Today we will talk about local promotion, how to take advantage of its connection with the closest community, the people that make it up and the physical proximity with customers to guide their marketing efforts more effectively.
As a business owner, you want your business to be successful. Investing in marketing is vital to that success, but many small businesses can not waste or save time in high-priced advertising campaigns.
Today we will show you:
- What is a local promotion?
- Who can benefit from the local promotion?
- Why are local customers important?
- Where to find your local customers?
In the current digital age, technology allows us to obtain customers from all over the world. While this is ideal for corporate giants that are increasingly expanding.
What about small businesses? How can they get more local customers when they compete against large companies with a global presence?
Small local businesses have a significant advantage due to the fact that they are nearby.
No marketing strategy that is magical
There is not a magic formula. Many people approach the marketers as if we had the magic wand of a fairy godmother and with about 3 touches everything will be resolved … well NO, it does not exist.
The goal of marketing is to connect the value of your business with your right customers or goals. It’s a simple concept, but it can take a million different tones.
- What demographic data make up your customer base?
- Where they live?
- Where do they hang out when they are online?
- How do you search for products in your niche?
- Who do you listen to when making decisions regarding your product?
The answers to these questions determine which marketing strategies will be viable and which ones will be a waste of time. In other words, the key to success for your business is not Facebook ads. It’s not SEO. Nor is it a conference network.
There is no magic and universal strategy that will revolutionize your business. Literally, I have no idea what will work for you, because I do not know you. I do not know anything about your business. I do not know your clients
But, fortunately, you do know about your business! YOU know who you want your target customers to be!
Location-based marketing is part of our daily lives as consumers. Even when we are not specifically looking for a service provider near us or a product at the El Corte Ingles site, for example, search engines will still share the most relevant local results with us.
As a business owner, you should take advantage of this, even when you are far, far away.
What is a local promotion?
Local promotion, also known as “location-based marketing,” is the process of optimizing your website and online advertising to help boost traffic and awareness in localized regions.
This type of marketing is specifically aimed at all potential customers who live in the community around your business. Why is this type of marketing so useful? For a very simple reason:
Google’s algorithm uses the location of a search engine to serve the relevant local businesses.
This means that your company has a greater opportunity to fight against your non-local competitors through local SEO.
Local promotion takes advantage of this by providing tools, tactics, and strategies to facilitate the conversion of local traffic into sales, either online or in person.
Who can benefit from the local promotion?
This is because local promotion is not just about labeling some location-specific keywords in product descriptions and calling it per day.
It’s about taking a more specific approach with your audience and doing it in a way that seems more personal. Both consumers and search engines are very supportive hyperlocalized marketing, so now is the time to make it work for your brand. Here we share 10 booming businesses to start your business carrier.
Why are local customers important?
For small businesses to thrive, they need local customers. For those products that are purchased at the store or whose services are provided locally, it is especially important to have a local physical presence.
Without local clients, a local business can not succeed. The stronger your brand is and the more recognized the name of your business is in your local community, the more sustainable your growth will be.
Find where your local customers spend more time
The first step to attracting more customers is to find the people who will be most interested in your products or services. These people make up your target market, or the group of people that are the best option for your business.
Know your business and your community well. Where do the people who will be your best customers live, work, play or spend their time? Use this knowledge to reach these people where they already are.
1. School and community events
Depending on your target audience, you can benefit by participating in events related to the school or in the community, such as church groups or networking events.
Most likely, you are already involved in one, but in more organizations, so be sure to always carry business cards with you in case someone asks you about your business.
While it should not be overly promotional, it is more than correct to mention your business when relevant in the context of the conversation.
2. Connect with local influencers
Do you know a blogger or local influencer in whom people trust? Get to know that person or group of people and offer them a free service or product.
Getting someone with a strong local influence to prove your business means that you can endorse your product to your followers.
3. Newspaper ads and stories
Social networks are huge, but that does not mean newspapers do not have a place in the world. If you have a local newspaper that people read, try to advertise in it.
Better yet, save money and do some journalistic interest. Tell the local newspaper about an event you are organizing and offer to provide internal access to a story!
4. Charity events and sponsorships
One of the best ways to put your business name in front of an audience of parents and members of the local community is to put your name on something.
Donate to a charity or sponsor a local sports team or charity event in exchange for the name of your company on t-shirts or posters.
Not only will you donate your money to a good cause, but your business will be right in front of a captive audience!
5. Partner with local businesses
Another local promotion strategy for your business is to take advantage of local business alliances. When you associate with other companies in the area, each company gains visibility from the client base of the other, doubling its reach, for free!
Local associations also add credibility to your business and strengthen your links with the community in general. The partnership with local companies offers more potential customers the opportunity to know their business.
6. Local Hashtags
A simple tool that you can use to attract more local customers is through the use of hashtags in addition to location tags in your social networks.
When used correctly, you can involve local customers with your social media accounts and make your business easier to find for users who browse through it.
Use local hashtags for your city, state or town. People who search and use local hashtags will have more chances to find your business in this way.
In order to optimize your social media accounts for SEO, be sure to include your company name, website and a brief description of what you do on your social media profiles.
In terms of gaining local customers, adding your location to each social platform you use can help make your business even more visible to those in the area. Its location is just another keyword that people can search to locate their company on the map.
7. Facebook Ads
With the Facebook ad platform, you can specifically target customers based on their geographic location.
Facebook’s technology is now so advanced that it can target specific customers based on the street they live on. This means that you can make sure that your Facebook ads are actually shown to customers in the area. For more information about Facebook ads.
8. Use location tags in social networks
Social networks are an excellent way to generate noise (of course it is positive) about your business.
To obtain local customers, use a location tag when you publish. A location tag puts your company on the map, making it easy for local customers to find your company on Facebook or Instagram.
9. Flyers
The brochures are not just for the garage sale and to find your lost pet; is another quick and easy local promotion strategy that can help attract more local customers.
Print as many copies as you think you will need and deliver them in an area with many potential customers. Supermarkets, festivals, and local sports stadiums are good places for your local community to learn more about your business.
10. User reviews
Reviews from previous clients can help you get more local customers. Good and bad reviews can spread quickly through the community, so do everything possible to make sure your current customers are satisfied with your business.
If they are not, ask them why and maybe they can even offer an incentive for them to come back and give their business another chance.
Many people check customers’ opinions before buying them, which means they must do everything in their power to get positive reviews online.
11. Publish to Facebook groups
Another way to use Facebook to attract local customers is with Facebook Groups. Search on Facebook for local groups, including business networking groups, industry-related groups, or even parent sales groups!
Joining the groups where your target market is located and publishing your content in them makes group members more likely to get involved with your business.
12. Word of mouth
The most traditional way of using marketing, word of mouth marketing, still attracts customers to this day.
The spread of the word about your company, your products, and your services to the whole community can make people get more involved and talk about your business. Be friendly and encourage clients to share their experiences with your business in the hope that your social circles will also be interested in your business.
13. Create an event on Facebook
With more than 1.65 billion active users, it’s no surprise that Facebook can be a great tool to attract more local customers.
Every time you have an event, create a Facebook event for him and send invitations. Organize an event and make an event on Facebook so that it will increase the visibility of your event and business and will help more people interested in attending.
14. Create local events
Do not wait for an event to happen; Create one! A small and simple meeting at your location or hosted by your company can go a long way in the community.
These events do not always have to be directly related to your products or services. Simply providing an opportunity for people to meet, know, learn and eat is a way to add value and show the community that you care about them.
If you are struggling to find ideas or topics, take advantage of the relevant local parties and events. Even if you get low participation, meeting new people and connecting with your community can help you learn a few things about the area. You can even learn some ways to improve your services.
15. Attend local events
Attending local events can help you get clients in the community. In many towns and cities across the country, community events take place weekly.
If your company is located in a metropolitan area, there are often also handicrafts and trade fairs near you.
Register for events you think your target audience will attend, and promote your business in these functions to attendees.
Local events attract local crowds, which can help your company win more customers in the area. Be kind, offer incentives to interact with you and your business, and meet as many potential customers as you can.