I know that the world wide web has changed the way we socialize and do business. It is so much easier to make contact with people all over the world and this reality can lead us to believe that geography is no longer a factor in our business networking, marketing and other relations. But, I believe that geography is still a consideration we need to contend with when it comes to our home businesses.
People still talk to people, and we still make face-to-face friends and have face-to-face conversations. We still throw and go to parties and we still strike up conversations in bus depots and on air planes. So, while there is plenty of e-mailing and online chatting going on, if you are considering public relations and marking and how to promote your business, you still need to think about how people come in contact with other people on a “real life” basis. We still go to church, to the grocery store, have people over for dinner and get together for sporting events. We also still take actual classes where we sit in chairs with others and go to conferences and other public events.
It is still a good idea to think of your marketing and public relations, and in fact, your target market, in terms of a geographical area. Whether it is by neighborhood in your own home town, or region–understanding how to target a specific geographical area and taking advantage of how people physically get together and share information is an important part of successful marketing. This doesn’t mean that you should ignore the realities of “global” marketing and how much more connected we are to other countries and continents now–but when it comes to building your home-based business, paying attention to the realities of geography is still a very good consideration.
Also: Understanding Integrated Marketing