According to Statista, 33% of American internet users search for local businesses daily. Considering 89% of the population use the internet, we’re talking about a potential daily market numbering 88 million.
The only way to tap into this potentially lucrative market is by using local marketing tools and strategies, as these increase your visibility to potential customers close to your locality. That said, a local marketing campaign can set you back $1,000 a month, which may be beyond your small business.
As local marketing could increase sales exponentially, you should consider taking out small business loans to fund the drive. This article examines what local marketing is, its benefits, and why your company should consider it as a strategy to encourage growth.
What is local marketing?
Local marketing refers to the advertising strategies that target customers and consumers in the local area or region. It helps build awareness of the products or services offered by a business in a community. For your firm to apply local marketing tools you must follow regulations for every business like business must have a physical store in the neighborhood.
It is also known as local store marketing, local-based marketing, or neighborhood marketing. Since statistics show that many people use the internet to search for local businesses, some tools are more efficient in attracting new and potential customers than general marketing strategies.
Strategies for utilizing local marketing
Most businesses using local marketing tools target potential customers within driving distance of their store location, including restaurants, salons, and pet shops. You can employ any strategies for this marketing, including:
Use of websites
An optimized website is an effective way of increasing traffic and conversion rate. With many people searching for local businesses around them, it is easy to attract clients with a search engine optimized website.
Search engine optimization helps to rank higher hence increasing the number of clicks to the website.
Use of social media
Statista estimates that 223 million Americans are on social media platforms. A business can make use of social media platforms to attract more customers through social media marketing. Creating a business page on social media increases the brand’s visibility.
Business social media pages make it possible to respond and engage with both current and potential customers. The higher the number of shares, comments, views, likes, followers, and retweets, the higher the number of potential customers.
Community involvement
Community involvement helps increase brands visibility. Hosting, sponsoring, or attending local events will make the local community aware of the brand and business. This can be a seminar, workshop, or community development activity.
Any event that will involve a large number of people is effective in attracting new and potential customers.
Local media
You can use Local media for advertising a business. Local newspapers, radio stations, coupon books, or shows are an effective way of reaching out to the locals and informing them of your business.
Partner with other local businesses
Collaborating with other local businesses familiar to the locals will help a firm get well known and attract new customers.
Localized paid ads
Instead of running general ads to advertise the business, localize the ads to include the firm’s location. This makes it easier for new customers to reach the physical store.
Influencers
Connecting with local influencers who are well known and trusted by people to advertise your business will increase brand visibility and sales.
Referral incentives
Offering referral incentives, such as discounts, will lead to repeat business and referrals from satisfied customers, increasing exposure and sales.
Google My Business
A Google My Business account contains information such as name, address, contacts, and working hours. This makes it possible for potential customers to find the business when they look it up on social media or google maps while also giving directions.
You can implement any of these strategies on any business, even those dependent on small business loans.
Benefits of applying a local marketing strategy
a) Faster market penetration
Using local marketing tactics, such as social media and SEO-optimized websites, can improve the market penetration of a new business. They aid in the advertising push and reach of the company, increasing business exposure.
b) Improved competitiveness
Local brands have a better competitive advantage than global brands as customers trust and prefer local brands to impersonal multinationals. A new business can increase its competitiveness by using these marketing strategies to establish a localized online presence ahead of competitors.
c) Strengthen the bond with customers
Local marketing tools such as hosting and attending community events help to build stronger bonds with customers. This builds trust among customers, causing them to opt to transact with your business.
d) Cost-saving
Compared to global marketing strategies local marketing strategies are cheaper. Some techniques, such as getting a Google My Business account, are free. These strategies are in favor of small businesses that depend on small business loans to run.
They help small businesses to have a fair share of the market without incurring hefty expenses pursuing conventional marketing.
e) Increased customer satisfaction
Working closely with customers from the local region helps build your knowledge base of customer needs. Reviews from social media platforms or websites help the business improve on quality and customer service.
Where to learn more about local marketing
Consulting a marketing agency: consulting a specialist in marketing can help you know more about it. The specialist will advise on the best local marketing tools to use for each specific business. Check up on a marketing agency near you for tips on local marketing strategies and their effectiveness.
Online training: many online sites offer training in different fields. An online course on local marketing tools will impart to you more information about the strategies. HubSpot, Udemy, and Google provide comprehensive marketing courses.
Google search: a simple Google search can give you all the information you need to know about marketing strategies. For more information, Google about this kind of marketing.
YouTube videos: search for a YouTube video on local marketing tools as they are informative and use graphical presentations.
Podcasts: listening to podcasts on the same can give more information.
Also read: Best Video Marketing Tools for Your Business
Local marketing tools to improve your business performance
These local marketing tools are meant to assist local search clients and campaigns. They significantly reduce the amount of the agencies’ workload. The local marketing tools for the local client’s agencies focus on the following areas:
1. Mail Chimp
This is a marketing platform developed to reach business clients and target audiences using emails. Mail Chimp allows you to automate the management of your marketing campaign. It’s very effective in building and maintaining long-lasting relationships with customers.
Mail Chimp works by helping you send massive numbers of marketing emails to many people in one go. Unlike other email providers like Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, and Outlook, the only limit to the number of people you can email is the size of your email list.
To start sending emails, you have to create a Mail Chimp account first. Create an automated mail or campaign. Compose a new email with a catchy subject line, create the content you intend to relay, enter a list of your recipients, and hit the send button.
2. Mobile responsive website
Initially, websites had designs meant to fit desktop monitors only, but desktop versions became a setback for smart device users with time. Technological advances led to the development of mobile responsive website versions to cater to the rapid growth of mobile device web browsing.
The mobile responsive website changes its orientation and content according to the size of the screen in operation and is a crucial addition because:
- A responsive layout gives a consistent and friendly experience to your customers.
- It will allow you to reach many customers, as customers with smaller devices can also access your content.
3. Hootsuite
It’s a management tool for social media that helps with the planning and posting of social content. The software acts as a social media manager and saves time spent on social media marketing.
Because of its automation features, you can easily manage social platforms from one dashboard instead of logging into each platform. You can also stream live and stay on top of conversations as they happen.
4. CallFire
In the same way, Mailchimp assists with sending numerous emails to an infinite number of people; CallFire also helps manage phone calls. CallFire works as a telemarketing tool that helps track incoming calls, route calls to different destinations, or contact a long list of people.
5. BrightLocal
BrightLocal is an SEO software that allows business marketers and SEO operators to rank, track, and improve traffic on local search.
6. SEMRush
SEMRush is a content marketing tool that improves online visibility and workflow by creating content that fits your audience. This tool permits you to generate new content, correct and improve existing content, and audit content.
7. Google Keyword Planner
In online marketing, the right keywords get the promotion message to the target audience. Keyword planners help you understand the demand for local search keywords, especially in pay-per-click (PPC) and SEO campaigns.
8. Google Analytics
If you have a business website, Google Analytics is one of the best tools to analyze marketing data and website traffic. It also gives you an insight into how similar websites are performing.
9. Ahrefs
Ahrefs is a link-monitoring tool that lets you view how competing websites are doing by entering their URL. It contains potent tools for site audits, link building, rank tracking, keyword research, and competitor analysis.
How to get and implement local marketing
To get and implement the correct local marketing tool that fits your business, such as simplelists Email list hosting service and mailing list manager tool, you have to consider the following:
Your target audience/customer
Considering your business has a target audience, direct your marketing efforts towards the same audience. You should therefore figure out the demographics of your audience beforehand. After that, create a buyer’s persona–a list of your customers’ specific details such as age, gender, specific locality, etc.
The point is, take a moment to learn who your target audience is before choosing your marketing tool. This will not only increase your marketing success rate but will prevent you from wasting time on the wrong target.
The problem your product will be solving for your customers
You already have your target audience and a specific locality, so the next question to consider before getting a local marketing tool is how your product or service will help solve their existing problem.
A Budget
Budgeting helps in prioritizing the essentials and saves you from spending unwisely. Therefore, create a budget of how much money you want to invest in marketing, then choose a local marketing tool that matches your budget.
Since local marketing is an asset promising handsome returns, you shouldn’t shy away from taking small business loans to finance your marketing campaigns.
Marketing Goals
The local marketing tool should match your business goals. The goals set should be attainable and realistic and should uplift the business brand’s bottom line. You can even set goals that are time-bound for evaluation purposes.
Your Financial Sources
Every marketing strategy requires an investment. A budget will tell you how much you need to spend on marketing, but it will not inform how much you need to pay to make it a success. You have to work out how to acquire the necessary funds for your marketing.
Small business loans can be an effective solution if your business is still at a stage where it needs outsourcing. You can acquire small business loans without losing any stake in your company and maintain control.
Bottomline
More than 88 million Americans go on the internet daily to search for the services of a local business. To get a piece of this pie, you should consider enlisting local marketing tactics such as using SEO-best practices, employing an influencer, and sponsoring local events.
Your business gains a lot from the campaigns, so seeking funding for the marketing drive makes sense. Follow the link in the introductory section for more information about small business loans for a local marketing campaign.
