If you want to access valuable leads, it is necessary to engage in both local online and offline marketing. In order to establish your brand authority and draw in a larger customer base, it is important to create successful strategies for local marketing. Whether you are launching a new business or already have an established one, implementing a digital marketing strategy is crucial.
According to Google, online search is used by 83% of U.S. shoppers who visited a store in the last week, making digital and social media marketing essential for promoting a local business.
1. Take control of your listing on search engines.
Firstly, individuals nowadays tend to initiate their search by going online or using their mobile devices, primarily relying on search engines like Google or Bing. Subsequently, they proceed to physically visit the business.
You have the ability to control a lot of the information that is shown on Google business listings, such as address, hours, phone number, pictures, and more, by using a free Google My Business account. If you have not yet claimed your listing, take action and do so now. Bing also provides a similar place for listing management.
2. Focus on attracting social media users who are in close proximity.
If you know how to use social media, you can target it to your local area.
For example, Facebook provides a specific option that enables you to advertise your business to other Facebook users in your local area. My recommendation is for small businesses to begin with a conservative budget of $100 and initiate a trial campaign.
Instead of advertising, focus on attracting your existing local customers to follow you on social media. By sharing engaging content, your updates may reach the friends and family of your followers, increasing your exposure to local audiences.
3. Engage in online professional groups.
Social media platforms such as LinkedIn offer an opportunity to join groups where individuals can share their knowledge and establish connections. This can be particularly advantageous for B2B companies operating within a specific region. For instance, a business located in Southern California that specializes in promotional merchandise like printed t-shirts may find it beneficial to participate in groups consisting of other local businesses in the SoCal area.
4. Support and finance local events.
By sponsoring charitable events in your local community, you have a valuable chance to enhance the visibility of your brand.
When considering sponsorship opportunities, it is important to think logically and sequentially. Ensure that the event or cause aligns with your beliefs and also has potential appeal to your target customers. For instance, a toy store would not be a suitable sponsor for a local nightclub event, but supporting a children’s sports team would be more fitting.
5. Proceed by contacting customers after the initial interaction.
These days, it is becoming increasingly popular to send a thank-you email after a sale in order to encourage testimonials. However, it is important to avoid offering any incentives in return for positive reviews. Instead, it is more common to send a thank-you email expressing gratitude for the purchase and stating that feedback is welcomed. Additionally, it is mentioned that a testimonial for the website would be appreciated if the customer is willing to provide one.
Step 6: Enroll in local business directories.
Make sure your business is listed in any relevant directories and correct any inaccurate information as local customers often rely on directories to find businesses or professionals from a specific niche in their area.
Remember to utilize local resources such as the chamber of commerce, the Better Business Bureau, yellow pages, and niche directories. As an illustration, individuals in the home professional industry can register their services on websites like HomeAdvisor and Angie’s List.
7. Collaborate with other local businesses for mutual promotion.
If you offer a special or promotion, you will only reach customers who already know about your business. However, if you collaborate with another business to offer a promotion together, customers from both businesses are more likely to be informed.
For example, a nearby movie theater could establish a partnership with a local restaurant to offer a special package of “dinner and a movie”.
Begin implementing a Referral Program.
To break it down, a referral program can be executed by providing a content customer with additional business cards and requesting them to recommend the business to their acquaintances.
Alternatively, you have the option to provide a bounty, such as a discount or award, to both the referrer and the referred customer. For instance, if you are an interior designer, you may offer a $200 credit to previous clients who refer their acquaintances, accompanied by an identical discount for the referred client.
9. Provide Local Media with an Introduction About Yourself.
One way to provide your expertise in topics related to your business is to offer it to editors and journalists. For instance, an HVAC company can offer quotes to a local newspaper on ways to decrease heating expenses during the winter.
You can send press releases to offer article ideas, especially if they relate to ongoing news events. Remain persistent, but be mindful not to excessively bother editors with a forceful approach.
10. SEO Optimize Your Website
After considering your options, the subsequent stage in entering the local market with your brand and product involves optimizing your website for organic search. The primary method of achieving this is through keyword optimization. Although some aspects of this process may come naturally initially, you will eventually exhaust your creativity and have to conduct keyword research.
Competition for short-tail keywords is intense, and it is highly likely that someone with more experience than you is already ranked for it. Therefore, prioritize long-tail, geo-specific keywords. These keywords are advantageous because individuals who use long-tail keywords generally have a specific purpose in mind (they are not merely browsing), and they are more inclined to interact.
If one uses geo-specific keywords, it signifies that they have a clear intention of conducting business in a particular location. For instance, let’s assume you are a digital marketing firm offering B2B marketing services exclusively in a specific region. Therefore, it would be pointless to solely optimize for general terms like “marketing” or “digital marketing” as that opportunity is no longer available.
Instead of adding or removing information, the text can be rephrased as follows: Create webpages or blogs on the website that are tailored to specific locations, focused on specific niches, and utilize long-tail keywords. For instance, a page or blog could be designed for “Digital marketing in California for B2B Companies” or “The advantages of digital marketing for B2B companies in California.”
When users search for “digital marketing companies near me”, search engine results pages (SERPs) will display relevant results.
11. Create Localized Content
We have observed that content marketing plays a significant role in capturing a specific audience that relates to inbound marketing. It has been concluded that the higher the value, relevance, and consistency of your content, the higher the level of engagement it will receive from your target audience.
However, the question remains: where do you begin?
In order to address your customer’s pain points and ensure lasting relevance, it is important to develop content that is both solution-oriented and enduring.
Creating good content requires following several steps. First, conduct thorough research. Next, write the content with human readers in mind. By doing so, the content will also be appreciated by Google bots. We particularly admire “how-to” blogs, whitepapers, eBooks, infographics, videos, and other long-form content that exceeds 900 words.
By thinking step by step, you can rephrase the given text and maintain its meaning without adding or removing any information. This will allow prospective customers to discover your website more easily when seeking solutions. For instance, if a user searches for the specific long-tail keyword “best flowers for weddings” on Google, the platform will display advertisements relevant to the search term.
Additionally, it generates organic outcomes and presents “People also ask” (PAA) inquiries, such as “What is the typical price of wedding flowers?” Why not utilize these as inspiration for generating new and engaging content?
By incorporating content marketing into your local online marketing strategy, you can generate more traffic to your site and position your brand as a knowledgeable leader in the field. This type of SEO-optimized content holds significant value and has the ability to attract new visitors, ultimately leading to improved outcomes for your business.
12. Review Your Website’s Design
Your website’s appearance and overall experience are just as crucial as the textual content that aids in your discoverability through search engines. Although keywords play a role in attracting visitors to your site, it is the design and user experience (UX) that will ultimately retain them.
To ensure a recognizable connection to your localized entity, incorporate images and videos on your website that depict your location, neighborhood, and business. Additionally, keep in mind that the internet is constantly changing to meet the evolving needs of consumers.
If your website was considered cutting-edge in design when you first published it five years ago, it may no longer meet current standards. It could be a good idea to consider redesigning it. The most crucial aspect to protect on your website is the experience of your users.
The site should possess a user-friendly interface that allows for ease of use, ease of navigation, and ease of comprehension.
13. Integrate CRM Tool
How does the integration of our website with the CRM manage to feed prospect data into the system while ensuring we have a better understanding of our customers?
One possibility is to incorporate a pop-up onto your website. This pop-up could serve as an invitation for visitors to subscribe to your newsletter, access a limited-time promotion, or learn about a new product release. By integrating it with your CRM, such as HubSpot or Salesforce, your lead generation landing pages will be able to seamlessly update your CRM.
In addition to feeding your pipeline, this also enhances first-party data and targeting, thus enhancing your marketing messaging. Furthermore, your CRM enables the launch of localized campaigns.
If the data in your CRM has been captured appropriately, it is simple to identify and segment customers and prospects based on their region. It is important to remember that the output you receive will be of the same quality as the data you capture.
14. Feed The Funnel With Remarketing
If your SEO or Google ad didn’t work initially or if the customer is still considering their purchase, remarketing is a valuable tool in your localized digital marketing strategy.
When considering how to enhance your local marketing strategies, remarketing aids in supporting other tactics that are more specific to geolocation.
If your Google Ads campaign or paid social campaign is limited by geolocation or targeted towards specific demographics, remarketing assists by following visitors after they have been directed to your website.
By the end, the utilization of remarketing accomplishes a rise in conversions, facilitates the spread of brand recognition, and ensures that prospects keep the brand prominently in their thoughts.
