To grow your business, it’s important to incorporate local marketing strategies to attract ready-to-buy customers searching for products or services. Local marketing allows businesses to connect with target customers personally, building credibility and trust.
Local marketing strategies include social media marketing, SEO, and Google Maps listing. Google Maps is one of the easiest ways to target local customers. By keeping an updated Google My Business listing, local companies can ensure customers find their product or service at the moment when it’s needed.
Aside from Google Maps, check out these websites that can help grow your business online.
11 Tried and Tested Local Marketing Strategies
1. Make your website local SEO-friendly
In recent years, Google searches using the phrase “near me” have dramatically increased. To grow your business with SEO, create a mobile-friendly site with local content that targets the right local keywords.
2. Activate your Google My Business Profile
Google often includes a “local pack” when customers look for a particular product or service. An updated Google My Business listing ensures your business appears in the search results.
3. Keep track of your citations
Improve your business’ credibility by ensuring review sites, social media sites, and other online directories contain updated and accurate business hours, contact numbers, and addresses.
Pro Tip: Use an online solution like iMapping to manage your citations effortlessly.
4. Invest in local search engine marketing
Running Google Ads is one way to rapidly grow your business online. By paying for spots in search results, customers see your business first, increasing the chances of visiting your establishment. Pay-per-click ads that target local customers are also a more efficient way to use an ad budget.
5. Engage with locals using social media marketing
Social media marketing is a powerful way to grow your business. Aside from completing your profile information, encourage customers to stop by your establishment. This shows their followers that they were in your store, thus increasing your visibility. Increase social media engagements by sharing any related local fun facts and posting your participation in local events. If managing a social media profile is too demanding, you can always contact social media experts.
6. Join local events
Events are a great way to encourage potential customers to learn more about your business. Participating or hosting local events increases your visibility in the local community. They also provide great online content to help you grow your business on social media.
7. Earn backlinks from respectable websites
When websites link to your site, they create a backlink, a primary SEO ranking factor. Earn backlinks by getting featured in local media outlets, participating in local events, managing your listing on local business directories, and offering discounts to local schools.
8. Unify your marketing channels
Create omnichannel experiences that unite your customers’ online and offline buying behavior. An example is a “buy online, pick up in-store” option.
9. Nurture relationships with nearby businesses
Partner with other local businesses to host events or run promotions. This amplifies your brand reach and increases backlinks.
10. Buy into the local culture
Utilize local cultural elements in online content to boost your business’ local perception. This also increases social media engagement.
11. Track and optimize SEO efforts
Continuous optimization is essential for long-term success. Use Google Analytics to track your results and continually optimize them.
Grow Your Business With Local Marketing
Local marketing is the easiest and most effective way to grow a local business. It’s a strategy that business owners shouldn’t ignore. Companies can use the combination of online and offline techniques described above to thrive in this increasingly competitive landscape.
