Local Online Marketing & Advertising is What We Do - And All We Do.
[by Chris Sheehy]
Sidewalk Branding Co.
Do you remember the days when people gathered on sidewalks in front of their houses or would stop each other on the sidewalk in front of a local business on Main Street just to chat about what was going on?
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Having grown up in a small Connecticut town – I sure do.
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As a kid, I remember walking down the sidewalks in my neighborhood (header image - but in better times) with my Grandfather and the frequent interruptions by neighbors & friends - from the corner store to the end of the block - calling out "Hey Johnny!" with a question. These callouts were common no matter where we went in town. Everyone knew my Gramps, and everyone knew he would have a good answer for them.
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And what I remember most about that local sidewalk talk is how it was often about the things in life - where to go for a good lunch, who had the best porchetta for Sunday's family supper (it's an Italian thing), what insurance agent to use, or where to get your car fixed.
"Sidewalk Branding" Comes From These Memories - My Grandfather Was "The Google" Of My Youth
"Word-Of-Mouth-Marketing" is what it came to be known as - it was a precursor to asking a search engine for answers. Now fast-forward just one generation, and we find "Google it," SEO, Twitter, Instagram, website design, #hashtags, and Facebook, not just jargon for forward-thinking businesses and techies, but common household words you likely hear throughout your day.
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Times they are a-changin' - and what got businesses where they are today is not guaranteed to get them where they want to be tomorrow. Today's businesses need more than a simple sidewalk-talk marketing strategy. Local businesses need to promote and market their businesses locally, so they are discovered by the right local people searching for their products and services. This is what we do – and it’s all we do…
Chris's story
I am frequently asked how I got started in this industry, and nearly everyone is surprised to learn that, while I did take computers in high school and college (DOS programming), I didn't plan on becoming a search engine specialist - not by a long shot.
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Truth is, I came home one day to tell my wife I had quit my corporate job to go-it-alone with my first business. Looking back, her reaction wasn't what I had envisioned, but she has always been my biggest supporter, and I wouldn't be where I am today without her.
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That was in the late 90s, and like any other bootstrap entrepreneur, I had a dream, tons of ambition, but little money to back up my plans. So, I hit the facsimile machine (aka: "the fax") to promote my new business! Yep, that's how we did it back then. Shortly after, during the dot.com boom days, I built a website to promote my startup. In no time, I also had a newsletter and a weblog (that's what blogs were called before they were cool) and was creating and optimizing content like crazy.
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Before I knew it, my website was nominated for an industry award, and I was booking clients with this new thing called the "World Wide Web." And then - Google entered the market. Ranking & SEO quickly became an obsession of mine and a passion that I enjoy to this day.
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When I tell business owners I know how difficult and complicated promoting a business is, and understand where they are coming from - I mean it, and I have the experience (failures and successes) along with hard-credentials to back it up. It's this experience that differentiates me and my company. And as with any industry - experience pays dividends.
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My first business lasted several good years, until I was made an offer I couldn't refuse from the company that made the software I was using. I spent a few years in that corporate environment until my division was sold off. But before HR could schedule an exit interview, I was working for one of their partners. A super gig that lasted for another few good years until I was told the board of directors wanted me at corporate, where they had a nice office for me on hold. Don't get me wrong, I love the Midwest - but that was not a good fit for my family.
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So, as I had done before, I came home from my day job to announce to my wife that I had quit my corporate job (again) to go-it-alone with a new business venture. I built a website, opened a blog (they were cool now), and started racking up publishings, awards, and recognition. The year was 2009 - and we're still going strong...
Some Business Types We Have Been Honored to Serve:
Advertising Firms
Appliance Stores
Arborist & Tree Services
Audio-Visual Installers
Auto-Brokers
Auto Parts Suppliers (MOPAR)
Automobile Manufacturers (US)
Automotive Service & Repair Shops
Banks
Behavioral Dog Trainers
Business Consultants
Franchisors
Furniture Manufacturers
Gentlemen Clothing & Haberdasheries
Government Agencies (federal)
Graphic Artists
Higher Education Colleges/Universities
Home Improvement Companies
Home Restorers & Remodelers
Home Service Companies
House Painters
HVAC Contractors
Interior Designers
Internet Firewall Services
Inventors
IT Services
Kitchen & Bath Showrooms and Designers
Landscapers
Lighting Showrooms
Locksmiths
Logistics Companies
Machinery Manufacturers
Machinists
Magazine Publishers (print & online)
Magicians & Entertainers
Manufacturing Organizations
Marine Engine Parts & Rebuilding Companies
Marketing Firms
Media Buyers
Mortgage Companies
Network Operations Center (NOC) Builders
New Car Dealers (Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Honda, Jeep, Ram, SRT, Toyota)
Civil Engineers
Chemical Engineers
Commercial Safety Products
Construction Firms
Dermatologists
Dry Cleaners
Electrical Supply Companies
Engineering Companies
Epoxy Product Manufacturers
Equipment Manufacturers
Factoring Companies
Firewood & Mulch Delivery Companies
Fitness & Personal Trainers
Franchisees
Nonprofits / Not-For-Profit Groups
OSHA Trainers
Pawnshops
Political Campaigns
Printing Businesses
Private High Schools
Public Relations (PR) Firms
Restaurants
Retail Showrooms
Safe & Vault Sales & Services
Sandwich & Deli Shops
Shippers & Packers
Small Engine Repairers
Software Developers
Structural Engineers
Stud Horse (yea, that was interesting)
Surgeon Groups
Telecommunication Companies
Trade Associations
Trucking Businesses
Used Car Dealers
Video Production Companies
Warehouse Equipment Companies
Water Treatment & Conservation Plants
Website Designers
White House Performer (yep - THE White House)
Window Sales & Installation Companies
Window Washers (the BIG stuff)
Writers & Copywriters
Yacht Charters
