It is essential to have a well-planned local online marketing strategy in order to increase your customer base and establish your brand as a trusted authority. Regardless of whether you are embarking on a new business venture or already have an existing one, it is crucial to have a solid plan that ensures your local business can be easily found in the online realm.
Digital and social media marketing is currently the most crucial aspect for local businesses, since about 70% of shoppers search for a business online and claim that it impacts their decision to physically visit the store.
In this blog, we will guide you through various local online marketing ideas and strategies that can be implemented for your business, using a social media scheduler.
1. Invest in web design??
Web design is not typically considered a marketing tactic, but it has an impact on how much time and attention a user will give to your page.
If your website is not visually appealing, easy to navigate, and engaging, it will not attract customers, regardless of how much effort you put into developing your marketing strategy. If you lack design skills, it may be beneficial to hire a professional who can build a website that is contemporary, captivating, and optimized for mobile devices.
2. Use search engine marketing and optimization
When it comes to making your business rank higher in search engine results, search engine marketing and optimization play a crucial role. By implementing a robust SEO strategy, your company’s website will be linked to the keywords customers use to find your services. As a result, your chances of being selected as the preferred company increase when individuals search online.
3. Affiliate and associate programs
An affiliate program allows individuals who have faith in your company to disseminate your information and expand your market through a commission-based platform. Implementing an affiliate or associate program may not be applicable for every business, but if utilized, it can lead to noticeable enhancements in your marketing endeavors without requiring substantial personal efforts.
4. Hire a coach or consultant
If you lack expertise in digital and internet marketing, seek advice from someone who does. There is a wide selection of internet marketing coaches and consultants who can provide you with a consultation on the necessary changes to achieve success. Particularly for small business owners who are preoccupied with other aspects of their business, engaging a coach or consultant can be highly beneficial.
5. Use email marketing
When sending emails, it is not sufficient to simply send them indiscriminately. You should take into account different email lists that align with the unique requirements of each recipient and facilitate a customized approach for your marketing initiatives. Analyze the buying behavior of your customers closely and utilize this data to formulate your plan.
6. Build an opt-in email list
When you have an opt-in email list, it enables customers to voluntarily subscribe to receive email communications directly from you. This gives you the opportunity to establish connections with both potential customers and existing clients.
7. Get into articles or news stories
To establish yourself as a trusted expert and expand your reach, collaborate with a public relations professional to secure media coverage on relevant topics related to your business. This will not only introduce your business to a wider audience but also boost your credibility. Additionally, consider utilizing free services like Help a Reporter Out, which connect you with writers seeking sources.
8. Write online press releases
By utilizing online press releases, you have the opportunity to disseminate your information formally, thereby enabling newspapers, blogs, or other media platforms to access and create content about your company without requiring your active involvement in connecting and promoting a story.
9. Hold contests and giveaways
Contests and giveaways are highly cherished by individuals. Whenever you incentivize customer promotion by offering a complimentary product or service, it commonly leads to an increase in sales or connections.
10. Maintain a blog
Your blog serves multiple purposes, such as providing opportunities to regularly publish new keywords and enhance your search engine strategy. Additionally, it serves as a platform where you can provide guidance, share informative snippets, and genuinely engage with your customers. Building trust is essential for fostering a long-lasting relationship, and your blog is an effective tool for accomplishing that objective.
11. Optimize your GMB listing for search
Your local business relies on your Google my Business listing as its main hub. It informs people about your business and sets their expectations for their in-store experience.
To ensure customers in your local area can find you, it is important to appear in both Google Maps results and the local results section of Google Search. Therefore, the initial step is to authenticate your listing on Google my business.
After confirming, here is a list of the items that require updating: Business name, contact number, complete address, business description, business category, custom short name, store photos, operating hours, and product/service details.
12. Run google ads
By utilizing Pay per click ads through Google, you have the ability to narrow down your target audience to those in your local area. This will enhance your SEO endeavors even further. Google Adwords allows you to display your advertisement prominently at the top of search results. This strategy will effectively place your business in front of individuals who are actively seeking companies similar to yours to engage with.
Google ads contribute to increasing both online and offline traffic, offering significant advantages to your business such as enhanced brand awareness and recognition, resulting in the generation of more leads.
13. Post on your GMB account regularly
Posting on your GMB can generate substantial traffic to your listing. Each post has a 7-day expiration, so it’s advisable to post at least once or twice a week. Whether it’s promoting products, ongoing sales, upcoming events, or anything relevant to your brand, GMB posts allow for diverse content. If maintaining frequent posting becomes challenging, utilizing a social media scheduling tool can be beneficial.
There are numerous choices accessible, but only a limited number enable the scheduling of Google my business posts. RecurPost is one tool that permits the scheduling of Google my business posts, making it convenient to generate a whole month’s worth of content at once.
You can use it to schedule and create social media posts in bulk, and include a call to action when scheduling. Additionally, it provides a social inbox feature that allows you to handle and respond to your GMB reviews without having to exit the platform. There are various types of posts you can make on GMB. For guidance on the image sizes for Google My Business posts, refer to the Google My Business post image size guide.
14. Build custom landing pages for every ad campaign
Innumerable local businesses waste money by not monitoring conversions or creating local landing pages. Ideally, every one of your Google Ads campaigns should possess a straightforward flow chart.
Proceed by clicking on the advertisement, then navigate to the appropriate landing page and proceed to convert.
When creating a landing page, it is important to consider a few points. Ensure that your landing page includes only one noticeable call to action and features a descriptive hero image that enhances your value proposition. Furthermore, make certain to address your target audience’s primary inquiries in order to instill confidence and encourage them to proceed. Additionally, it is recommended to have a click-to-call contact number, and regularly test your landing pages to ensure they are functioning properly.
15. Leverage call-only ads to generate leads
If your business heavily depends on phone calls for generating business, call-only ads can be extremely valuable for you. They are also an excellent alternative when you are not particularly inclined towards using landing pages.
By choosing call-only ads, there is no necessity to create a landing page or sales funnel since potential leads will contact you directly using the provided business number to discuss their needs.
By bypassing the need to invest money and manpower in designing individual landing pages, you can directly target your customers through advertising. The only drawback of this method is that some of the calls you receive may not be fully qualified. If you are seeking reliable online marketing companies, consider reaching out to Nicelocal.
16. Maintain your directory listings
Can you just set up your directory listings and relax once you have online review sites and local business directories like Yelp, Merchant Circle, and Google My Business to help you find and get information about businesses in a particular location? Almost, but not exactly.
In order to ensure accurate information about your business, it is necessary to update your listing whenever any changes occur, no matter how small, such as a suite number. If people come across incorrect or outdated information about your business, they will be unable to interact with it and might even lose confidence in your business. It is also crucial to consistently monitor your listings to address customer comments and reviews.
17. Create a loyalty program
Every customer enjoys feeling appreciated. A customer loyalty program grants rewards to individuals who make purchases or engage in other activities on your website. One traditional approach involves distributing physical loyalty cards to customers, which can then be marked with a unique-shaped hole punch to keep track of the number of purchases made.
If a customer purchases 10 coffees at your cafe, they will receive the 11th coffee for free. Similarly, if someone frequents your barber shop multiple times, they will be eligible for a complimentary trim. For a more technologically advanced approach, you can employ a loyalty app designed for mobile devices to enhance your store marketing. This app allows customers to earn rewards based on their engagement with it.
