Local marketing is more relevant than ever, mainly due to the pandemic forcing local businesses to go online. However, even before COVID-19, nearly half of Google searches had local intent, and a third of consumers checked local companies online daily.
Local marketing is a marketing technique that focuses on potential consumers within a 50-mile radius of a company’s physical location. It’s also known as community marketing, local store marketing, or location-based marketing.
Local businesses may use various outbound and inbound marketing strategies to attract buyers, including social media marketing, Google My Business, display ads, and becoming active in the vicinity.
Best tip for local marketing
If local marketing sounds like something you’d like to do with your own business, keep these tips in mind. By implementing these for your company, you will be able to attract new local customers.
- Optimize for local keywords
One of the main focuses is optimizing websites for search engines to determine which specific keywords or phrases individuals are looking for. Then, by integrating these keywords into your website, you should be able to rank high on SERPs as people look for them. Local SEO keyword research determines the search words people use when searching for a response to a question in search engines.
Suppose you are having difficulty in finding the right keywords and phrases for your business. In that case, there is a keyword checker available to make your transition smooth and help you gather the most up-to-date information.
Let’s say, if you’re a photographer in California, you could start by typing in “photographer in California.” You can get a list of suggested keywords relevant to that search by plugging that information into a keyword checker. This will help generate a list of related local keywords and phrases for you. You can pick local keywords from the provided list that you believe will help you rank higher in the search results.
You can help your company appear in geographically targeted search results so that more local leads can find you by performing regional SEO keyword analysis.
- Make the most of Facebook ad targeting
Offering people something of value for free is the most powerful way to drive new customers. Advertisers can use practically any aspect of a person’s life as a targeting metric on Facebook, including age, life events like getting married or raising a child, and much more. You can combine these criteria with location targeting to narrow down your potential audiences further.
However, while Facebook’s targeting options are incredibly effective, it’s essential to proceed with caution. Being excessively selective with your audience targeting options can result in your audience shrinking to the point where it becomes too costly.
Custom and lookalike audience targeting is a more convenient way to target. With Facebook ads, you can target distinct people using custom audience targeting. Upload a set of emails to Facebook to accomplish this. Facebook will match them to their account and show your ad to those users.
You may use lookalike targeting to identify people that are close to your current customers. It makes it simple to find new people to target without spending hours experimenting with various targeting choices. You upload a list of your customers’ email addresses to Facebook, similar to a custom audience. Facebook would link them to their connected Facebook account and then look for shared interests and demographic data. Then, Facebook will identify and display your ad to other people who have the same information set as you.
- Create exclusive landing pages for each campaign
Countless small businesses waste money by failing to monitor conversions or create local landing pages. Creating excellent, highly relevant landing pages for each campaign is one of the best ways to increase conversion rates. When creating a landing page for a local audience, keep the following in mind:
- A clear CTA
- Describe your value proposition with a descriptive savior image
- Respond to the most commonly asked questions from your audience
- Sponsor Local Events
There might be several local events planned and managed by other local groups throughout the year. These groups are searching for companies to join them in supporting their cause, either by collaborating to plan the event or simply contributing money for a mention in their program and website. Both of these choices are great for marketing your business in front of local consumers.
- Make sure your Yelp categories are correct
When you run a Yelp ad, the categories you select decide which queries your ad will appear in. Your Yelp categories also have an impact on where your listing ranks organically. More calls, visits, and scheduled appointments for your company can benefit from getting the correct types on your Yelp listing.
Adding correct business details such as your company name, address, and phone number is the first step in enhancing your listing. After doing that correctly, follow these steps to update the company categories;
- Go to the business information section
- Under Categories and Services, click the edit button
- Add up to three types to your business
- Select all programs that apply to each group
- Feature shop hours and directions on your website
It’s also crucial to note that if you don’t make your company as easy to locate as possible, you’ll lose out on a slew of new customers. Always display all essential business details, including contact information, timings, and locations, on your website. This is literally a no-brainer!
Prosperous local marketing examples
Nike created a marketing strategy tailored to the London market. The commercials, which featured Nike athletes Harry Kane and Dina Asher-Smith, focused on becoming a young sportsperson in London and were shot in less-known parts of the region. Following the ad’s release, searches for Nike brands in London increased by 93 percent, according to the fashion search platform Lyst. Nike searches were also up 72 percent in Manchester and 54 percent in the UK as a result.
The leading drinks brand, Coca-Cola, studied the most common names in its core markets and reprinted them on individual bottles to increase interaction and purchase. Coke was able to attract a significant number of people by using common regional names. People expressed sentiments that were more personal to them due to promoting user-generated content in this way.
Final thoughts
Since every organization is different, your local marketing strategies should represent your product, service, and industry’s best approaches. For local businesses, it is crucial to geo-locate their company on a map to make it easy for prospective customers to find you. With all of these local marketing ideas, the intention is for you to cut through the clutter and stand out from the crowd. If you get them right, you’ll be a famous local brand in no time!
