our Town Digital, which combines a direct mail push with digital marketing to target consumers in different spaces at the same time. “This service greatly enhances our direct mail offerings. Our Town Digital allows businesses to share their message via direct mail, social media ads and Informed Delivery emails. And, for those businesses who want to stick with just a direct mail postcard or our trackable New Mover package – that option will always be there as well,” says Plummer. Expanding their offers is something they’ve been eager to do, but Our Town America remains steadfast in their data-backed belief that direct mail holds unparalleled potential to reach consumers where they’re at. “As a consumer, there’s just nothing like holding that piece of mail in your hands and yet, in the same token, digital ads impact your subconscious,” says Brittany Johnson, Chief Marketing & PR Officer of Our Town America. “So, it just makes sense to pair the two and get the best bang for your buck”. “You see an ad for Pete’s Pizza on Facebook, you open your email and see a Pete’s Pizza postcard coming your way, you receive a tangible postcard in your mailbox, & days later you see that ad again on Google?,” says Johnson. “I don’t know about you, but I’m going to be craving pizza that night, and the first place that comes to mind will be Pete’s”. Aside from pizza, the fusion of direct and digital marketing is what customers are craving today – and Our Town America is proud to deliver. For more information on Our Town America, please visit ourtownamerica.com. For information on Our Town America franchising, please visit ourtownamerica.com/franchise. About Our Town America For 50 years, Our Town America has been providing new movers with traditional hospitality by mailing warm housewarming gifts from local neighborhood businesses in a premium welcome package. Since the company started franchising in 2005, Our Town America has consistently been placed in the Franchise Top 50, ranking top in their category for franchisee satisfaction. The franchise is also the #1 Advertising & Sales Franchise as ranked by the Franchise Business Review. Our Town America’s dedication to the “sponsor exclusivity” concept, meaning Our Town America will only recommend one of each business type in any specific zip code within its welcome packages, has been one of the key catalysts for the company’s long-term success. In addition, sponsors consistently rave about other unique aspects of the new mover marketing program – such as their ability to reach a brand-new audience of impressionable new movers each month and the insightful data/metrics delivered by Our Town America’s innovative pinpoint tracking system. Due in large part to Our Town America’s devotion to those concepts, thousands of satisfied business owners throughout the United States attest to the success and effectiveness of the program. Additionally, dozens of locally owned franchisees validate Our Town America’s concept as a viable business opportunity. It is Our Town America’s mission to assist new movers adjusting to their community, help businesses gain new and loyal customers, and provide franchisees with an excellent opportunity. The eight million households who receive Our Town America’s welcome packages each year prove that Our Town America is committed to following through on that mission statement. Visit the Our Town America website at ourtownamerica.com or call 1-800-497-8360 for more information. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]

Celebrating Our Town America’s 50th Anniversary | NBC News

Written by Brittany N. Johnson

Gayle Guyardo and Michael Plummer Jr of Our Town America 50th Anniversary

WFLA News —After decades of success connecting local businesses with new customers, Our Town America is celebrating their 50th Anniversary. The President/CEO of the successful national franchise, Michael Plummer Jr., has continued to level-up the company each year by introducing new technologies to this tried-and-true marketing strategy, but how did they get here? In 1972, Plummer Jr.’s father, Michael Plummer Sr., opened a pizza shop in Newton, Iowa. He soon realized that people moving to town didn’t know where to get good pizza. Using a list of names retrieved from the power company, Plummer family members personally delivered free pizza certificates to new neighbors by foot. After seeing the success, Plummer Sr. started doing this for other businesses and the rest is history. Fast forward to today, twelve years after the unfortunate passing of his father, Michael Plummer Jr. has stayed loyal to this simple concept of welcoming families to the neighborhood and helping local businesses gain new, loyal customers each month. Businesses like restaurants, dentists, salons, veterinarians, and others want to gain new customers. They are losing approximately 15-20% of their customers, whether they realize it or not, simply because they just moved. New movers are a lucrative market as they don’t have established habits yet, and Our Town America gives businesses the opportunity to make a great first impression with a strong one-time offer before their competitors have a chance. This type of marketing is powerful and people appreciate being noticed upon move-in. Month after month, year after year, is a new opportunity for businesses to reach a new set of new customers. Article continued below video… Click the Play button below to watch NBC Bloom Interview. Our Town America’s 50-Year Evolution While Our Town America started as just a small print shop with a list, they evolved into a data warehouse that personalizes every piece that is mailed out. They went from only being able to segment by a ZIP code, then homes and apartments, to being able to hyper-target into neighborhoods and demographics like age, income, and family size –thus maximizing a business’ reach within its budget. And not only does Our Town America offer New Mover Marketing, but they also offer Postcard Marketing — both Targeted and Every Door Direct Mail® Postcards blanketing the neighborhood. Their mobile app presents analytics and information such as who responded, written feedback, and the best types of offers, follow-up postcards, and social media targeting. Our Town America’s developments are always proprietary and printed in-house at their Clearwater, FL headquarters. “What we offer now is worlds away from what wasn’t even a dream decades ago, or even when my father passed,” says Michael Plummer Jr. “I believe if you aren’t innovating, you aren’t going to grow. We went from just a few cities to mailing in 28 states with 65 franchisees.” Plummer Jr. says Our Town America is in the relationship business. “From the families to the companies we serve. From the businesses and the franchisees and even ourselves at corporate,” he says. “We have businesses who have been marketing with us for a decade, some even two. Even people at our corporate office have been there that long. Our kids have grown up seeing this – just as I did.” What was once just his father’s legacy is now a part of his and many others within the franchise system. Our Town America enters their 50th year with gratitude for their success, hope for the future and an everlasting remembrance of their founder Michael Plummer Sr. — Our Town America supports small businesses across the nation 365 days per year. If your business is looking to gain new customers, please contact Our Town America corporate at 1-800-497-8360 to be connected with your local representative. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]

Royal Oak New Mover wins $3K from Our Town America Survey | NBC Detroit

Written by Brittany N. Johnson

Royal Oak New Mover wins $3K from Our Town America Survey

NBC Click On Detroit — For 50 years, Our Town America has been connecting new movers with local businesses and harvesting feedback on their marketing program from thousands of new movers across the country. This year, a Metro Detroit new mover won Our Town America’s $3,000 grand prize for simply filling out that survey. Emily Ciaramellano is the lucky winner! She said some friends questioned if this is a scam, but Ciaramellano kept hoping for the best. In Emily’s words, “This is definitely a good sign to fill out your [Our Town America] survey, because somebody will win and it could be you!” Our Town America has been sending new residents a Welcome Package containing a survey and gift certificates to local businesses upon move in for half a century. “We help new movers connect with businesses; it’s a win-win for everybody,” said Larry Neal of Our Town America Detroit South & West Metro. Emily Ciaramellano filled out the survey and used a few of the gift certificates within Our Town America’s Royal Oak welcome package – including TLC Car Care, Hollywood Markets, Pet Supplies Plus, and Jax Kar Wash. “This is great,” said Robb Remick of TLC Car Care, a 9+ year partnered business of Our Town America Detroit East. “And that’s what we try to build on. Obviously, once we get the customer through our door, it’s our job to make them a customer for life”. Ciaramellano moved from Rochester Hills to Royal Oak and added to her growing family by adopting two rescue cats. Ciaramellano tells Local 4 she plans to buy $300 worth of pet supplies and donate it to local shelters! “I think the more supplies they have, the longer they can keep those animals in the shelter,” she said. The New Mover Marketing company prints millions of personalized gift certificates to send to millions of movers across the United States, introducing them to their new communities and local businesses in the area. Watch video for full interview with Our Town America franchisees, Curtis Crawford, Larry & Becky Neal, Robb Remick of TLC Car Care, winner Emily Ciaramellano & her partner Andjela Grabovac. Our Town America supports small businesses across the nation 365 days per year. Local Detroit businesses looking to gain new customers via direct mail, please contact one of our Detroit area franchisees: Becky Neal (South & West Metro Detroit) ➞ 248-672-6048 Curtis Crawford (East Metro Detroit) ➞ 248-760-2966 If your business is outside the Detroit area, contact Our Town America corporate at 1-800-497-8360 to be connected with your local representative. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]

Should Your Small Businesses Consider Hyper-targeting?

Written by Brittany N. Johnson

Hyper-targeted Marketing Our Town America

Forbes Technology Council — Keeping your small business staffed and profitable can be a challenge, and determining the right marketing strategy is even trickier. A helpful small business marketing tip is to devote time to discovering your ideal customers and then implement hyper-targeting to improve return on investment. Hyper-targeting can be an efficient tool for small businesses to reach their target demographic, decrease ad spending and create a positive connection with customers. In a nutshell, hyper-targeting is the practice of delivering relevant messaging to your target consumer. Rather than blanketing a neighborhood, technology can now allow you to pick and choose who receives your direct mail piece. Being choosy improves your ability to get qualified leads versus over-saturating a community with people who won’t be interested in your services. Hyper-targeting takes some work upfront, but can deliver better results in the long term. Benefits Of Hyper-targeting • Reach the right audience. Sending direct mail to an entire neighborhood might be beneficial for grocery stores or dry cleaners, but many small businesses appeal to a specific audience. A fitness center with senior customers, a swim school franchise or a CBD store does not cater to everyone in the community. Hyper-targeting can help ensure you are reaching your target audience to increase your ability to garner loyal customers. Hyper-targeting can be a useful tool when it comes to improving your digital marketing efforts. Digital platforms, including Facebook and Google, allow you to tap browser searches, likes and views to customize your campaign. If you already use email marketing to drive sales, hyper-targeting can allow you to personalize digital content to reach specific groups based on demographics or hobbies. • More bang for your buck. My company focuses on new mover marketing, and we have a wealth of experience with direct mail marketing. Sending your message to an entire ZIP code can provide an uptick in customer traffic, especially if you include a proven offer. In our experience, however, delivering targeted mailers can not only increase customer traffic but can also help improve retention and drive repeat visits. Hyper-targeting can allow you to pinpoint your ideal consumer by a variety of markers—including age, income, educational level and lifestyle. Providing stellar customer service when they visit can ensure your efforts convert. • Provide better customer service. Hyper-targeting can enable you to customize your marketing message, which can create a personalized experience for your customers. For example, your ideal customer may be both a Millennial who lives downtown and a senior with disposable income. Hyper-targeting can allow you to change your message between the two age groups to make them more receptive to your brand. How To Get Started With Hyper-targeting Implementing hyper-targeting effectively requires small business owners to do some research and get creative. Here are my small business marketing tips to help you start taking advantage of hyper-targeting. The first step is to take the time to identify your target customer demographic and segment it into several different buyer personas. A buyer persona is a fictional representation of your ideal customer. Understanding your ideal prospect can help you attract high-value customers to boost profits as well as improve products and services. To find out the best buyer personas for your small business, do your research. Talk to your employees and your customers to learn where your patrons work, live and play. Once you compile this information, determine how you want to separate your personas. You may choose to separate them by age, ZIP code or industry and then create a fictional customer from this information. In my experience, a manageable rule of thumb is to start with three personas. Once you have your personas, it’s time to get started. One disadvantage of hyper-targeting is it can take many man-hours to implement. If you think hyper-targeting will help drive traffic, my advice would be to consider finding a partner who can support your efforts and track results. Handing the job off to someone with experience may come at a cost, but a successful marketing strategy can be the differentiator in achieving your sales goals. Staying abreast of new technology, like hyper-targeting, can help small businesses reap the rewards of their marketing efforts. Article by Forbes Technology Council Member and President/CEO/CTO of Our Town America, Michael Plummer Jr. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]

3 Ways to Use Demographics in Your Marketing Plan

Written by Brittany N. Johnson

Target by Demographic Our Town America Marketing

Dentistry Today — Using demographics as part of your marketing plan can help your dental practice cut costs by reaching your ideal customer. To prepare for the grand opening of a pediatric dental practice, for example, it’s likely you’d hang televisions, paint the walls bright colors, and launch an interactive new website. While these steps are helpful, they aren’t all you need to do to have a thriving practice. Marketing plays a key role in building your customer base and educating the community about the benefits of pediatric dentistry – or any dental practice, for that matter. Find Your Target Demographic One of the first components of any small business plan is to develop your target demographic. Demographic data looks at the characteristics of a population, including markers like age, gender, location, education level, and occupation. It can help give you a broad understanding of your customer base. The target demographic can impact your dental practice decor, procedures, and hours of operation. Look around your pediatric dental practice and take note of the fish tanks, video game consoles, and the big bin of prizes taking up prime real estate. Whether you put pen to paper and defined your ideal customer, it’s clear you had one in mind as you prepared to open your doors. Reaching the decision-makers is key, and speaking directly to a defined audience — parents — will help separate you from your general dentistry competitors. Why Are Demographics Important? Kids grow up, and adding new clients on a regular basis is necessary to sustain your practice for the long haul. Targeting your demographic can help reduce what you spend on generating leads to help grow your business. It can also help build customer loyalty and help you learn more about the needs of your customers. Using pediatric dental practices as an example again – they are in a unique position. An important component of your job is to educate the community on the benefits of seeing a specialized provider. As you know, tooth decay is one of the most common chronic health issues in children. Regular dental visits can increase school attendance, improve grades, and prevent future complications. Treating a specialized clientele allows you to hone your focus and improves your ability to provide quality care. Using demographics in your marketing efforts can help introduce children to dental care and allow you to provide parental support. My company, Our Town America, uses demographics to reach a unique market. We target new movers by sending them a welcome package filled with proven offers before they form loyalties with competitors. New mover marketing has proven to be a great tool for dental practices. One of the first things every new resident does is secure healthcare providers. Here are three ways to incorporate demographics into your pediatric dental practice – or any dental practice’s – marketing plan. Direct Mail Postcards. Even in the age of video calls, blue light glasses, and Twitter, direct mail continues to provide a tangible message that converts. The Data & Marketing Association reports direct mail receives a whopping 9% response rate. Every Door Direct Mail from the United States Postal Service allows you to blanket a neighborhood with your message. It also allows you to target specific zip codes, incomes, and household sizes. Your postcard can include a proven offer to help drive traffic or provide a QR code to prompt people to learn more about your practice online. Community Marketing. Weekends with young children include trips to the farmers market, tee-ball games, and other outdoor community events, preferably where a playground is involved. Pediatric dentists can go straight to the source and put a logo on it. Reach your target demographic by sponsoring a youth sports team, a local 5k charity run, or setting up a booth at the farmers market. Community marketing can amplify your message, allow you to engage with customers, and help create brand recognition. Content Marketing and SEO. Producing valuable content focusing on your target market’s interests and concerns is another way to reach your demographic. Learn what your audience searches for online and use those keywords to optimize your content and drive traffic to your website. Blogs and infographics will also serve as a tool to help educate your ideal customers on the value of pediatric dentistry. Targeting your ideal customer using demographic information takes some work up front but will pay off in the long run by helping keep your schedule fully booked. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]