Running a local business doesn’t mean that you lack ambition. It simply means that you recognize your current resources and understand the best way to utilize them at this moment in time. You see, while having a global presence is great, in today’s world, there’s a growing anti-globalist sentiment that makes people keener on spending their money with local businesses. However, this doesn’t mean that you can just start a local business, and you’ll drown in cash in no time. You need to make a solid business structure and find a way to promote the business to the best of your abilities. Here are the eight tips on how you can do it.
1. Sponsor a local event
If you want to be seen as a local business, you need to start behaving like one. What do we mean by that? Well, you need to show concern for the plights of the local community, and you need to take action towards it. Now, in order to do so, you might want to have to get in touch with various local organizations. This alone is an act of networking that could significantly benefit you in the nearest future. Keep in mind that while this doesn’t have to be that expensive, it might be in your best interest to show your affluence and generosity. Still, it’s up to you to decide how and how much you’re willing to invest.
2. Leverage local influence
Influencers should not always be evaluated according to the following they have. You see, the composition of these followers can be just as important as the sheer number, especially for a local business. Getting in touch with a prominent member of the community and getting their endorsement can do wonders for your status as a local business. Just keep in mind that local influencers usually aren’t influencers in a traditional sense. This means that your outreach needs to be slightly different. Chances are that they’re more likely to promote you out of their conviction than anything else.
3. Invest in local mobile SEO
According to some surveys, local mobile searches amount to about . What does this mean? Well, even people who want to come to your store in order to purchase an item (in order to avoid the waiting time and extra cost with delivery) are bound to check you out online. They’ll go to your e-store or site in order to confirm your location, check your prices, or even compare your prices to those offered by your competitors. Either way, you have quite a bit to work on in order to get to the top of the search results.
4. Include location in your long-tail keywords
When doing keyword research and coming up with keywords for your content marketing/SEO, you need to use this opportunity to squeeze in the location. This is quite effective in establishing you as a local business and attracting the right target audience. To further illustrate the point, we’ll give you an example. You see, the more specific you get, the better. For instance, is far more effective than just mentioning a wider city area like Phoenix or Arizona. Then again, even these two options are more effective than not listing the location at all.
5. Set yourself on the local business registry
Registries like Google My Business are taking geographical location as a serious consideration when recommending a business. So, even if a person doesn’t use the right keyword in their search, they’ll usually be offered businesses near them. Every device with an internet connection is a GPS, as well as a tracking device, which means that your local audience might have a hard time eluding you (without consistently using VPN). So, registering on Google My Business, Yelp, etc., can help you establish yourself as a local point of interest.
6. Use offline marketing
Offline marketing methods are definitely not outdated. This is especially true when “marking your territory.” For starters, billboards, signs, and banners will attract attention from the nearby audience, thus delivering you the exact portion of the audience that you were aiming for all along. Even distributing flyers and leaflets has a limited reach. Then, there is the old-school (offline) mediums like TV and radio commercials, as well as newspaper ads. Never underestimate the power of these mediums, even in the digital era.
7. Start a loyalty program
It’s not just about gaining an audience but keeping it, as well. After all, about 40% of your entire profit is generated by . For a local business, it should be a lot easier to attract local buyers, but there’s always a catch. In today’s globalized societies, even in the most remote of areas, local businesses have to measure up against major conglomerates. Now, one of the tools you can use in this struggle is starting a loyalty program. For a local business, referrals should come naturally (even WOM referrals). Still, why not reward this with some loyalty points, etc.?
8. Work on your social media
Use your social media profile to link up with people in your community. Like search engines, social media platforms always take the geographical location of the user into consideration. Now, just remember that the majority of platforms treat businesses differently than individual accounts. So, you might want to consider going for paid ads. Sure, it’s an extra item on your budget, but it’s definitely more than worth it. Moreover, you need to keep in mind that just because you’re already paying this doesn’t mean that your job there is done. You need to keep your profile active and interact as much as you can.
In conclusion
The last thing you need to keep in mind is the importance of being consistent with your business promotion strategies. Remember that your online presence (and online marketing) need constant updates and regular monitoring. Hosting just one event or sponsoring something just once will give you short-term results, but it’s not a long-term solution. In other words, now that you know how, you need to develop a strategy and stick to it.