Boxes of fresh strawberries at business using local marketing strategy

Business guide to Coronavirus

7 tips for local marketing that doesn’t break the bank

No matter the size of your business, keeping your cash flow steady is critical to ongoing success. So, you don’t want to spend huge amounts of cash on marketing tactics that don’t deliver a return. Local marketing can provide great opportunities here, thanks to technology no less. Here are seven of our most cost-effective local marketing tips to help your business thrive.

1. Create content with a local spin

Every business should be using content to their advantage – especially those with a local presence. After all, it has the power to not only increase customer engagement but also the number of viable leads.

Good content can turn a cold prospect into a loyal customer, but it needs to be audience-focused rather than generic. Going for a local approach allows you to increase your visibility with a specific target market while also enforcing the image of a trustworthy local business that’s ‘one of them’.

2. Use social media targeting

Unlike posting an ad in the local paper, advertising your business on a platform like Facebook allows you to target specific groups who are most likely to want what you’re selling.

You can make sure only people with particular parameters see your ads, narrowing your audience and, as a result, boosting your chances of converting leads. These can include but are not limited to:

location
age
gender
relationship status
education level
approximate income
life events (e.g. getting married or having a baby).

3. Make offers and deals time-sensitive

Creating a sense of urgency with potential customers can help lead them into your sales funnel sooner. To do this, make sure to put a time stamp on your deals and offers. Incentives, such as indicating a discount if they buy by a certain date, can help nudge them over the edge and close the deal.

4. Embrace geotargeting

Online businesses don’t have to worry that much about where their customers are located, but local businesses rely on knowing where their audiences are. Google Ads has handy geotargeting functionality that increases your visibility in a particular area.

The good news is, it’s not as complicated as it sounds and it can really boost your local insights so you know where to focus your marketing efforts.

5. Make it easy to find your business

It might surprise you just how many businesses don’t make it easy enough for their customers to get in touch with them. However, if you’re relying on people in your area for business, they should be able to find you at their first attempt.

To increase your chances of being found, take a few moments to include directions to your business and opening hours online – and make sure the contact information on your website is up-to-date and optimised for mobile.

6. Engage with happy customers

If a customer has left you a positive review, don’t be afraid to share it on social media. It’s free and can help initiate conversations with new and existing customers. That said, it pays to stay active on your social channels throughout the week and actively engage your followers. If you find people talking about you, join in the chat and show them how easy it is to do business with you.

7. Update your Google My Business listing

It’s easy to forget about your Google My Business listing, but it’s one of the first things people look at when searching your business online. So, if it’s not up to date, then you might be missing out on sales.

A current listing also lets you add information to your Google Maps listing, which can help streamline the entire buying process for your customers.

You don’t need to pay exorbitant marketing fees to get your business in front of new customers. These local marketing tips are cheap, easy to implement and – most importantly – effective.

Find out more about promoting your business.