If you run a local business that receives the majority of its customers from within a 75-mile radius, you can implement different marketing methods, but there is one thing you must keep in mind. You must attract customers close enough to stroll into your store or to whom you can go to provide service. This requires a specific strategy known as ‘local marketing.’
If you’re not sure how to go about local marketing or if you lack time, consider hiring a marketing agency like Next Door Ads Agency and others to help you. While evaluating marketing agency services and consultants, make sure to collect information regarding their track record of working with small local businesses to get on top of the competition and stay there.
Whether you hire a digital marketing agency or not, it’s still important to have a grasp of local marketing approaches that will assist you in attracting customers from your local area:
1. Work On Local SEO
Some of the most advanced local marketing efforts use the web to increase foot traffic. Deliveries and purchases via e-commerce happen too often these days.
There is a lot more to local search engine optimization (SEO). Local SEO involves optimizing websites for local searches. Take advantage of search engine rankings for keywords that target customers use to find your type of business, such as ‘Beauty Salons in Brooklyn’ or ‘Louisiana party planning.’ Also, produce quality content so that local newspaper websites, blog posts, and even social media platforms may link to and direct traffic to your site.
2. Claim Your Local Listings
Listing your business in online directories is a good strategy for establishing a relationship between your brand with a certain geographic area or address. Listings for local businesses offer details about the organization. If your clients use search engines to find you, you can greatly benefit from this. Moreover, incorrect information will confuse your customers and harm your online reputation. Search engines will rank a company lower if its data is inconsistent or erroneous. So, manage this aspect well.
3. Target Specific Areas With Your Paid Advertising
Another effective strategy for reaching your local market is to invest in local advertising. Not only does this tactic target particular audiences and personas based on their geographic location, but it also requires including pertinent keywords in the content of your advertisements.
Include terms such as the city or the neighborhood you live in, and try to incorporate geographical data whenever it’s possible.
4. Collaborate With Other Local Businesses
Collaborating with other businesses covers benefits. For instance, if you offer a bargain or promotion to your target market, only you can engage with them. But if you and another business provide a promotion jointly, then customers of both of your companies are likely to become aware of it.
Another example is a neighborhood restaurant could team up with a movie theater in the area to offer a ‘dinner and a movie’ package to their customers. This expands your customer base and encourages customers of your partner to recognize and experience your products or services.
5. Participate In Community Events
Even if it seems ‘old-fashioned,’ you should still consider sponsoring a local sports team or community event. Other activities like nutrition festivals, high school raffles, annual conventions, and other events could provide your business with some exposure.
Getting your brand exposed and in front of local decision-makers and influencers, especially those who might be interested in your products, is the primary objective.
6. Use Local Social Media Marketing Campaigns
You’re likely busy advertising your products and services. But neglecting social media in your local marketing campaign can cost you new and existing customers. Try these social media methods to promote your brand locally:
- Join Local Groups. Associating with groups allows you to meet like-minded individuals who can be a source of information and support as well as potential customers. You can join groups according to a passion, subject, or industry.
Don’t forget to utilize the power hashtags when engaging with your local audience. Use specialized hashtags for local events and subjects to make them more meaningful.
- Run Local Ads. Local advertisements will help your small business grow. Local social media marketing can promote both revenue and brand recognition. Customers who need your services will likely contact your business after seeing it in their newsfeed.
- Work With Local Influencers. Influencers have a large online audience and can influence others’ buying decisions. The practice of collaborating with local influencers is becoming more and more popular.
To get people to promote your business on their social media accounts, you can either pay them or provide them with free items in exchange. It’s a low-cost marketing strategy that has a high level of community engagement.
Since these social media influencers have built trust with their followers, their endorsements can be powerful. Hence, consider it a credible reference for your business.
Conclusion
Overall, your local marketing strategy should reflect the tactics that perform best for your product or service and your sector. Thus, making data-driven decisions is the only way to know for sure what you’re doing. Based on the information, you can change your local marketing plan. That’s when your business can continue to expand.