Are you interested in reaching local audiences with your brand or offering? Local marketing can help you gain valuable leads. Since you are a business owner, you must build quality local marketing strategies to build effective brand authority and attract more customers. A digital marketing strategy is essential, regardless of whether you are starting a new venture or working on an existing one.
According to Google, 83% of U.S. shoppers who visited a store in the last week used online search before entering the store, making digital and social media marketing crucial to marketing local businesses.
Unsurprisingly, business owners such as yourself are constantly trying to innovate. Everyone's primary goal, whether they admit it or not, is to be known globally. Hence, local marketing strategies are often neglected by the eCommerce world. Some businesses stay away as far as they can from what they deem merely "a local marketing strategy." As if it was supposed to be an insult. Little do they know that the correct local marketing strategy can bring your business to the next level.
What is a Local Marketing Strategy?
Local marketing is a way to connect with potential customers who live close to your business. By targeting local customers, you can increase the likelihood that they will visit your business and make purchases. You can also attract new customers by promoting your company in local publications and online forums. To maximize the effectiveness of your local marketing strategies, follow these tips:
- Use targeted advertising. When you target your ads to specific demographics, you are likely to reach the most interested in your products or services. For example, you target consumers in the age range you want to sell your product to or those in a specific neighborhood.
Image taken from Facebook
- Check out the local media outlets. Local newspapers, radio stations, and television networks are ideal sources for promoting your business locally. Make sure you target the right audience by checking which publications serve your geographic area and what content is popular among residents.
- Participate in local community events. Many people use community events to learn more about a particular product or service and make purchase decisions based on this information. To get the most out of these events, be prepared to give away free samples or offer reduced prices on items you carry in stock.
- Establish relationships with other businesses. When neighboring businesses work together, they can create a robust network of support for one another's online and offline corporations.
Benefits of Local Marketing Ideas
From boosting brand awareness to driving more traffic and leads to your business, local marketing can help you achieve your business goals. Here are some of the benefits of implementing local marketing strategies:
- Boost brand awareness. Local marketing can help you increase brand awareness by reaching out to local media outlets and promoting your company through social media and other online channels. It can attract new customers and generate positive word-of-mouth buzz about your business.
- Drive more traffic and leads. By targeting local consumers, you're likely to drive more traffic and leads to your business. It will increase conversion rates and allow you to target specific markets with unique selling points that may benefit your company. In addition, by engaging with local communities, you can create strong relationships that could lead to future deals or collaborations.
- Create strong connections with local communities. Engaging with local communities through social media, events, and other activities can help build strong relationships that can result in valuable partnerships and collaborations. This kind of networking can promote your business and provide valuable insights into what locals want and need regarding products and services. Not only will this help increase traffic to your site and help you gain insight into what people are looking for and what products or services they might be interested in. Finally, focus on creating an engaging website and social media presence. It will help generate leads and show potential customers that you're credible and worth considering.
Different Types of Local Marketing
There are many different types of local marketing, and the most effective way to market yourself in a local area depends on your goals.
- Local SEO is the most common form of local marketing. Local SEO is optimizing your website for local search engines, such as Google and Yahoo! Search. It will ensure that your website pops up when people look for information about businesses in your area.
- Street marketing involves handing out flyers or posters in public places such as bus stops, parks, and nearby businesses. This method is popular because it's low-cost and can reach many people quickly.
- Print advertising also plays a vital role in local marketing. Print ads can be placed in newspapers, magazines, and online publications. They tend to be more expensive than other forms of advertising, but they're often more effective because they have a longer lifespan and reach a larger audience.
Best Local Marketing Ideas to Consider in 2023
1) Sponsor Local Events and Activities
Supporting local events and activities showcases your company's commitment to the community and provides valuable exposure to your products or services. Sponsoring an event or training can attract new customers and build brand awareness.
Are you looking to get involved in your community? There are plenty of local events and activities you can get involved in to make a positive impact. Whether hula hooping at a park, hosting a puppet show for children, or working together to plant trees in an urban park, there are myriad ways to get involved and make a difference.
It's important to know who your peers are in the community so that you can collaborate and share resources when necessary. Establishing relationships with other businesses can foster goodwill and increase sales volumes down the line.
2) Partnership with External Local Businesses
One way to improve local marketing strategies in your area is to partner with local businesses. It can help you share resources, promote each other's products and services, and build customer relationships. You can also participate in community events or festivals, sponsor a charity fundraiser, or donate goods or services to local charities.
You can also market your business through social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Use relevant keywords and ensure your posts are interesting and engaging to potential customers. Keep your marketing efforts fresh by regularly evaluating your progress and making necessary adjustments.
3) Promote Your Local Community
Promoting your local community raises awareness about your brand, community, and other businesses. Some businesses believe this is an ineffective local marketing strategy. Still, on the contrary, it can be one of the best local marketing strategies you would involve yourself in if done right. Here are some tips to promote your local community:
- Promote your local community by hosting a food drive or charity auction.
- Create informative flyers and post them around your neighborhood.
- Join or start a local club or organization to promote your community.
- Host a potluck or barbecue to get residents together.
- Sponsor a local event, like a festival, fair, or concert.
4) Encourage Reviews
Local marketing is all about connecting with potential customers in the places where they spend their time and resources. By targeting specific areas and developing engaging content, you can cultivate a strong relationship with potential customers and drive more foot traffic your way. Use local marketing tools like print or online ads, social media channels, or guerrilla marketing tactics. By implementing these strategies, you can successfully market local businesses and reach new customers.
5) Prefer Word of Mouth Marketing
Understanding how word-of-mouth marketing works is essential to create the most successful local marketing campaigns. This communication is compelling because it can spread awareness about your business quickly and efficiently. Here are some tips for creating effective word-of-mouth marketing campaigns:
- Create a unique brand identity. One of the best ways to promote your business through word of mouth is to create a unique brand identity. People will more likely recommend your business if they know and trust you. Make sure your branding reflects your company's identity and what you stand for.
- Develop strong customer relationships. Another key ingredient in successful word-of-mouth marketing is developing strong customer relationships. When customers feel part of something special, they're more likely to tell their friends about it. Ensure you keep them informed about new products and services, and always take care of them when they have questions or concerns.
Image taken from Strikingly
- Encourage customer feedback. One of the best ways to improve your word-of-mouth marketing campaign is to encourage customer feedback. Not only will this help you learn what works well on your behalf, but it will also build trust between you and your customers. Ask them how they feel about your product or service, and then use that information to make future changes or improvements.
6) Use Location Tags
Image taken from Strikingly User’s Website
It is possible to include your location in each post/story on many social media platforms. You optimize your social media platforms by integrating location tags into your plans. It is a good marketing strategy because it allows you to target customers and consumers better nearby. In addition, it is a practical approach for marketing local businesses as your store would become more familiar to the public. Here are some ways you can use location tags:
- Use location tags to help you understand where your potential customers are.
- Use location-based targeting to show ads and content to people near your business.
- Use geotagging on photos and videos to thoroughly understand your audience's geographical location.
- Analyze your audience's behavior based on the site to improve marketing strategies for future campaigns.
7) Optimize Your Website
There are several ways to localize and optimize your website for maximum effectiveness. One way to localize your website is by using the correct language and target audience. Websites can be tailored to specific locations, like the United States, Canada, or the U.K., by using locale-specific keywords in the website's content and on the site's pages. It ensures that potential customers in those areas find your website more relevant and helpful. Additionally, you can use localized pricing structures, product images, and banner ads to target local buyers.
Another way to optimize your website for local marketing is through geotargeting. Geotargeting allows websites to serve different ads based on the location of users who are accessing them. For example, if you have a blog about skiing in Aspen but also sell ski equipment in Park City, you could add a geotargeting tag to your blog posts so that ads serving people in Park City will appear when someone visits your page through Google search. This method benefits small businesses with limited budgets to devote to online advertising but still want their website to be as localized as possible for increased customer engagement.
Finally, consider using online tools and resources to help with localization and optimization efforts. Numerous online tools can help you identify where potential customers live (based on their I.P. addresses).
Optimize Your Local Business Website on Strikingly
Image taken from Strikingly User’s Website
Search engine optimization (SEO) techniques should be part of your marketing strategies. Localizing your website as your primary strategy is still the best way to achieve it. You can use research tools like Google Analytics and other free tools to find out what keywords are relevant to your community and location. Your market's name and location are also good keywords for SEO. By implementing these local marketing strategies, you can attract more customers, grow your business, and make it easier for potential customers to find you.
Image taken from Strikingly
The Strikingly website builder can help you accomplish these local marketing strategies. It has many different features you can take advantage of. You can add videos and galleries of images, texts and banners, social media feeds, social media icons, and many other tools that can help you carry out these local marketing strategies. Let Strikingly help you reach your local and global goals by signing up today.
Conclusion
Business locations with high foot traffic can benefit from local marketing. Businesses that profit from traffic from curious passersby, such as restaurants, hair and nail salons, pharmacies, hardware stores, ice cream shops, gift shops, record stores, and many others, should invest in local marketing strategies that attract these potential customers.
It is easy for your local target audience to discover your products and services online thanks to so many ways to be found locally. Activate your Google Business Profile and be active on it. Update your website regularly, and keep it exciting and user-friendly. Lastly, always position your customer as the hero, as you solve their pain points right where they are.
