Local Marketing Guide | Local Business Success Secrets
Local marketing guide that will help your business discover by the customer in your local community. This is how it works.
I knew very little about Doha and my new neighborhood when I moved here five years ago.
I made a critical friend in Google as I settled in and established myself as a new Doha resident.
From a hair salon and gym to an appliance repairman and locksmith, Google helped me locate the businesses, vendors, and specialists I required in a new city.
But Google wouldn’t have been able to help me find these people if the companies hadn’t invested in local marketing.
Did you know that 97% of people learn more about a local business through the internet than through any other medium?
In reality, 88 percent of local business mobile online searches result in a phone call or a visit within one day.
A local marketing guide is a must-have strategy if your company caters to a local audience, has several service areas, and/or has a physical location.
We break down local marketing and a slew of useful tactics in this guide to help you get started.
What is Local Marketing?
Local marketing is a form of marketing that focuses on consumers and customers within a certain radius of a company’s physical location(s).
This guide your local marketing, also known as community marketing or local store marketing, is a form of marketing that focuses on a specific area.
Local online marketing is a marketing tactic you should consider adding to your arsenal if you have at least one brick-and-mortar business location (this applies to local businesses and chains).
Online Local marketing can help any company with a physical location, but it’s particularly essential for small businesses who do most of their business in person (versus online, where consumers in any location can make purchases).
Local marketing helps you focus your attention on a specific demographic that will react to and shop from your digital and print ads.
Online local business search frequency in the United States in 2019
The ability to accurately define the customer personas is crucial to effective local marketing.
This technique assists you in getting a deeper understanding of your target audience’s demographic and psychographic features, as well as their geographic location (s).
This location data will help you decide where you should target your local marketing efforts.
If local marketing sounds like something you’d like to do with your own business, keep these tips in mind.
By implementing these for your company, you will be able to attract new local customers. (Hey, small local businesses have some of the most effective viral marketing campaigns.)
Here are nine local marketing techniques you can use to draw new customers from your community and surrounding areas. Don’t be afraid to mix and match these approaches to improve the efficacy of your local marketing.
1. Confirm your website is mobile-friendly
You certainly aren’t shocked to learn that mobile devices account for more than half of all internet traffic worldwide.
However, did you know that 61% of mobile searchers are more likely to contact a local business if the website is mobile-friendly? A mobile-friendly website is important for attracting new customers, especially local ones.
When viewed on a mobile screen, mobile-friendly pages load easily. They often view larger text, shape fields, menus, and buttons to make it easier to search site information when on the go.
Make sure your website is mobile-friendly before you start using these local marketing tactics. Using Google’s Mobile-Friendly Evaluation tool if you’re not sure if your site is mobile-friendly.
2. Localize your website
Having your website content important to your local audience and customer base is part of localizing it.
To begin, integrate location-based words into your website. Instead of “coffee shop,” your homepage might say something like “best coffee shop in Doha.”
Wherever possible, localize your web content, and keep the language consistent across your website, social media, and digital advertising.
Add location pages to your website as a second step.
This is particularly important if you have several physical locations.
These pages show your company name, address, phone number, and other pertinent store information and help you rank on local SERPs.
3. Take ownership of your local listings on third-party websites and directories by claiming them.
There is a slew of third-party blogs, directories, and review pages that promote local businesses and inform shoppers about where to shop.
You don’t want to miss out on this traffic as a local company (both digital and foot).
These pages are vital for SEO and search intent; for example, preserving continuity between your name, address, and phone number information (also known as NAP) is essential. These directories will help you do so online.
Google My Business is the most significant listing you can say. When people search for your name, sector, goods, or all of the above, your business details will appear correctly.
Customers will be able to leave you feedback as a result of this process, which is another crucial part of producing local business.
You may also claim/create these listings on Yelp, Yellow Pages, Better Business Bureau (BBB), and Foursquare. Moz Local is a tool that automates this process so you don’t have to.
There might also be service-specific ones you can list on, such as Niche.com or GreatSchools.org, depending on the industry.
These listings help to build your company’s online presence and boost your search engine rankings. Most significantly, these websites encourage word-of-mouth marketing, which is by far the most successful marketing tool today.
4. Invest in local SEO
50 percent of smartphone users visit stores within 24 hours after conducting a local search. However, without local Search Engine Optimization, this would not be possible.
Read more Best Free Online Advertising for Your Business
Local SEO is the process of optimizing your website to rank for terms and keywords that are important to your location. Here, Google Trends is a useful tool for evaluating which words are common in your region and in your industry.
Build local content in addition to localizing your website.
Local festivals, community meetings, and industry listings from your area should all be promoted.
This type of content will help your website become more localized and establish you as a local authority.
5. Localize your paid advertising
Another successful way to meet local audiences is through local ads. This technique includes not only targeting unique demographics and personas (hint: based on their location), but also including important keywords in your ad content.
Strategies for local marketing Examples of local ads
Include words like “your city” or “neighborhood” in your listings and, if possible, include location details.
6. Go local on social media
Social networking is, without a doubt, the fastest and most effective way to communicate with both local and international customers.
From setting a location in your profile to marking the location of each message, most social networks offer a variety of localization options.
Local hashtags may also be used in the caption or comments.
7. Be active in your community
People, as well as local businesses and organisations, are proud of the cities, towns, and communities in which they reside. When you, as a company and an employer, value your community, your community is more likely to support you.
Participate in non-profit groups, local sports teams, high school events, county fairs, or expositions to remain active. If you are unable to participate, consider sponsoring an event to increase awareness of your business.
8. Don’t forget your local media
Consumption of Local news is still alive and well. Consumers trust local media to keep them informed about their communities and neighbourhoods, including news about business and the economy.
Invest in radio ads, place an ad in the local newspaper, or appear on the morning news show in your area.
If you’re marketing your grand opening or just want to get your brand name out there, any local media attention will help you attract new customers.
9. Leverage your ecommerce activity
Ecommerce and local marketing don’t have to be mutually exclusive; they can both bring in new business and give the customers a better experience. In reality, ecommerce will help you grow your local business (and vice versa).
Consider offering a free in-store voucher for any online order, or free in-store delivery and returns. These tactics get customers in the door and encourage them to browse your shop, even though they found you online.
Local Marketing will assist you in being more effective in Business
Local marketing allows you to reach out to new markets, improve your search rankings and web traffic, and grow your company in your neighborhood. Invest in these local marketing campaigns today to bring in new customers.
Subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to receive our guides and tips on Local marketing, online marketing and digital marketing articles.