Small business owners put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into building their businesses, but the work doesn’t stop there. Once you have your venture off the ground and running, it’s important to develop a marketing strategy that works.
A well-crafted marketing plan, coupled with excellent products and customer service, can help attract new customers and retain existing ones. In this article, we share some helpful tips from our marketing team on how to market your business locally in order to boost awareness and attract new customers.
Before you get started putting your market strategies into place it’s important to have a clear understanding of who your target customers are and what are the most effective channels to reach them.
For example, if your business is selling products that are targeted at people aged between 18-25, you may find that reaching this target audience through social media is more effective than printed publications, such as newspapers and local magazines.
5 Ways to Market Your Business Locally
Build a Website
Creating a website is essential for local businesses. In today’s digital economy, having an online presence is crucial, as more than 70% of potential customers will always search online and visit a company’s website before actually visiting in person.
Websites are great platforms for creating awareness, building credibility, and providing customers with information about what your business has to offer, as well as how they can contact you.
A well-designed website will also give you the opportunity to showcase your products and services, display special offers or events, and generate subscribers to your email database. Check out our previous blog about the reasons why a website is a must for local businesses to learn more.
Set up Google Business Profile and Other Online Directories
Google Business Profile is an incredible tool to market your business locally for free! By setting up a profile, customers in your area can easily search for and find your business on Google search by typing in keywords related to your products and services.
It provides call-to-action buttons that you can take advantage of, such as Call, Directions, and Chat, which will make it even easier for people to contact you or get directions to your physical store!
However, you will need to keep your business information up-to-date at all times, such as your regular business hours, holiday hours, website, address, and phone number, to help customers find what they need.
We also recommend that you encourage satisfied customers to leave a rating or review on the platform. The more positive reviews you receive, the higher your profile will rank on Google, and the more likely potential customers will find you and do business with you.
In addition to Google Business Profile, you may also want to create a profile on other online business directories, such as Yelp and Bing Places, to boost your chances of getting found online and showing up on search results.
Read also: How Does Google Business Profile Help My Local Business?
Get Involved in the Local Community
Getting involved in your local community provides an avenue to not only build a positive reputation but also nurture relationships with customers and other businesses in the area.
By taking an active role in the community, you establish a presence as an entity that they can trust, as well as foster deeper ties with community members which can give you a leg up over competitors.
Some examples of community involvement you can do include sponsoring local events, volunteering or donating as a company, and collaborating with non-profits or local chambers of commerce.
In the Acadiana area, there are a plethora of local organizations, such as One Acadiana and Downtown Lafayette Unlimited, that you can be actively involved in as a business owner to expand your network and grow your business while making an impact on the community.
Ultimately, getting involved in local groups can be hugely beneficial for marketing your local business and creating a loyal, strong customer base for years to come.
Leverage Digital Marketing Channels
Leveraging digital marketing channels such as social media, search engine optimization, and Google Ads can serve as an effective marketing strategy to reach potential customers near you.
Social media can immensely help enhance customer engagement, improve visibility, and develop a brand identity.
According to Sprout Social, more than 50% of consumers found new products or companies through social media, and 78% of them are willing to make a purchase from a company with which they have had a positive encounter on social. This makes managing an online presence on social media mandatory for any local business.
Read also: 7 Social Media Marketing Tips for Local Businesses
Likewise, optimizing your website for SEO can help your business appear higher in search engine results which will capture the attention of potential customers when they are looking for services like yours and bring organic traffic to your site, which eventually increases conversions.
You can also utilize Google Ads to land directly in front of specific target audiences or geographic locations, which in turn attracts more visitors and potential customers to the website resulting in better ROI.
Word of Mouth
It’s well known in the world of marketing that “Word of Mouth “ is one of the most powerful forms of marketing for businesses today, and the great part is it’s free!
For businesses looking to market locally, focusing on offering a great service or product and paying attention to the overall customer experience will not only make customers come back again, but they will also recommend your business to others.
As a small business owner, it’s important to know how to market your business effectively in order to reach new customers and grow your customer base.
Luckily, there are a number of ways you can go about marketing your business locally, from creating a website to taking advantage of the digital channels that we have mentioned above.
Need assistance with taking your online presence to the next level? Contact us at Klout 9! We are the top marketing agency in Lafayette, LA, that can help you with all your digital marketing needs.
Give us a call today to learn more about how we can help you market your business effectively online.