How to run a successful local marketing campaign
Our tech expert Ash Young says adapting to modern marketing is key to beating the competition:
As a local business, you may not have the same budgets as high-street giants, but adapting to modern marketing is still the key to beating the competition.
Here I’ve listed my top tips for a successful local marketing campaign.
Local SEO
It’s more important than ever to be as visible as possible in local search. Start by claiming and verifying your free, Google My Business listing; this displays important information about your business directly in the search results.
Create individual landing pages with hyper-local keywords, including specific cities and towns. Likewise, write blog posts targeted to their interests, useful information and address their potential questions.
Local citations
Along with Google using 3rd party listings to verify you are a real business, listings on a local directory are a really simple way to drive local traffic and sales. In fact, 92% of customers ‘who use consumer online review sites say they made a purchase after visiting Yelp at least sometimes, frequently or almost always’ (Yelp).
List these citations yourself where possible, or secure inclusions with outreach.
Local reviews
While you’ll always get a mix of reviews, they’re an important local marketing tool. In fact, 68% say positive reviews make them more likely to use a local business (BrightLocal).
Go above and beyond for each customer, and with each positive interaction, sincerely ask those individual consumers to write and share good reviews.
You can also try competitions, leaflets, email follow-ups and retargeting ads to secure more.
Geo-targeted ads
It’s possible to localise your paid ads, optimising by area.
Alongside local keywords in your headings, geo-target your Google ads so they appear in your desired radius around a specific location. Additionally, utilise location extensions and click-to-call.
Facebook and Twitter also allow hyper targeting by location, with Facebook even permitting postcode-level targeting.
Mobilise
Mobile searching is the holy grail for local businesses. More than ever we’re on the go, searching for nearby services. To best convert these potential buyers, ensure you have a mobile-friendly site, offering a seamless experience and enticing them in.
Social engagement
Joining social media groups is the ideal way to engage with your target market and other local business owners.
Where you can, tag locations in your social posts and include your local, popular hashtags.
There’s a small fee, but it’s also worth joining your local Chamber of Commerce; it’s their mission to support and grow local businesses.
For help with local marketing, get in touch with the Evoluted team.
Ash Young, Evoluted
