Free to Low Cost Mobile Advertising Solutions for Local Industrial Advertisers
Marketing locally is critical to some and very important to other companies that get most if not all of their business from customers within a certain geo-targeted radius. The benefit of local and mobile advertising to increase visibility and attract new customers is growing exponentially with the recent rise of iPhones and Smartphones for commercial and industrial business use. With the ever-expanding capabilities of mobile devices, you now have many new ways to engage directly with your target sourcing professionals while they are out of the office or on-the-go.
Whether you have a big budget to spend on marketing or barely one at all, there is a way for you to participate effectively and benefit from local and mobile advertising. This article will take a look at some very promising low cost and free mobile marketing solutions that offer you the opportunity to reach your targeted audience while they are actively sourcing with their iPhones, Smartphones and other handheld mobile devices.
Take Advantage of Free Business Listing with Google Local Business Center and Bing Local
In order to take advantage of many of Google's applications you have to have a Google Account. You can get one by visiting the Google Accounts page and following the online instructions. Once you have established your account, visit the Google Local Business Center to Create An Account. I also recommend you get listed on Bing Local too. If you don't already have an msn.com or hotmail.com account, then sign up to Create Your Windows Live ID. Next you must sign into your Windows Live account. Click the Add New Listing link and follow the online instructions to create your business listing.
How to Be Effective
To be effective, your free business listing must contain:
- Compelling text (copy) that informs, motivates and persuades prospects to contact you
- Keywords you know are used to search for what you offer
- Mention of your local service areas
- All relevant categories into which your products/services fall (category search has limitations but do your best to select appropriate categories)
Sample listing description may look like this:
New York Waterproofing
Industrial/commercial foundation waterproofing, concrete repair, wet walls, and certified mold removal services for Long Island, Westchester, and NYC.
How Your Free Online Local Listing Serves You
Whether your targeted sourcing professionals are using their mobile device to source with the Google or Live search engine or Google or Bing map application, either way your free online local listing will be delivered in a relevant local search result based on the keywords used to search matching the keywords you used in your local listing ad. An added benefit of the free listing is it allows sourcing professionals to find you whether they're using their desktop or mobile device to search.
Both Google's mobile search engine and maps application can automatically detect the geographical location of the person conducting the search. At this time, Bing requires the user to enter his location. Local business search results are delivered either way on the first page of the search engine listings or directly on the location map, making it great for you and convenient for your targeted sourcing professional.
Low Cost Mobile Advertising Solution That Gives You Full Control
A terrific low cost, multi-platform mobile advertising solution available on both desktop and mobile device is the industrial only search engine Industrial Web Search. Without the restrictions of category search and competitive ranking, you are in complete control to "tag" your listing using keywords and phrases you know are used by your targeted audience groups to search for what you offer. Your business listing is triggered exclusively by the text the user has typed into the search box, and unlike AdWords, there are no additional click costs associated with being found and clicked on. Your affordable yearly membership is all-inclusive, allowing you to manage costs and budget effectively. Yearly memberships start as low as $375 (limited time introductory offer - regular cost is $499).
There are three membership levels to choose from and you can select the level that suits your business needs without having to pay for features you just don't want. For example, if you only sell a couple of products then the photo gallery available at the Enhanced Membership level will serve your purposes just fine. See Industrial Web Search for more information.
How to Be Effective
To be effective, your low cost Company Profile must contain:
- Tags that accurately represent your products/services while at the same time accurately representing the keywords and phrases used by your target audience groups to source for what you offer
- A clear, concise company description that accurately identifies what you offer and to whom
- Areas you serve
- Certifications such as ISO that you have
- High quality product photos or other applicable images
- Accurate, updated contact information
The tags you select and manage work to match you with the right sourcing professional. Your Company Profile convinces him to contact you so include the information he will need to decide you may be a good fit.
How Membership in Industrial Web Search Serves You
Sourcing professionals like the fact that the search engine only contains quality industrial and commercial all-American businesses who are members and not just random companies gathered anonymously from the internet. Your membership identifies you as a quality company, your tags identify what you offer, and the service areas you specify identify where you do business.
Your many benefits of membership include:
- 100% control with tags you manage - add, change, delete, or buy more
- No hidden costs - membership is all-inclusive
- Choose the level that fits your budget and your needs
- No pre-determined categories to fit into
- All the tools you need built-in for easy management
- Low cost mobile advertising option
- Attracts industrial and commercial sourcing professionals only
- Sourcing professionals can search by state to determine who can serve them locally - ensures you get calls from companies you can actually help
- Multi-platform makes it available on desktop and mobile devices like iPhones and Smartphones for the same all-inclusive low cost of membership
Conclusion
A great introduction to mobile advertising to support your local advertising objectives is to select free and low cost solutions that can reach your targeted buyer groups whether they are sourcing online using their desktop or their mobile phone! Google, Bing and Industrial Web Search offer you the opportunity to get started without breaking the bank.
Google and Bing Local ad listings fit the bill. You'll be up against a greater pool of competitors vying for that listing position and you can also be out-ranked by an irrelevant result; but, regardless, it is still worth getting listed.
Industrial Web Search is more focused in its approach because it is designed to attract industrial and commercial buyers only. In addition to being available for use by sourcing professionals on both their desktop and their mobile devices, results sometime show up in Google even when the person is not using the Industrial Web Search engine directly. Sourcing professionals are helped along with their search by a built-in set of tools. As they search, they can see the tags used by member sellers that match what they're looking for. It also allows them to specify the state in which they need service if that is a factor. So the low cost of membership offers you a more targeted audience, higher quality leads, and greater control overall.
Contact us to learn how to prepare your website to attract, convert and track leads.
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