While a big portion of your business promotion may be either on line or by word of mouth, there is still value in more traditional ways of marketing. Getting your business name and contact information into directories and guides can be one good way of making sure that your business is at the tip of consumers’ fingers when it comes time for them to look for a particular product or service.
Directories and guides come in many shapes and sizes—there are ones that are industry-specific (“car washes in the tri-state area”) or ones that are geared toward a particular community or population. For example, many chambers of commerce put together “welcome packets” and directories of member businesses for people who have just moved into the area or residents who want to know who the chamber businesses are. I have seen directories that were geared toward retired people and/or seniors, parents, and newly independent, young adults. Finding the right directory for your home business (or directories) may be a matter of determining your target market and figuring out if there is a guide or directory geared toward your demographic.
Some directories will charge you to put your business within the pages, while others will ask you to advertise or to be a member. There are ones, however, that are very service-oriented and they will include your information for free (or in exchange for your participation in distribution.) In order to get your business in these guides, start with research—contact the guides and directories and find out the process—who is printing or publishing them, what does it take to participate, and what is the process for submitting your information. This process can be a bit time consuming but it can be well worth it for the relatively inexpensive marketing and distribution you benefit from.