Welcome to the world of local marketing. Where business owners like you constantly search for ways to bring more customers from their surrounding area through their doors. And people like me can provide those customers to you!
But what exactly is local marketing? It's a strategy that targets customers in a specific geographical location. In other words, it's all about reaching out to people in your neighbourhood, city, or region.
And it can be incredibly effective if done right. So grab a cup of coffee (or your favourite beverage), and let's dive in!
It is worth mentioning here that when working with our clients, to put 12, 24 and 36-month strategies together. We'll use a mix of the examples below with other tactics and tools and a dash of secret source.
But we always consider the capabilities and the availability within that particular business. Unless you are a multi-certificated Google Ads specialist, now is not the time to tinker with ads or local service ads - if you have a Marketing budget - use it and get an expert. Otherwise, you might as well be setting fire to your cash. If you don't have time or inclination, we'll usually do all the leg work for the client with our done-for-you services.
First things first, let's talk about NAP. No, I'm not talking about napping (although that sounds lovely). NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone number. These three pieces of information are crucial for any local business. Why? Because when people are searching for a business in their area, they're usually looking for a specific type of business, and they want to know where it's located and how to contact it. If your NAP information is consistent across different directories and platforms, it will positively impact your local search rankings. So make sure to keep your NAP up to date-and consistent.
Now, let's talk about pricing strategies. With local marketing, you need to be strategic about your pricing. As a local business, you have a unique advantage over larger, national companies because you can be more flexible with your pricing and move faster. You can offer promotions specific to your local market, and you can adjust your prices based on the needs and preferences of your customers. But you don't want to undervalue your product or service. You also want to ensure you're pricing competitively within your local market. So, do your homework well.
Next up, local sponsorships. Sponsoring local events or organisations that align with your brand and its values is another great way to get your business out in front of potential customers, show your support for the community, display your branding prominently, and offer value to attendees.
Let's move on to SEO (search engine optimisation). SEO optimises your website and online presence to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). This is important for any business but especially for local businesses because you want to appear in the top results when people search for businesses in your specific area.
One of the best ways to improve your local SEO is to focus on geotargeting. Geotargeting is the process of targeting specific geographic locations with your marketing efforts. You can do this by using location-specific keywords on your website, creating content relevant to your local market, and building backlinks from other local websites.
Another important aspect of local SEO is ranking for "near me" searches. These are searches where people are looking for businesses near their current location. To rank for these searches, ensure your website includes your location and that your NAP, as discussed above, is consistent across all your online listings.
Cross-selling is another Local marketing must and is the practice of selling additional products or services to existing customers. Cross-selling and upselling can increase your revenue and strengthen your customer relationship. For example, if you own a hair salon, you should cross-sell hair products and equipment like GHD tools or hairdryers to your customers after their appointments. Understanding your customers' needs, listening to their feedback, asking questions, and paying attention to their buying habits. You can offer them products or services they're more likely to be interested in. which puts more money in your pocket.
What about Lead Generation? This is another essential aspect of local marketing, as it involves finding potential customers and turning them into actual customers. But how do you get those leads? Well, there are many ways, such as using cold outreach campaigns, social media, email marketing, and even good old-fashioned networking. The key is to target people in your local area who are likely to need your services.
With Local Service Ads, you can show off your business, highlight your services, and provide your contact information. These online ads help local businesses get noticed by potential customers. They appear at the top of Google search results, making them highly visible to people searching for local services.
With local service ads, you can show off your business, highlight your services, and provide your contact information. It's like shouting from the rooftops, but without the risk of falling off!
But the best part of local marketing? You get to connect with your local community and build relationships with customers who live and work nearby. It's like having a big family of loyal customers who appreciate you and your business.
Remember to be creative, have fun, and embrace the local vibe. And who knows, you'll even become the talk of the town (in a good way, of course!).
So, if you're a local business looking to boost your sales and connect with your community, local marketing is the way to go, and we can help you get there.
Local Marketing Made Easy is a full-service local marketing agency based in Greenwich, London. We can show you how a good marketing strategy can increase sales - ultimately putting more money in your pocket.
To see how we can help your business, call us on (0203) 303 0625 or book a callback request via the form below.
