With the advances of technology and the opportunities within the online world, many businesses may forget the power of local advertising. Marketing your business locally is just as important as blanket marketing online and throughout your chosen country (or even worldwide). For some businesses, local marketing can even be the majority of their business, such as local restaurants.
While concentrating on your overall marketing strategy, you might be uncertain how to make the relevant impression locally and make sure you’re discovered. Here is a guide for how you can achieve this.
Participate in As Many Events as Possible
When it comes to local businesses, the community is going to be everything. It’s important to get involved as much as possible with events in your area in order to meet people there and then advertise your services. This could be community events, events in public buildings, or business-specific events like marketing or trade shows in your chosen location. Getting out in the community and being seen is a great way for local businesses to connect with other businesses and consumers.
Organize Your Own Events
Participating in events doesn’t mean you have to wait for them to come along, either. If you want to unveil a new business or product in the local community, why not try hosting your own event? If it’s the first time your business is opening its brick-and-mortar doors, get the word out into the community of your opening time and a fun event you can hold to mark the occasion.
Make Sure to Set Up and Activate Your Google My Business
This is a great feature for local searches, as it pulls up all relevant information for a search engine user in regard to their local area and details of the service they’re looking for. By setting yourself up with Google My Business and entering as much information as possible (such as an address, contact details, and website), you’re making it more likely that your business will be found by the right people at the right time. If you’re unsure how to optimize Google My Business, be sure to consult with a professional Google My Business service.
Connect with Other Local Businesses
If there are established businesses in the community that consumers already trust, connecting with them if they can complement your product or service can be a boon. You might be able to leave marketing literature in their business store for their consumers to find or promote more word-of-mouth recommendations from other businesses.
Target Your Online Content Geographically
You may want to place online advertisements based on geographical location or write guest posts for sites that are in your area, such as the website for a local magazine. Any content you upload, be sure to have the local consumer in mind and target your keywords for local SEO, too.
Final Thoughts: How’s Your Local Business Marketing?
Local marketing can be very rewarding in terms of connecting with those consumers closest to you. In order to make your marketing efforts go a long way, be sure to make all relevant information available in as many local listings as possible, as well as trying the tips mentioned here.
Sylvia Browder is CEO of Specialty Home Services LLC, a Home Improvement Company; a Small Business Consultant at Browder Consulting Group, a startup consultancy firm to help women with startup assistance, marketing, website and graphic design work and other support services. In addition, she has co-authored several published books; publisher of ‘Sylvia Browder’s Blog for Women Entrepreneurs’ a lifestyle blog; and publisher of ShopSpendBlack.com Business Directory & Blog platform created to help consumers find black owned businesses in a searchable format. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband of 30 years; 5 adult children and 5 grandchildren; church; friends and motorcycle riding.
