As fantastic as having customers worldwide are, you still need customers within your vicinity that can easily patronize you. Local marketing makes this easier by connecting prospects in your locale to your business.
Local marketing simply means putting your business in front of the audience within your locality to promote visibility and boost sales.
If you don’t know how to create a local marketing strategy, here is a simple guide to help you create and implement one to attract your local audience for your business.
Website Optimization
Optimizing your website is the first step to driving local traffic. Following SEO best practices (e.g., keyword research, quality content, etc.), checking for mobile device compatibility, site load speed, etc., helps you offer users a better experience while navigating your website.
You need to localize your website by carrying out localized research that can help you discover what searchers in that locality search for. You can include these results as keywords in your web page content to connect you to these prospects. Mention your community or nearby communities more often and use tools like Google Trends to find out more local terms to add.
It is also advised to make sure that your meta description contains your contact details and localized keywords to target your local audience.
Additionally, you can ask for an audit from SEO specialists to help determine if your website is optimized or not and assist you in doing it right.
Use Google My Business
Google My Business helps you directly provide users with your business info, like address, contact info, and open/close hours on the SERP. Users can easily find you when your Google My Business page is up-to-date.
Also, claim local listings on sites like Yelp to boost your credibility and make your local marketing more effective.
Localize Your Landing Page(s)
Localizing landing pages are most important for global brands that have multiple locations.
Create a landing page for every business location, including the exact address, map directions, office hours, and other necessary info.
An extra tip is to make your service description unique. E.g., instead of saying “boutique in Seattle,” you could say “leading boutique in Seattle.” Doing this aligns with users’ searches, as they usually search for the best of whatever they’re looking for.
Optimize Your Social Media Pages
You can optimize your social media pages by providing updated information, maintaining active accounts, posting relevant content, and engaging with your audience.
It helps to build your credibility by providing more info about your business and making it easier for your local audience to locate you.
Engage Physically And Ask for Reviews From The Community
Attending events, partnering with other local brands, and hosting events are ways to draw more positive attention to your business and be found by your target audience.
A simple review can go a long way. Reviews are like recommendations to other users and feedback to you. When you get reviews, you know how best to keep serving your customers.
It is advised to respond to reviews genuinely. Responding to customers’ reviews— positive or negative— makes them feel special and can boost customer loyalty.
Use Locally-Targeted Ads
Digital ads on Facebook and Google— targeting your local audience— are effective. However, offline ads like flyers, billboards, and newspapers help you become more visible to the prospects in your area.
Visibility in every format is essential, and the more your audience sees you, the more they remember you and want to patronize you.
Email Marketing
Email marketing is one of the most trusted marketing techniques that can benefit your business when used well.
While an email address usually does not contain location info, you can build your email list by encouraging customers visiting your store to drop their email addresses and receive exciting updates.
Local marketing is essential for your physical business and has many benefits at little to no cost. From optimizing your website to updating information across third-party apps, you can position yourself to connect with your audience.
Implementing these strategies will boost the visibility of your business while branding it as a reputable and credible business.
