With a population of more than 11 million in its city and suburbs, the Chicago area is a hot bed of buyers and sellers trying to connect with each other every day. There is competition in almost every conceivable industry, and advertisers constantly are on the look out for more-exact ways of reaching their target audiences.

Thanks to continuing advancements in search engine marketing, or SEM, and its related technology, including paid search and search engine optimization, businesses in and around the Windy City are thriving on their Internet advertising success.

Recent improvements to geo-targeting have had a significant impact on strategic Internet marketing in the metropolitan business community. Search engines like Google and Yahoo now can display results based on the searcher’s IP address, eliminating the need for location as part of the search. Now, national brands with local target audiences have a chance to be seen, and small businesses on limited budgets competing for those same consumers have a chance to level the playing field.

Search data from Yahoo Search Marketing for early 2007 shows Chicagoans are performing their top searches for automobiles, restaurants, sports teams and apartments. As a major metropolitan area with significant business diversity, Chicago likely mirrors the search habits of consumers in many different U.S. markets. It also demonstrates the advertising models of companies with varying budgets.

For instance, nationally based auto dealerships, such as CarMax, now can appear alongside local used-car lots when a search is performed without a specified location. As long as the dealership is within a 30-to-50-mile radius of the search, it will appear. Likewise, in the highly competitive restaurant industry where big budgets help national chains dominate, single-store vendors on a shoestring can appreciate the same importance and reach.

Although small businesses have been slow to adopt paid search and search engine optimization strategies, they cannot ignore the importance or simplicity of the changing advertising environment.

Technology improvements effectively are eliminating the excuses a small-business owner might have for resisting the Internet. Today, these companies do not even need a Web site to route visitors to their information. Display ads can include contact information and paid-search campaigns can hinge on pay-per-call outcomes.

And, with Internet Yellow Pages now mirroring the functionality of major search engines, these nearly obsolete banks of local information have managed to find their place as robust, viable advertising options.

So whether it’s downtown or at the farthest reaches of the Chicago suburbs, there are opportunities for every business to reach their target audiences effectively, thanks to smart technology and professional SEM expertise.

Your success as a business owner or executive will be largely determined by how many high quality clients you can attract and retain. Following is a detailed discussion about how to use different sales and marketing techniques to draw attention to your business. The key to all of these marketing strategies is to provide good information to a targeted group of people. To see how large your target market is, simply google “consumer demographics” or “direct mail target market” and you will find several companies who will provide this service for you. These companies should be able to tell you how large your target market is and other helpful information including where your prospects live by zip code, how much income they earn, and more. You can use this service as a tool to gauge how large your market is and, if you buy the list, you can use it to fill your pipeline with the right kind of leads.

Now let’s move on to four proven ways to market your business in the first quarter.

Seminars and Workshops

Seminars and workshops that offer quality information about your business, market, or industry, are becoming popular ways to build a client base. You can differentiate yourself by showing how clients how to use your services and how you fill a need that your competitors cannot. Do not be discouraged if your first seminars do not draw a crowd. If you find a systematic way to incorporate them into your marketing plan, people will show up over time.

Mailers

Some service business owners have done well marketing their businesses through direct mail. Others I have talked to aren’t fans of it at all. If you are going to do it, make sure you take the time to do it well. Your mailer needs to be eye-catching and to-the-point. Here are some pointers on direct mail advertising.

Use a targeted list. Set an objective. Do you want prospects to call for a free consultation? Do you want them to R.S.V.P. for your next seminar? What type of action do you want them to take? Write a good headline. Try to strike an emotion (pain and fear are often used) from the start. Include a specific call to action. “The first 10 callers will receive…”. “Call (555) 555-5555 now for your free consultation.” Those are the types of words you’ll want to use. Test your mailing before sending it out to thousands of prospects. A random sample of 500 postcards or letters should give you a good feel for how the market will respond to that particular mailing.Several companies have samples of quality direct mail pieces on their website. Google “direct mail sample” and a list will come up.

Radio Shows and Podcasts

Several top service business owners create regular podcasts or even host their own radio show. If you want to see what one of the best in the business is doing, visit John Dvorak’s site called crankygeeks.com, click on “Episodes” on the left-hand navigation bar, and download the podcasts. Podcasts can be a great alternative if you don’t want to go through the process of starting your own show.

Write Articles

If starting a radio show or podcast isn’t your cup of tea, maybe article writing is more for you. Local business journals or newspapers are almost always looking for expert writers on a regular basis. If those channels don’t work, you can publish your articles at a number of online submission companies.

Get a jump start on your marketing in 2009 by implementing at least one of these strategies into your business plan.