I have a client who runs a local (as opposed to global) business, and I'd like to know how to promote her blog to potential customers in her geographic area. Anyone have any ideas? I'm thinking Real Estate VAs might run into this issue, as their clients would want to promote themselves locally. If you have this issue, what do you do?

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Tammi Metzler ~ The Write Associate
Free call: "How to Write Email Subject Lines That Grab Attention!"

Hi Tammy,

Off the top of my head: have you submitted her blog to local blog directories? You can also promote her blog on social networking sites with sections relevant to her business. You do this by answering questions. You can also submit her site to local website directories and/or directories in general.

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Shari Sultana
Online Business Manager (marketing for retail ecommerce)

I think I would do local networking, print advertising, word-of-mouth stuff as much as possible to let folks know she has a blog. If she keeps it up faithfully and has good things to say, it's likely you'll need to promote the blog itself less and less. A way to give it a boost might be to collect opt-ins and send drip emails as teasers leading to the blog.
Also, I wonder if it might be useful to consider ways your client could become more global with her business, and realize more success that way. Even a realtor, whose product is local, can benefit from national/international presence. The 'global economy' includes all of us, I think, and means that we draw to the local scene any and all interested parties from anywhere in the world.
I say all this having thought about it somewhat in relation to the networking groups I attend locally. Often I think the members don't understand the benefits of global thinking, assuming it belongs to the big companies and doesn't relate to them. But in all probability, lasting success is only possible if achieved through awareness of the global picture.

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Mary H. Ruth/Virtual Writing & Communications
http://www.writingVA.com

I would suggest using twitter, putting blog on all print advertising ( business cards and all advertising), maybe putting links to related businesses on her site/blog in return for the same to help get more traffic.