San Francisco is one of the top advertising markets in the country. It’s a major metro hub, home to millions of people and potential brand consumers. But San Francisco is also a cultural center. What becomes popular in San Francisco, like in New York City and Los Angeles, often becomes popular elsewhere.
If you can get your brand noticed in San Francisco, you might just succeed in the rest of the country as well. Today, let’s take a look at how you can do just that through some smart marketing strategies.
Distribute pamphlets and posters
San Francisco is a city of activists. The people of this metropolis are more than aware of the power of pamphlets, posters, and other real-world materials (sometimes called out-of-home advertising materials).
You can take a page out of that book and distribute pamphlets and posters for your brand to get noticed quickly. However, you should strategically put up these materials in suitable locations.
For example, are you trying to attract young adults and working professionals to your company? Try putting up pamphlets and posters around college campuses on telephone poles or coffee shop community boards.
Ensure your chosen pamphlets and posters are attractive, visually distinct, and include a call to action. The call to action is necessary to ensure that your target audience members reach out to your brand or make a purchase!
Connect with the community
Of course, you can also take the matter to the people themselves. Try to connect with the community by joining clubs and groups, such as small business associations. You should also try to get your brand noticed by connecting with every customer who walks in your door or makes a purchase from your online store.
Despite its size, San Francisco is quite a tight-knit city and community. People who patronize your business and have a good experience will spread your reputation. Don’t discount the power of community gossip!
Use billboard advertisements
Then there are billboard advertisements. San Francisco billboards are some of the best ways to reach a massive number of people with a relatively cost-effective advertising method.
Billboard advertisements, however, can be pretty pricey, depending on their location. The average cost of a San Francisco billboard is $2.74k, while the lowest price is around $100. Typically, billboard spots in majorly trafficked locations, like transit hubs, big freeways, significant intersections, and other apparent areas are more expensive than billboards in other spots.
You should do plenty of market research to figure out:
- Where your target audience usually commutes?
- Where your target audience lives and works?
Once you have this information, you can strategically position your billboards and set them up where your target consumers are most likely to see them. You can change your billboard positioning over time. Most billboards can be rented or purchased for four-week campaigns. As your campaigns progress, cut the billboards that don’t perform and funnel that money into other areas.
Join conventions and markets
While San Francisco has many spots for traditional advertisements, you can and should join various conventions and markets. Farmer’s markets don’t just let you sell foods and produce – many welcome small vendors for businesses to run stands or stalls during the day.
Conventions and markets allow you to make new customer connections and bring more people to your brand over a weekend. On top of that, you’ll make some money just from selling your goods or products, even if only to one-time shoppers.
Get on podcasts or blogs
Lastly, consider speaking as a guest on a podcast or writing as a guest on a blog. Podcasts and blogs drive a lot of social evolution in San Fran, plus they help people determine where they will shop or what they will buy.
The right podcasts and blogs can help you build a loyal customer base in no time at all. You can essentially take some of the audience that already consumes the above content and bring them to your business if you provide good information or sell yourself as a helpful company for their needs.
However, you may need to research your industry to find suitable podcasts and blogs to collaborate with.
Wrap up
But if you follow the above strategies, you’ll have a better chance of getting your brand noticed and picked up by your target audience. Good luck!
