When it comes to local marketing, small businesses make the mistake of using generic strategies, rather than hyper-focusing on their target market. Local marketing is about building relationships, targeting the right leads, and being cost-effective.
Build Partnerships with Local Businesses
Partnerships, especially when you’re not competing for the same customer, is a great way to help your local marketing efforts. It’s a ‘you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours’ type deal.
For example, if you organize events, partner with specific providers. Offer joint discounts, share each other’s stories and other social media posts, and help each other to find new customers.
Here’s another one: you may have an instant negative reaction, but it’s worth considering partnering with local influencers. They get a bad reputation, but that’s because of saturation. Most ‘influencers’ don’t actually have much reach, and won’t get you results.
Instead, go for individuals who have a real following, even if it’s smaller than others. Check the comments section, see how much people interact, and consider whether the influencer matches your brand values. If so, seek them out for a potential partnership.
Leverage Community Events
Getting involved in your local community is a great way to increase the visibility of your business in a positive way. Charity events work particularly well, for example (e.g. through sponsorship). It’s a win-win, too; you help your community and get that feel-good factor, and it will enhance the reputation of your company.
If your budget can’t stretch as far as sponsorship, just showing up can often be enough to improve your local marketing results. Get your name out there, that’s the aim. Volunteering, for example, can be a good way to increase visibility.
Print Marketing Still Works
Most businesses assume that traditional print advertising is almost extinct, going for digital equivalents instead. But the power of print is alive and well, despite reports to the contrary.
Just look at the numbers: 90% of people open their so-called snail mail. And email? Stats hover around 20%, far less effective. Plus, it’s far easier to target local consumers through print methods, rather than an email list.
In a world where everything seems digital, having a tangible brochure or leaflet is a nice change. Plus, it gives a sense of credibility and trust. Spam emails are easy to send, print is something different.
Fine-Tune AdWords
We’re not going to mince words: AdWords can get expensive very quickly. But it’s still very much possible to get ROI, even for a small local business.
The mistake companies make is not fine-tuning their AdWords campaigns. Google gives users a wide range of tools to optimize their ads, but very few will get the most out of them. Most will use a ‘spray and pray’ approach, or implement a single ad, get little return, and then give up.
That’s not going to work. You need to create different sets of ads, change your approach based on results, and take a data-driven approach to your marketing.
Don’t be afraid to use a third-party company or even Google itself to help you in this process. It doesn’t have to be prohibitively expensive, especially if you pay for a training session or similar.
Invest in Local SEO
In addition to paid AdWords, it’s worth supplementing your campaigns with local SEO efforts. Getting on the first page of Google can make a big difference, not to mention what transformative effects ranking #1 will have on your business.
The first step is to find the right keywords to target. You want to go for 1) buying keywords, i.e. keywords with intent and 2) local keywords targeting specific locations. Competing for a Google spot on a national keyword is a fool’s errand, and probably far too expensive too.
Your website should be content-rich, full of useful material for your potential customers and other visitors alike. Add video, nice images, and have a mobile-friendly optimized design.
Word of warning: whatever you do, avoid companies that use so-called black-hat SEO tactics. These will likely get your site penalized.
Final Words
Remember, there is no ‘set and forget’ marketing strategy. Whether it’s a digital approach, old school print, or in-person networking, you’re going to have to do the hard work. There are no shortcuts.
Try different methods. Go beyond your comfort zone. Test what works (and what doesn’t!). Invest in experts, but stay involved. It’s difficult to stand out, but as long as you have an organized and thought-out strategy, you can make your business a success.
