It is a fact that the majority of people look for information about a local business on the internet more than any other source. Nearly nine out of every ten searches done on a mobile device that are looking for local businesses will result in either a phone call or a visit to the business within a 24-hour period.
If your business is geared towards customers in a particular area, offers a range of services, and/or has a physical store, local marketing is an essential part of your strategy. In this article, we explain the concept of local marketing and provide many useful tactics to assist you in kick-starting your efforts.
What is local marketing?
A marketing plan designed to focus on customers and shoppers within a certain distance of the business’s place of business is called local marketing. Promoting goods and services in a specific area is also referred to as regional advertising or local business marketing.
If you have any kind of physical business place, be it a single shop or a chain, local marketing should be included in your marketing plan. It is very important for companies that are based in a certain location and conduct most of their business in person (as opposed to online, where anyone from anywhere can make purchases) to use local marketing. However, this type of marketing can be beneficial for any business that has a physical location.
What types of businesses benefit from local marketing?
There are certain types of companies that need to deploy local marketing strategies, but there are many other businesses that can take advantage of them as well. Eating establishments are a perfect illustration since they are actual spots that provide meals for dining in, takeout, and delivery. A restaurant is inherently constrained to its physical location.
An additional illustration of a business that requires local store promotion is a retail shop. Nowadays, many small retail stores have online stores, but local advertising can help draw more shoppers to the store and boost recognition of the business within the local area. It is particularly vital for little, specialty retail outlets to contend with large-scale businesses.
Legal and accounting firms should use a regional advertising approach. It is important that specialist advisors establish a relationship with individuals in their vicinity, even though it may be more suitable to look for these services in the surrounding area. A few companies, particularly those in the digital marketing sector, stand out as an exception, as these typically run on a purely digital basis. However, nothing beats an in-person consultation.
Businesses of all types ought to think about employing local marketing, not just those that need a local marketing plan. It is not necessary for a local strategy to be your priority in order to gain the advantage of reaching a larger number of people in the city or area where your business is located.
The main point is that all businesses should use local marketing, but those that rely on people coming into their physical store (e.g. restaurants and retail stores) will particularly benefit from having a specific plan in place.
13 Local Marketing Strategies You Can Start Today
You can begin taking the necessary steps to promote your business in the area right away. Here are some easy and efficient tips to enhance your business’s local marketing.
1. Optimize your website (and localize it).
Is your website tailored to the needs of local users, as this is important in order to generate more visits? Heather Lodge, chief marketer at Click and Mortar, emphasized that it is essential to adhere to SEO guidelines, like conducting keyword research for website material, as well as guaranteeing a superior mobile experience for your website.
She declared that a majority of visits to websites are from mobile devices. If you create a website that is straightforward and easy to navigate, with large text that allows for comfortable viewing on a small device, and big buttons that are easy to press, then it will be easier to draw in local customers.
Aside from these essential tips for any digital marketing strategy, Lodge emphasized that your website should be localized. In order to be successful in local SEO, you should think about what people in your area are searching for on Google. To make sure you are getting the most out of your efforts, it is important to include your city or neighboring towns in your content regularly. If you are trying to reach a local crowd, you should include phrases on your website such as “covering the tri-state area,” for example.
You can make the most of your local SEO understanding by using no-cost keyword research tools such as Google Analytics, Google Trends and Google Search Console to determine the local words and phrases you should include. The higher you enhance your site for local search, the greater the odds that local clients will come across your pages.
2. Update title tags and meta descriptions.
McKnight pointed out that it is essential to make sure that your website’s title tags and metadata are up to date for SEO purposes.
He stated that while there are several components of metadata, the majority of folks only have to be concerned with meta description and title tag.
The 60 characters that appear on the page that comes up when a user searches on a search engine is known as a title tag. McKnight stated that it is beneficial to have a title tag that is appropriate to the business and its location, however, it should not exceed 60 characters.
McKnight noted that the meta description has less of an impact on search ranking, but it can help increase click-throughs by giving users a better idea of the content they will find on the page.
Research indicates that an accurate meta description can improve the click-through rate. McKnight stated that, for a business such as a restaurant that desires customers to phone them, having a phone number in the meta description is of immense importance. “Meta descriptions should always be 160 characters or less.”
You can change the title tag and meta description in the management area of the web hosting service you are utilizing. McKnight commented that WordPress offers a straightforward search engine optimization (SEO) feature that is beneficial to many small business owners.
3. Set up local landing pages for all your business locations.
If your company operates from multiple sites, you should set up individual pages for each one on your website in order to enhance your localisation efforts.
Lodge commented that although companies may have multiple branches, they do not usually include information about them on their website. The following pages should feature every location, provide instructions on how to arrive there, and list the store’s opening and closing times.
Lodge suggested that these pages should have specific information about the company. For instance, a realtor located in Nashville, Tennessee should not simply post on their site that they are a “real estate agent”. Rather, incorporating the crucial expression “top real estate agent in Nashville” informs search engines of the agent’s whereabouts and helps to supply outcomes to a local group. It looks into how people go about searching for real estate agents; they aren’t simply looking for anyone, they want the top-tier or “leading” real estate agents.
4. Claim your Google My Business listing.
You could put it this way: One of the most efficient and swift ways to promote your business in the area is to verify your Google My Business listing. Google My Business offers details such as the place of your business, opening times, instructions, contact information, and more directly on the search engine results page.
McKnight suggested claiming one’s Google My Business knowledge panel and making sure that it is up to date. Be sure that your store’s hours and any regulations (like takeout or delivery only) put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic are accurately reflected.
Lodge suggested that you should also make sure to register on other external websites, like Yelp, for local listings. The more places customers can locate your business (with the relevant details) the more successful your local marketing campaign will be.
5. Invest in local SEO.
Around half of mobile users are motivated to go to physical shops after conducting a local search within 24 hours. But this wouldn’t be possible without local SEO. Making sure that your website is tailored to rank high for terms and keywords related to the local area. Google Trends can be very useful in finding out which words and phrases are widely used in your area and sector.
In addition to localizing your website, create local content. Encourage people to attend local meetings, participate in community activities, and look up businesses located in your area. This kind of information can assist in giving your website a local flavor and establishing you as an expert in the area.
6. Localize your paid advertising.
Advertising that is specific to the local area is an effective way of connecting with people in the vicinity. This strategy not only focuses on particular audiences and user types (e.g. depending on their position), but also necessitates including pertinent keywords in the advertisement material.
Include place names like the city you’re in or the area where you live in your postings and utilize geographical information when you can.
7. Go local on social media.
It is widely believed that social media is the fastest and most effective way to communicate with customers both near and far. Many social media networks offer a lot of localization possibilities, from designating a place in your profile to labeling the area of each post.
You can also include local hashtags in the caption or in the comments section.
8. Be active in your community.
Folks take pride in their hometowns, including the businesses and other organizations in their area. If you give back to your community by running a business and providing jobs, your community will probably show their appreciation in return.
Take part in charitable initiatives, neighborhood sports groups, school activities in the neighborhood, county exhibitions, or trade shows. If you cannot be present in person, think about supporting an event to increase the visibility of your business.
9. Don’t forget your local media.
Local news consumption is still alive and well. People rely on local media to keep them informed about their local area, which includes data related to business and the economy.
Put money into radio commercials, buy an ad in the nearby paper or get featured on your town’s morning news program. No matter if you’re publicizing your initial launch or simply wishing to spread the word about your brand, any type of coverage through local news outlets can help attract new clients to your business.
10. Leverage your ecommerce activity.
You don’t have to choose between ecommerce and local marketing; they can both be used to bring in new business and give your customers great experiences. You can use local business to improve your ecommerce business, and ecommerce to bolster your local business.
An illustration of this would be to give a discount coupon to those who buy something online, or to provide complimentary collection or refunds in store. These tactics will attract customers to your store, even those who found out about it online.
11. Try a direct mail campaign.
Direct mailing is a more cost-effective way of connecting with customers than one might think. The money you spend on postage stamps can be recouped by avoiding the cost of purchasing mailing lists and taking advantage of professional targeting techniques. It is often possible to concentrate on the ideal demographic by researching neighborhoods that match the characteristics of the people you wish to reach.
12. Partner with other local businesses.
Partnering with other businesses can be a powerful tool. These alliances can multiply both companies’ total outreach. This will yield the greatest success when you locate businesses that possess the same objectives and beliefs (which don’t go up against your firm).
You and your partner organizations could collaborate to fund events. Collaborating with your SEO content can help create a beneficial arrangement for both parties. You can also connect with one another, and when you do, anything you put into outreach is magnified by the efforts of the companies you are partnered with.
13. Confirm your website is mobile-friendly.
It should come as no shock that more than half of all internet activity is conducted on mobile devices.
It may be surprising to learn that the majority of mobile users – 61% – are more likely to get in touch with a local business if they have a website that is optimized for mobile devices. Having a website that is easy to use and navigate on mobile devices is essential for gaining new customers, especially those in the local area.
Sites that have been designed to be compatible with mobile phones will load without issue when accessed on a mobile device. They usually include larger font, input boxes, selection options, and buttons, allowing users to conveniently explore website content on the move.
Prior to beginning these local marketing techniques, ensure your website is optimized for mobile devices. You can use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool to check if your website is compatible with mobile devices.
Think globally, advertise locally
When it comes to making your digital properties more attractive to a local audience, there are a number of things you can do that don’t require much money.
Beginning with creating an efficient and localized website, making sure your social accounts follow suit, and ensuring your Google My Business profile is claimed are the best initial steps. Invest time in connecting with the people in your locality both on the web and in person. Answer: Answer customer reviews and host community-oriented activities to boost your presence and build a stronger connection between your company and your customers.
No matter how important it is for your company to reach people in your area, or if you simply wish to boost your regional promotion efforts, these approaches are straightforward, cost-efficient, and successful.
Find out what kind of effect your business can have on your local area by putting these local marketing tactics into practice right now.
The main point to remember is that lots of local marketing tactics can be put in place without any cost and are relatively straightforward. Begin by revising your website and online listings to include your business’s address.
