We are the hub (or rather one of two hub type towns) in the area. There's the Capital city about 1 1/2 away southeast of us and a large town about 3 hours northwest of us. Neighbouring towns around here are all smaller...mostly farming type communities with some resource base. There are two lucrative nuggets that my printer client and I are going to partner up to crack likely in the fall, plus there will be some pull from the other communities in the area. So yeah, that is on the agenda but I can only do so much at once...lol
The field is wide open for me to play in.
I don't have a whole lot of competition (outside of the person who thinks he's competition)...I have awareness issues...and I'm working on those :-) I have only been in business here for a year, only lived in the community for just under 3 years. I am not complaining about where I'm at.
This is a tough town in some ways because there is this perception that to be good you have to come from the city - meanwhile city groups are calling me to present because they do perceive me as knowledgeable. There's also still a bit of an undercurrent of chauvinism too. I am breaking through but it takes time. It's just a matter of doing my thing and getting it out there that there is world class talent in this town.
Yes I can put myself on the city radar as far as media goes. I've already been developing contacts, but I can't quite yet because my father in law lives there and still doesn't know that I've quit my job (LONG STORY!!) But hubby is going to have to fess up soon because I'm slated to be in a national magazine in October and my fil's wife just might read that magazine or her daughter or any number of people that she might know...it's not like I have a common name...
My huge problem with
SEO right now is what am I? Am I a marketer, a publicist, a copywriter, a strategist, a consultant, a speaker, an author...I am all of those and more :-) what I am not is thoroughly versed in
SEO...though talking to Aaron Wall last year when I interviewed him for Internet Based Moms did help me break through a couple of barriers...
I am utilizing twitter to promote myself and my client...raising my rates right now though is a bit tricky. I charge slightly more than the market will bear with one to one clients (though I do give away too much and I have to curb that more) - the big shopping promotion project I misjudged a bit on the expenses and on the number of participating sponsors that would get involved (however I am still working on it and that may turn around within the next week...especially with the data I've been accumulating...) if everything had gone according to my projections it would have been a profit that I could be happy with. As it is...it's a great way to make everyone in town know who I am and what I am capable of and it can all build to the next promotion.