Local marketing is a key component of a larger marketing strategy for small businesses. This can expose your brand to a wider local audience who will patronize your business in the near future. So what can you do as an entrepreneur to improve your small business's reach to a local audience? This guide includes 14 quick tips to improve your local marketing strategy.
Local marketing starts with a few simple steps for any business. Here are some quick and easy ideas to improve local marketing for your business.
1. Optimize your site for local users.
Website optimization is key to driving traffic and essential to any digital marketing strategy. But is your site optimized for local users? There are several ways to optimize your website for potential customers.
- Make sure your site is mobile friendly. Creating a mobile-friendly website is essential. Heather Lodge, owner and chief strategist at Workflow Digital, says businesses need to ensure their websites offer a superior mobile experience to attract local customers. "More than half of all website traffic comes from mobile devices," Lodge said. "If you have a nice, well-organized website with big text that's readable on a small screen and big buttons that are easy to click, it's going to be easier to attract local business."
- Localize your website. Every effective business website should follow search engine optimization (SEO) best practices, such as using keyword research to inform your website content. However, localizing your site means deciding on keywords and key phrases based on local SEO. For example, ask yourself, "What is the local market searching for on Google?" A good rule of thumb is to remember your community or surrounding communities often. For example, if you're targeting a regional audience, consider adding language like "serving the tri-state area."
Improve your local SEO knowledge by using free keyword research tools like Google Analytics, Google Trends, and Google Search Console to understand which local terms to include.
2. Update the title tag and meta description on your site.
Make sure your site's title tags and metadata are up to date. "Metadata has several different parts, but most people only think about the meta description and the title tag," says McKnight.
- Title tag: The title tag is the 60 characters that search engine users see on a search engine results page (SERP). Keep your title tag relevant to your brand and position, but under 60 characters.
- Meta description: The meta description should be a maximum of 160 characters. A meta description has little impact on search engine rankings, but it can improve click-through rates by letting users know exactly what information they can find on a web page. "Data shows that a quality meta description ... can help click-through rates," McKnight said. "On the other hand, for a business like a restaurant that wants people to call, having a phone number in the meta description is huge."
The best web hosting services offer administrative tools that allow you to change your site's title tags and meta description. In addition, WordPress offers convenient SEO functionality for small business owners.
3. Create local landing pages for all your business locations
If your business has multiple locations, create a separate landing page for each location on your website to maximize your localization efforts.
"Often there are companies that have multiple locations, but they don't include pages on their website with information about those multiple locations," Lodge said. "These pages should include every location, directions and store hours."
These pages should contain specific content about your business. For example, a real estate agent in Nashville, Tennessee should not say they are a "real estate agent." Instead, they should enter the phrase "leading real estate agent in Nashville," which tells search engines where the agent is located and helps deliver results to a local audience.
When people are looking for real estate agents, consider this phrase: They want the "best" or "best" real estate agent.
4. Request your business profile listing on Google.
One of the easiest and most effective local marketing strategies you can use right now is to create your business profile on Google. Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) provides search engine users with information such as location, time, directions, contact information and other information directly in the SERPs.
"Claim your [Google Business Profile] dashboard and make sure it's up to date," says McKnight. The profile should show current business hours and clearly describe any changes or temporary restrictions, such as holiday closures, pickup or delivery options.
You should also request local listings on Yelp, Lodge added third-party sites. The more users can find your business (including location information), the more successful local marketing will be.
5. Optimize your social media pages for local users
Social media marketing is essential for local online marketing. Both your website and social media pages should be optimized and localized. This means providing up-to-date information such as your business location, contact information and store hours, as well as an active social media account.
"From a small business perspective, social media is mostly about deals, reopenings or promotions," McKnight said. "A lot of it is just reputation management."
6. Encourage positive user feedback and online engagement
Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews on Google Reviews, Facebook, Yelp or elsewhere. You can also encourage them with discounts or promotions like sweepstakes or giveaways.
You should take the time to respond to online reviews from your customers, whether they are positive or negative. Always be honest and avoid copying and pasting generic answers.
"In most cases, whether the feedback is negative or positive, respond to people with genuineness, humility, and honesty," advises McKnight. “Set aside an hour a week to review and give feedback, and make sure it's not a simple, cut-and-dried answer. Users get frustrated and feel unheard.
Responding to all online reviews is a key way to manage customer relationships by satisfying unhappy customers, showing gratitude to happy customers, and taking care of yourself.
7. Organize or sponsor local community events
Digital marketing is good, but building a real bridge between your audience and your brand is key. To do this, you need to be involved in your community.
If possible, consider sponsoring or hosting local events to increase brand visibility in your local community. This is a great way to get local press coverage and increase the chances of a local audience finding your business online.
8. Use local email marketing.
Email marketing strategies are effective and affordable. Most of the costs are related to acquiring valuable email addresses. Although nothing in the email address tells you where the user is, you can create a list of email contacts to filter users by location.
The easiest way to obtain location information, including email addresses, is through a registration page (ideally sign up) at your physical workplace or at a sponsored booth or event. The idea is to get interested customers to sign up for your updates and promotions. Alternatively, you can create an online form on your website to collect user and location data.
9. Try a direct mail campaign targeting local users.
Direct mail may seem old-fashioned, but it remains a cost-effective and efficient way to reach buyers. According to the ANA 2021 Response Rate Report, direct mail has a higher return on investment than any other advertising medium.
Direct mail allows you to target key demographics by analyzing the neighborhoods that match your target audience.
Tips for using direct mail include creating eye-catching emails, offering discounts and promotions, and using QR codes to get people to learn more about your business or visit your website.
10. Collaborate with other local companies.
Collaboration with other companies can be a powerful tool. These alliances increase the overall reach of both companies. This strategy works best when you find companies that share similar values and goals (and are not in direct competition with your company).
Here are some ideas for partnering with other businesses in your area:
- Co-sponsored events
- Collaborate with content SEO to ensure a mutually beneficial relationship
- Links to other sites
When these methods are followed, all promotional efforts are multiplied.
11. Place paid ads.
Location-based advertising allows businesses to find the best audience in the right area Ads can be targeted to local users; Google, Facebook and other digital advertisers have native capabilities.
Apart from digital advertising, native paid advertising is still valuable. Local newspapers, radio ads, coupon books, movie theaters, and sponsorships are the best way to promote your brand to local customers.
12. Create a customer loyalty program.
A customer loyalty program is a great way to keep local customers coming back. Companies can offer physical or digital loyalty cards that reward customers with free or discounted products after a certain number of purchases or points. Discounts and promotions can be sent to loyalty program members via email or direct mail.
Loyalty programs help customers feel valued. They are a great way to gather useful information about potential customers that can be used in other local marketing campaigns.
13. Create a referral program.
No one knows a local community better than the people who live and work there. Leverage existing customers to your advantage by creating a referral program. Similar to a loyalty program, you can offer discounts or rewards to customers when they bring a new person. People rely heavily on word-of-mouth advertising, so it's an effective and cost-effective way to get your message across.
Existing customers understand your business and know that people in the local community are most likely to buy your products or services. A referral program keeps customers coming back and referring interested friends and family. Make sure you offer similar incentives to your new customers to increase customer loyalty.
Find local people to act as brand ambassadors and build awareness and trust for your business in the local community.
14. Tell your brand story to engage a local audience.
Small businesses must find ways to cut through the noise of larger competitors and online marketplaces to get their message to consumers. An interesting way to do this is to share a story about your company. A unique personal story helps customers connect with your brand.
Find a way to connect your story to the community or region where you do business to reach a local audience. When it comes to spending money, a good story convinces a customer to patronize your local business more than a faceless company.
A successful local marketing strategy involves optimizing your digital presence by building relationships with community members. While online local marketing is valuable, reaching your target customers face-to-face is essential.
