Digital local marketing has never really had the attention it deserves when it comes to online marketing strategies. However, if you want to improve your brand engagement and business revenue it’s time to start taking it seriously. Digital marketing for local companies will help you compete with larger competitors or not, local marketing will help bring you a whole new audience.
Recent studies show that the majority of people will only travel 15 minutes or less for their everyday purchases. Therefore, by focusing your marketing strategies around your local area you may reach customers that never knew you were right there on the doorstep. It has also been found that 75% of ‘near me’ searches visit the business within 24 hours with 28% of those converting into a sale.
Related: Google 3-Pack | How to get your business noticed on the map
If those statistics aren’t enough reason to embrace local marketing I don’t know what is. It also gives you an opportunity to play on the connection local customers naturally have with businesses that are local and ideally located.
So how can your business embrace local marketing?
In today’s uncertain and changeable world, local businesses’ competitive advantage increasingly depends on the ability to maximise the local market and marketing efforts.
Take a look at the local digital marketing tips below and see how it can work for your company.
Have a Mobile Friendly Website
This is an important digital marketing tip in general. But for local businesses, it can be even more fundamental. Customers who search for ‘near me’ will likely be searching on their phone, and we know from the above stats that these are customers with intent. If you’re website isn’t optimised for mobile they will not be able to interact with your site or even worse, be able to find it.
Optimise Your Site for Local Search
The above being said, if you want local customers to find your site, using either mobile or desktop, you need a comprehensive and optimised search strategy. Part of that strategy should include relevant keywords, your location and information on the products and services you have on offer.
Have a Clean, Professional Design
Customers make up their mind about a website within seconds of landing on the page. This means they also make up their mind about your business, if your site is not user friendly then chances are they will not be visiting your restaurant or shop or using the services you provide. Your website needs to be clean, easy to read, easy to use and deliver the information the customer is looking for quickly.
Include Address and Hours
For local businesses, one of the most important things to include on the website is the address, contact information and opening hours. The information needs to be easy to find and clear so that customers can find you. You should also include multiple methods of contact to make it as easy as possible for people to get in touch with your business. The most common methods are phone number, email, social media accounts and live chat.
Have a Clear Call to Action
For most businesses the website is used as a tool to generate more leads or custom so to do this, you need to make it clear to people how they should go about doing business with you. Should they call to make an appointment? Should they email? Have a clear call to action so that customers will know exactly how they need to proceed.
Regular Social Media Posts
Using social media for local marketing is a great way to target and engage potential customers. To do this, you have to post regularly; this will keep you in the forefront of people’s minds. Just remember to keep in mind who your audience is when posting and make sure your posts are relevant or useful. Photos and videos are a great way of catching people’s attention on social media (just don’t forget the call to action too).
Use Targeted Social Media
When it comes to digital local marketing, social media can really have an impact. Social platforms like Facebook give you the opportunity to increase your reach and gain a local audience for your business online. The key again is to ensure that your campaigns target relevant customers in your area.
Use Locally Targeted Search Engine Advertising
Search engine advertising is another great way to get your business in front of potential customers. Using Google Advertising for local targeting allows you to reach local customers that are looking for exactly what your business offers.
Create Locally Optimised Keywords
Choosing the right keywords is fundamental to the success of your website’s visibility on the search engine results page (SERP). For the best results when it comes to digital local marketing you need to choose keywords that are both relevant to your business and your location.
Choose Relevant Landing Pages
Once you get people to your site, you need to keep them there. To do this you need to make sure you’re giving the customer exactly what they want when they first land on your website. This means ensuring you direct them to the relevant page from the advertisement, whether it’s the homepage, a product or a completely new page created for the purpose of the campaign.
Edit Your Advertising Strategy Accordingly
The great thing about digital marketing is the ability to analyse the data in real time. You have the power to monitor results and see exactly what is/isn’t working and amend accordingly which is both time and money saving.
Try Retargeting
Retargeting is a great way to ensure your product/service stays in the forefront of people’s minds. You already know they’re interested so it might be just the little push they need to make a purchase.
Don’t Forget Local Listings
One important step for local businesses is to make sure you list your business on Google and its verified. Simply add or claim your business on Google Maps. This allows you control of how your business features when appearing in Google search. In additon, allows you to modify information to maximise your results.
Related: What is GMB? | A Guide To Using Google My Business
Sites like Yelp, Google and others also provide a lot of information to online customers about local businesses. So it’s important that you claim the listings for your business so that you can control the basic information.
Keep Your Information Up To Date and Consistent
Make sure you keep the information up to date and correct. It is also important to keep it consistent across all platforms.
Monitor Online Reviews
For a local business online reviews are especially important. Make sure you are keeping a close eye on them and responding to them where necessary. An explanation or apology will go a long way to saving the reputation of your brand should you receive a negative review.
Time To Get Your Company Started On Digital Local Marketing
A digital local marketing effort can generate huge benefits and sales if it’s done right, so it’s time to start giving it the attention is deserves. Remember, this is just a general guide. Additionally, it’s important to do your own research when it comes to what will work best for your business.
At AIM Internet, a digital marketing company, our team of experts can help you with you local marketing strategy. We will get to know your business and put together a tailored and fully comprehensive digital marketing strategy that guarantees results. In addition, we work tirelessly to help maximise your digital marketing efforts.
To find out more about local marketing call Sarah on 08700628760 or visit our website.
