Marketing a local business can be easy in some ways and difficult in others. Many people like to choose local businesses or might need to look for a local business for specific things. However, being restricted to a local target market can be tricky too. Local businesses can use a range of marketing methods to promote their brands, both online and offline. Digital marketing can often be cheaper and it’s still effective for local promotion, but offline methods are still very useful for local businesses. Check out these ideas for marketing your local business and getting more customers.
Marketing Straight to People’s Homes
Some people may think that direct mail is out of date, but it’s still a very effective way to reach a local audience. Direct mail marketing is used by all kinds of businesses to reach local businesses, from restaurants to realtors and businesses providing services to the home, such as roofers, cleaners, and more. The best thing about direct marketing is that the promotional material can stay in people’s homes for a long time. Even if it doesn’t, people will typically look at it for much longer than they would look at an online advert as they scrolled online.
Local SEO
Digital marketing is just as important for local businesses as it is for businesses with a wider audience. Local SEO helps you to find the right people online using a range of methods. Creating content using local keywords and using Google My Business to list your business are just a couple of the ways you should make sure your business can be found online. You can do some local SEO activities yourself, but it can also be helpful to get some help from SEO experts who can help you to do more. Social media can be a good way to find local customers too.
Target the Right Audience with PPC Ads
When you’re marketing to a local audience, you need to make sure you’re not wasting money on advertising to people who can’t benefit from your business. PPC ads are one way you can do this with digital marketing. Using platforms such as Google Ads and Facebook Ads, you can target the exact audience that you want. You can start with their location and then narrow it down even further based on things like age, gender, and even interests. It will ensure you’re using your marketing budget in the best way.
Local Events
Holding local events can be another way to market to a local audience. Whether you’re a B2B or B2C business, you can attract local customers by putting on an event. Even if you don’t hold a live and in-person event, you can use a virtual event to bring local people together. It’s a good way to connect to your local community, and there are various different types of events that you could consider organizing.
Market your local business with methods that are suited to reaching a local audience, from social media to local events.
Hand out promotional products.
While you shouldn’t prepare to hand out large percentages of your stock for free, giving out promotional products alongside purchases or at local events is a great way to grow your brand. This is because it helps raise your profile amongst the local community, as they’ll remember your name and logo based on the products you give them. The more familiar they are with your brand, the higher the likelihood of them making a purchase in the future, as they feel they can trust you.
Thankfully, there are plenty of promotional products for you to choose from. For example, customizable vinyl stickers are often a great choice. This is because you can design a fun, simplistic sticker that features your brand’s logo. This way, every time the customer comes across the sticker, they’ll think of your brand. Their varied usage – whether they are used to decorate water bottles or laptops – means that they are also a product that your customers are likely to use instead of discarding them right away, which can happen with other promotional products.
