Are you looking for ways to increase your local business reach and attract more customers in your area? From optimizing your online presence to leveraging the power of content marketing, we’ve got you covered. Additionally, we will also discuss the different types of local marketing strategies and who should use them.
What is Local Marketing?
Local marketing is a method of promoting goods or services to individuals within a particular geographic area. Businesses have many options to choose from such as social media, email marketing, outdoor media (signage, vehicles, billboards), and print. We recommend using multiple channels, but you don’t need to be all things to all people and cover all of these equally. Execute, track and measure. All these activities raise brand recognition and encourage more customers to the business.
10 Local Marketing Strategies
Digital Foundation – Website, Local SEO, Reviews, and Social Media
Building a solid digital marketing foundation is key, with a strong website, online reviews, local SEO and Social Media is one of the most cost effective ways to grow a small business. It takes a time investment and solid idea of what your customers are looking for to build a successful online program. The more unique you can be while still sticking to a real life scenarios will ensure your content is fresh.
Word of Mouth
Building a steady flow of word of mouth referral business is the most cost effective means of securing new customers. Not only that, businesses that are referred have borrowed credibility from the referral source.
You can encourage word of mouth referrals a number of ways. Use social media and email marketing campaigns to promote the program and attract new customers from your local market.
Events
Hosting events such as workshops, classes, discussion forums puts your expertise on show. It is a great way yo build credibility, trust and secure new customers.
Showcasing at community events builds awareness of your business, but can be costly. Choose wisely.
Put Marketing Collateral in Public Places
To maximize your local marketing efforts, consider putting marketing collateral in public places. This can involve creating eye-catching flyers or brochures that highlight your brand and services. By placing these materials in high-traffic public areas such as coffee shops or libraries, you can increase the visibility of your business and attract potential customers. Utilize social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter to expand the reach of your marketing message beyond just those who physically encounter the collateral. In addition to increasing brand awareness across digital platforms, this approach is an excellent way to engage with the local community and target audience for your business.
Outdoor Advertising (Vehicles, Signage, Billboards)
Vehicle advertising is commonly used – but often a missed opportunity. It’s wonderful when prospects see you out and about in their neighborhood. Consider showcasing positive reviews on your vehicle, or at least star ratings if your ratings are positive. It helps build your credibility further. QR codes for web links are more commonly used now than 3 years ago. You can use these to drive someone to a landing page for new customers.
One unique approach I have seen locally is a handyman who covers his car in magnetic business cards. Whenever he’s parked, customers can simply take one, put it on their fridge and call when they need help around their home.
If you work in customers’ homes, consider a sticker or QR code in the garage, and while you are working, market to the neighbors (let them know you are in the neighborhood, and offer help).
Gifting branded sweatshirts, hats, or totes to loyal customers is a great way to getting your brand out there in your area, without an ongoing marketing cost.
Billboards can be amazing brand builders; they often will not close a deal in isolation of other methods unless there is a compelling offer.
Partnerships and Alliances
Attending networking events and joining business organizations are ways to expand your reach within the community. Collaborating with influencers and bloggers can also lead to new customers through their followers. Supporting charities or donating services at community events is another way of gaining exposure while encouraging goodwill towards your brand. Joint promotions or discounts that you create with other businesses can attract new customers and strengthen existing relationships.
Partnering with other local businesses for cross-promotion opportunities can give both businesses a significant boost by implied credibility and doubling reach while sharing marketing expenses.
Make Your Staff Your Emissaries
Your staff members can be powerful brand ambassadors for your local business. By incentivizing and encouraging their active participation on social media platforms, you can establish a strong online presence within your local community. Utilize secondary keyterms like ‘brand ambassadors’ and ‘incentivizing’ to achieve optimal results. Additionally, reward top-performing employees by recognizing their hard work and dedication towards promoting your business through their efforts. By incorporating these tactics into your local marketing strategy, you’re sure to attract new customers from within your target audience and build a loyal customer base over time.Your existing customer base
Don’t neglect your existing customer base in the rush for new customers. Build relevant targeted email programs, and loyalty programs for returning customers to make sure they know they are appreciated.
Get in the Newspaper
To reach out to a larger audience in your local area, you can leverage niche local media outlets and get in the newspaper. Submit press releases or advertise through display ads or classifieds to increase visibility and brand awareness among potential customers. Along with traditional media channels like newspapers and online versions of them available on social media platforms like Google My Business and Yelp, explore digital marketing tactics such as email campaigns, SEO optimization for your website listings on search engines such as Google and social media marketing across platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Try participating through flyers at community events or hosting your own events to drive more foot traffic towards your physical location.
Create a Loyalty Program
Creating a loyalty program is a great way to build customer loyalty and increase repeat business for your local business. By offering rewards such as discounts, free products or services, or exclusive access to events, you can encourage customers to return and make more purchases. Be sure to create a system for tracking and managing the loyalty program so that you can offer targeted promotions to participants in the future. Use social media and email marketing campaigns to promote the program and attract new customers from your local market.
Engage with a Local Audience on Social Media
Engaging with a local audience on social media is a great way to boost brand awareness and visibility for small businesses. Take advantage of different social media marketing tactics like geotargeting and hashtags to catch the attention of potential customers in your local communities. Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn can help you connect with shoppers on their mobile devices while also promoting events or special deals happening at your physical location. Positive testimonials or reviews from satisfied customers can showcase your business name online while negative reviews can be addressed using CRM software. Don’t forget to offer exclusive discounts or promotions on your landing page or through email marketing campaigns specifically targeted towards your followers.
Use Targeting Tools for Online Marketing
To maximize your local marketing strategies, it’s important to leverage the power of targeting tools for online marketing. By using paid social media advertising or Google AdWords, you can easily target specific demographics in your local area. Geofencing technology allows you to target users within a certain radius of your physical location, while retargeting ads help reach potential customers who have previously shown interest in your brand. Utilizing these tools can increase brand awareness and foot traffic to your business. Don’t forget to optimize your online presence through SEO and targeted email campaigns, as well as engaging with a local audience on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
Tell Your Story
Leveraging storytelling as a part of your local marketing tactics is a great way to connect with local customers emotionally. You can highlight what sets you apart from competitors by creating content around your niche or business and combining it with strong testimonials from satisfied clients. Using social media marketing strategies like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn can help you increase visibility across multiple channels. Additionally, participating in local events or engaging in neighborhood marketing efforts can also help drive foot traffic to your physical location.
Get Reviews and Testimonials
Encouraging satisfied customers to leave reviews across platforms like Google My Business, Yelp, and social media is a great way to establish credibility and trust with potential local customers. Responding promptly and professionally to all types of reviews can further enhance your reputation. Offering incentives like discounts on the next purchase can encourage happy customers to share positive feedback. Additionally, don’t hesitate to request testimonials from loyal patrons that you can showcase on your website or in marketing materials for increased brand awareness and visibility in the local market.
Send Out Targeted Email Campaigns
Create a successful Email Marketing Campaign for your local business by first building an email list of customers and leads in your local area. Utilize email marketing software to create targeted campaigns that cater to customer interests and engage them with exciting content such as promos, events, and relevant industry news. Make sure that all your emails are mobile-friendly with clear calls-to-action so that they can be easily accessed on mobile devices like phones or tablets. Finally track metrics like open rates and click-through rates to measure the efficacy of your marketing tactics.
Launch a Coupon Campaign
To drive more foot traffic and attract new customers to your local business, it’s crucial to leverage different local marketing ideas. One of the most effective ways is by launching a Coupon Campaign that offers an incentive for potential customers to try your products or services. Target specific demographics or geographic regions with coupon campaigns distributing them via social media marketing, email marketing, or local publications. It’s important to create a sense of urgency by offering coupons for a limited time and tracking metrics like redemption rates and customer feedback. By using this tactic in your marketing strategy, you can increase brand awareness among your target audience and enhance customer loyalty.
Offer a Free Consultation or Advice
Providing a complimentary consultation or guidance is an excellent way to draw local customers to your brand. This strategy helps in establishing credibility and building trust among potential clients in the local market. Offering valuable insights for free goes a long way in creating lasting relationships with your target audience while also serving as an effective lead generation tool for future marketing efforts. Additionally, this tactic differentiates your business from competitors by highlighting your niche expertise in specific areas.
Get in the Newspaper
To reach out to a larger audience in your local area, you can leverage niche local media outlets and get in the newspaper. Submit press releases or advertise through display ads or classifieds to increase visibility and brand awareness among potential customers. Along with traditional media channels like newspapers and online versions of them available on social media platforms like Google My Business and Yelp, explore digital marketing tactics such as email campaigns, SEO optimization for your website listings on search engines such as Google and social media marketing across platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Try participating through flyers at community events or hosting your own events to drive more foot traffic towards your physical location.
How does local marketing work?
Local marketing focuses on promoting products or services to a specific geographical area. It requires a deep understanding of the local community’s needs and preferences, utilizing channels such as social media, email marketing, local events, and flyers. The aim is to raise brand awareness and attract customers to the business’s physical location.
Conclusion
Local marketing can help your business reach out to the right audience and build a loyal customer base. Whether you are running a small business or a large one, implementing local marketing strategies can help you generate leads and increase sales. With our comprehensive guide on free and paid local marketing ideas, you can learn how to engage with your community, optimize your online
