The average company spends about 10% of their revenue on marketing campaigns. Digital marketing strategies work well for companies of all sizes, even at the local level.
If you want to improve your local digital marketing efforts, there are several simple ways to do it without breaking the bank. The following guide will explain easy marketing ideas you can start implementing right away.
Know Your Competition
Before you start paying for digital ads, start researching other local businesses. Doing so can help you set your business apart from others and give your company added value.
You want to discover the things you can offer customers that your competitors can’t. To start your research, do a simple Google search and see how competitors advertise their products and services.
If you find any holes in their product offerings or services, you can put more focus on those areas to lure away customers. You might also find that they offer certain guarantees or wave certain fees and you’ll want to do the same to keep up.
Read reviews as well so that you can identify the strengths and weaknesses of competitors. For example, if customers complain about how long it takes to receive a product or service from your competition, advertise that you have fast response times.
Local SEO Strategies
Make sure to give attention to your SEO marketing strategies so that local customers can find your business. You don’t want them to search for nearby businesses in your industry and find everyone but you!
Not only does using an SEO service help local customers discover your brand, but it’s also very affordable for small businesses. It creates local citations and allows your business to show up in local directories.
SEO practices will also increase your website’s traffic and get more eyes on what you have to offer. If you do online sales as well as local sales, more website traffic can really help boost your overall profits.
One way to drive traffic is for an SEO company to create a blog for you. The blog’s articles use keywords such as your location and industry to help local customers discover your company.
Email Marketing
When you think about types of marketing strategies at the local level, emails might not come to mind first. Some might think they’re as personal as physical local ads, but they’re cheaper, eco-friendly, and very effective.
You can send local residents news about upcoming sales, events, specials, and new products and service offerings. It helps build a relationship with your community and build brand awareness.
It’s easy to personalize emails to fit specific target audiences and you can measure the results easily, too. Don’t forget to include links to social media pages and other marketing channels.
Have a Main Social Media Channel
While it’s not a bad idea to have several social media accounts across different platforms, make sure to focus on the most relevant one. For example, some younger customers might use TikTok while older customers might prefer to use Facebook exclusively.
Depending on your target audience, you’ll want to make your primary platform one that fits your average type of customer. It’s also a great way to avoid getting overwhelmed by posting constantly to different platforms.
Don’t forget to engage with customers by responding to comments and feedback to help build relationships.
Local Influencers
Find local influencers in your area and use their popularity to bring eyes to your company. At the local level, small businesses don’t usually have to spend much for this strategy.
For instance, a local gym might find a fitness influencer in their area to help promote their business. A local restaurant might have a local foodie write a review about their food.
You can use local influencers and consistent brand ambassadors or for things like one-time giveaways. You might even consider collaborating with other businesses on marketing strategies that help both sides.
Professional Video Content
Just because you’re a small local business doesn’t mean that you can’t put out quality video advertisements. Even if you have a tight budget, you can still get a professional video made affordably by freelancers and local agencies.
Videos can help explain products and services more clearly so that customers trust your brand more. Just make sure to put your best foot forward because a poorly done video might have the opposite effect.
You can post video content on your website and social media accounts, and include it in emails as well. So, by making video content, you also add to your other digital marketing efforts.
Website Functionality
Just because your focus is on local customers doesn’t mean you should skimp on your website. It needs to be easy to navigate and work well for mobile users so that you don’t miss out on sales.
For example, someone might search for local restaurants while they’re out and about. If they click on a link to a menu and it doesn’t display correctly on their phone, they might move on to another restaurant.
Always update contact info and hours on your website so that customers have up-to-date information. Not updating your site might leave potential customers frustrated and make your business look unprofessional.
Using Local Digital Marketing
From emailing newsletters to using local influencers, there are a lot of ways to maximize your local digital marketing efforts. Remember this guide and find the best combination of marketing ideas to reach your audience and help your business thrive.
