We spend a small fortune on marketing. In 2017, ad expenditure in the US was estimated to come to more than $200 billion.
Businesses wouldn’t spend such huge sums year after year if the results didn’t prove it be effective. But not every business can afford to spend millions of dollars on advertising.
That’s why it makes sense to operate more smartly and maximize your return on your marketing spending. One way to do so is through localized marketing.
Read on as we take a look at 8 practical and effective localized marketing strategies to help you reach the people most likely to use your business.
1. Make Use of Your Good Reviews
Garnering positive reviews isn’t always that easy.
It seems to be a part of human nature that we’re much more likely to post a negative review than a positive one. But the flip side is that we’re also far more likely to make a purchase or use a service if it has positive reviews.
Politely chasing down satisfied customers to ask them to leave positive reviews is a great start, but you shouldn’t stop there. If you get a glowing review, don’t just leave it languishing on your website. Put it out there on social media for all the world to see, but most importantly those local to your business.
Maximize the reach of your positive reviews and they can really pay off for you.
2. Target Your Social Media
Social media is a truly wonderful tool for promoting your business.
And the beauty of social media is that you can target your posts to your local region so that they get seen by the people you most want to see them. Adding a local hashtag or geolocation to your posts makes it easier for people nearby to find them. This will also have an impact on your local search rankings too, as your business will be regularly appearing linked to local search terms.
And make sure you respond to people on social media too. Positive interactions with local customers will likely be seen by their local friends and family, increasing your reach even further.
3. Facebook Advertising
If you’re going to pay for advertising, you want it to be reaching the right people.
And Facebook makes it easy for you to target your ads exactly where you want them. You can target your audience by location, but also by age, gender, hobbies, and much, much more. You already know the people who are most likely to use your business, and Facebook allows you to target more people exactly like them.
It’s definitely money well spent.
4. Sign up to Local Directories
There is much more to the internet than search engines and social media.
Not everyone will be searching for your business that way, so make sure you give as many people as possible a chance to discover you. Sign up to all the local directories you can and get your business listing out there.
Sign up to Bing Places, LinkedIn, Yelp, Foursquare, and more. There is a whole range of sites that people use when searching for businesses just like yours. Make sure you’re not missing out.
5. Build a Great Mobile Website
Gone are the days when people did most of their searching on laptops or desktops.
Mobile has become the number one source of search traffic, and it’s only going to grow. So if your website isn’t optimized for mobile, you’re really letting yourself down. A responsive website is good, but a site that has a dedicated mobile-only version is even better.
Remember that people searching on mobile may be right around the corner from your business. So make it as easy as possible for them to find you with good website design.
6. Google My Business
Google still remains by far the most dominant search engine.
So if you haven’t got a Google My Business listing, you’re risking missing out on a huge amount of potential customers. Set one up, and your online listing will look exactly the same as those of huge companies. The local Apple Store or the nearest Walmart will have the same look and feel as your own listing.
Your credibility and your visibility will grow, and so will your business. And the best part is, it’s totally free to set up.
7. Give Back to Your Community
Not all of your localized marketing efforts have to be digital. The old-fashioned ways of growing your business can still be very effective.
Giving something back to your local community can help put your business in front of people who might not otherwise have considered it. It also shows that you and your business care about your local area, rather than just wanting to make a profit.
Sponsor a local sports team, or support a local school. Not only will your brand get more visibility, but it will also earn some positive associations in the minds of your local clientele.
8. Local SEO
At the end of the day, many of your customers are going to come from local searches.
So having your local SEO on point is vital to ensuring that your business is on the first page of search results. Ensuring that you have strong, localized keywords through your content doesn’t have to be challenging. Do your keyword research and find out what your potential customers most often search for.
And if you really want to take your local SEO to the next level, then call in the experts. A full-service digital marketing agency such as our own can make a huge difference to the effectiveness of your local SEO.
Looking for Help with Your Localized Marketing?
If you’re looking for help with localized marketing then you’re in the right place.
We offer a wealth of experience in inbound marketing to help you to grow your business. We can help you to attract traffic, convert leads, close sales and delight customers. We can also help you create the perfect mobile-optimized website with localized SEO built right in.
Why not sign up for your free inbound marketing consultation today?