Local Digital Marketing Services
Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy accounting for 47.3% of employment and 99% of businesses in the US. Even still, it can feel overwhelming to compete with corporate giants or chains that sometimes offer lower prices or more convenience than local establishments.
In terms of marketing, small businesses often have to compete with the bigger guys, but their marketing strategies (and budgets) simply aren’t equipped to keep up in the same way. This is where local digital marketing services come into play.
Simply put, local digital marketing services connect and drive consumers in a certain area to a local business. The right local marketing strategy can keep your business relevant, top of mind with your customers, and help build trust. Local digital marketing often seems more complex than it is.
When you think about it, many local digital marketing services take advertising back to the basics: building awareness among potential customers, having a great offer, and investing your advertising budget wisely.
What can small businesses leverage?
First, consider what local businesses can leverage over big businesses. Think about the qualities that consumers value in local or small businesses and why they choose them over the big guys. Usually, things like quality of product or service, trustworthiness, and a sense of giving back or helping to contribute to the community are things locals value with small businesses.
People value feeling a personal connection to a business owner. Consider these attributes in the context of your own business as you develop your brand messaging and creative strategy.
Reach out to other local businesses in your community.
Don’t think of other local business as the enemy, instead network with them and see how you can build each other up and grow together. A simple email, business card, or flier can go a long way in building relationships with other businesses and ultimately customers. Networking can go beyond shooting over an introductory email or placing your business cards on a counter. Sponsoring or being present at local events and even giving out promotional products such as pens and koozies can go a long way in terms of getting your name out among the locals.
It may seem obvious, but keeping your storefront kempt and inviting can make a big difference when driving foot traffic. A window or sidewalk sign can intrigue customers especially if it’s displaying a deal or quirky message.
Go Digital!
However, in an ever-growing digitized world where 97% of people learn more about a local company online than with any other medium, there are more advanced methods of local digital marketing that are worth investing in, even though they may seem intimidating at first.
Invest in a professional-looking website.
Probably the most important part of any kind of digital presence is having a website— a legit looking one at that. With programs like SquareSpace and Wix, it doesn’t take a master coder to make a professional looking website, just someone with a basic eye for design and copywriting. Something that can also make or break the look and feel of your site are photos.
Almost every website will feature photos, whether it’s of your products, food or even stock images, high quality visuals are a must. iPhone photography has come a long way and simple editing apps can make standard photos look professional grade and there are plenty of resources to aid in taking your photography skills to the next level. If you choose to go the stock image route, do your best to steer clear of the obvious cheesy stock images and never use a stock image as if it were a photo of your product (think of a run down restaurant where the menu items clearly don’t match what is served). Unsplash or Pixabay are great resources to use for free stock images.
Utilize SEO
When the design of your website is up to par, next start thinking in terms of SEO for your site. Localize your website by dropping the location and key local phrases instead of just words about your product or service. Many SEO tools are available at a price, but Google Trends is a good place to start to explore what people in your area are searching. Aside from copy, launching a blog and posting relevant topics can also help boost SEO for your site.[/bsf-info-box][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Take Advantage of Local Directories
Aside from your own website, getting found on other sites—especially Google—can play a crucial role in driving traffic to your business. There are a few key factors that will boost your ranking on Google including:
- Make sure your website is functional for mobile.
- Submit your website to Google.
- Select the best keywords (this plays back into SEO).
- Utilize metatags.
- Add your website to local directories.
Google My Business is a great tool to ensure your business information is correct and out for the world to see.
Listing your business on Yelp, TripAdvisor or even Yellow Pages is a great way to help your Google ranking and business credibility in general. Good reviews on sites such as these help legitimize your business, increase your credibility and boost customer service since many sites have the option to reply to comments or concerns.
Be Active on Social Media.
Social media is one of the most affordable and easy local digital marketing tools that is a must for your business. To begin, you must decide which social media platforms are best for your business, but usually Facebook, Instagram or Twitter are great starting points.
Once you’ve launched your social accounts, be consistently active and follow and engage with other local businesses.
If someone sees that their favorite restaurant is following you on Instagram, they’re much more likely to look at your page and give your restaurant a follow or even a try in the future! Social media doesn’t have to be expensive and you can up your earned media when your followers share your organic content.
Giveaways are a great way to incentivize your followers and up your engagement as well.
Influencers can be a great tool to increase the reach of your business and get in the local scene.
Launch email marketing campaigns.
Email marketing has proved time and time again to be effective. Building your subscription list increases leads and customers. Some of the most basic email marketing campaign ideas include newsletters, exclusive deals, new product launches, holiday specials, blog round ups, or advice and how-to’s based on your area of expertise. The possibilities are endless and a quick google search can help fire up some inspiration for any business. This article is a great resource to help choose what service is right for you.
Pitch to local online publications.
While local traditional media like newspapers or radio spots can make a difference, opt for digital publications or resources in your local digital marketing plan too. Pitch your story to relevant bloggers or online publications, which are usually marginally cheaper or even free. For example, if you’re opening up a new restaurant, research local food bloggers and reach out to them for a possible story on their website. Podcasts are the new radio and if your city has a niche podcast favorite, that could be a great advertising option too.
Keep it fresh.
If your marketing content is feeling stale, utilize holidays or special events such as Small Business Saturday or store opening anniversaries to push out more marketing content across multiple channels including but not limited to social, email, website deals, or media pitches.
Finally, reflect back on what’s working and what isn’t. Consider why certain media channels are successful or not and decide if they’re worth putting more time and energy into or if you should focus your efforts and money into what is performing better.
Conclusion
Local digital marketing services and strategies are essential for any small business and don’t have to be overly complicated to be successful.
Finding the right balance between traditional local media and digital techniques is a surefire way to a successful marketing campaign.
