Big Steps: How Small Businesses Can Leverage Local Marketing
Welcome back to the Marketing 101 Big Steps series, where we delve into what you can do as a small business to maximise your presence online.
Being heard above the noise can be difficult when you’re a small business, especially if other competitors are in your local area. However, there are steps that you can take to ensure you’re not only consolidating your marketing strategy but being seen by your local demographic. Here’s how…
Understanding your local area
The first thing to do is understand your local demographic. Who lives in your local area? Is it more of an older demographic? Perhaps people in your local area prefer to shop online as there’s not much of a high-street presence?
Understanding your area geographically and demographically is the key step to maximising local marketing. You need to understand who lives there, what their habits are and who your competitors are to better tailor your marketing strategy.
Maximise your SEO
The next key thing is to make sure you’re being seen online in your local area. Whilst this may sound like a bit of a mountain to climb, it doesn’t have to be complex.
Optimise your Google Business Profile – Google Business Profiles are a great way to get yourself seen on search engines. If you haven’t set one up yet, make it a priority. If you have, ensure you’ve optimised the profile (if you’re not sure how, we can help!). Posting regular updates on your Google Business Profile also goes in your favour.
Use local keywords – Do some research to find out what people in your local area are interested in and searching for. Perhaps there are some key events in your area that you can take advantage of?
Community engagement and partnerships
Having an active presence in your local community is a great way of getting your name out there. Joining local forums or Facebook groups can help to build rapport with local residents and introduce new customers to your business.
You could even sponsor some local events, or create some collaborative promotions with other local businesses to help draw new people in and get the community talking about your business.
Use targeted local advertising
If you want to take your marketing plan up a notch, why not utilise local advertising? Consider traditional methods like an ad in the local newspaper or on the local radio station.
You could also go even further by creating some ads tailored to your local area online through social media.
There are so many ways you can start to reach out to your local area to get seen. If there’s something you want to consider but you’re not sure where to start, then you’re always welcome to reach out to us – just click here!
