Of all the consumers who perform local searches every day on Google, half of them end up visiting a store within the day. This goes to show just how important local marketing can be to your overall promotional strategy. While there are countless nuances to local strategies, many of which your marketing specialist can handle, there are also a few tips you can utilize yourself.
Get Out into the Community
Even if you have the best marketing experts handling local marketing for your company, they cannot replace getting out there into the community. You have to do this yourself. Ask a few employees to attend local events to promote the company. Better yet, get involved in charitable events and promote them through other marketing channels. Consumers love socially responsible businesses, so do your best to become one.
Work with Other Local Businesses
Another great method of local marketing is working with other companies. Seek out businesses that are not in direct competition with you but whose customers may be interested in your product or service. If you own a restaurant, take menus to local hotels and car rental places. If you are a florist, trade business cards or pamphlets with bridal shops. As long as a company is not competing against you, they typically will have no problem with a quid pro quo relationship.
Solicit Reviews from Customers
While a marketing expert can ask people to review your service through online means, it is up to you to get on the front line and request these testimonials. Reviews are an essential part to local marketing. They increase your SEO score and let locals know they can trust your company. Remember, though, that you cannot offer incentives for positive reviews. You can, however, offer incentives for a client’s truthful opinion.
In the grand scheme of things, all business is local. This is especially important for small businesses to remember. And although hiring a marketing expert to handle the heavy hauling is a smart move, there are still a few things you need to do on your own to succeed.
