Marketers are plagued by how-to tutorials, shifts in the industry, Google algorithms, and other confusing factors. Local campaigning, however, is much simpler. Below are a few top strategies you can use to boost local online marketing efforts to generate more Web-based exposure and business through cost-effective methods.
Sticking with Local
Another issue small businesses have when it comes to online marketing is staying local enough. Online ads and paid social media promotions, for example, give clients options. This allows them to geo-target specific demographics within particular areas. For a brick and mortar business that relies on walk-ins and local exposure, why waste marketing budgets advertising to an entire country when they could focus on a county?
Google AdWords, for example, is highly effective when it comes to low-price marketing. The service ranks companies’ website links in an ad section on search results that match specific keywords. Centralize your efforts by tailoring the service to fit your local area to save money.
Website Optimization
Another way to boost local online marketing is to list your address, phone number, hours, and other contact information on all of your website pages and online assets. This allows people to easily locate you and helps Google and other search engines match a search query/brand name to a physical location.
You can further optimize your Web presence by signing up to online registries and E-phonebooks. Google+ is perfect for this, considering its business services allow companies to show up on map applications.
Marketers should also convince their local businesses to create mobile-ready webpages for smartphone browsing. More customers than ever use smartphones. Why waste the opportunity?
Perfecting Profiles
You likely already know that having completely filled out online profiles on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other assets is important for drawing in traffic and retaining your status. Align your branding, keywords, and ad efforts to match them.
You should also keep all of your assets inter-linked. On a website, for instance, add in buttons that direct people directly to your Facebook page.
The “Check-In” Advantage
Apps like Foursquare, Facebook, and others are making it easy for businesses to boost local online marketing. When a customer checks into your business online, for example, he or she is spreading the word. This helps because:
- Their friends see where they are and might join in
- Your brand/location is further distributed (for free) on social media
- You can incentivize the process by offering deals for check-ins
- It doesn’t take any effort on your part
Consider investing in a QR code as well for local coupons and deals. The more ways you can connect with local consumers, the more likely they are to drop by for a visit.
Curating Local Content
One of the best ways to boost local online marketing is to create content that reflects your niche industry and location. With a combination of blogging, websites, press releases, and other media, it’s your job to find tie-ins with your community that help with online search results.
When it comes to search results, however, it is often best for businesses to shy away from self-SEO (search engine optimization). Using SEO is dangerous, especially if you aren’t sure what it is in the first place.
Instead, stick to a few keywords that match your overall marketing campaign. This will help search engines connect the dots between your different online assets and rank your pages. Here are a few tips for writing local content:
- Blog about your community using a topic that barely touches on your business. A few mentions can go a long way.
- Publish blogs and other content on social media with location tie-ins to help with local search results.
- Keep content active on websites by “curating” it. This is when marketers cycle content through websites to keep it alive and fresh.
- Go for quality over quantity every time. This content is just as powerful as print, and a few poorly written pieces can do lasting damage.
All said and done, knowing how to boost local online marketing is the first step to locking in more business from your community.
Photo by: McKay Allen
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