These 5 Local Business Marketing Strategies Will Transform Your Business

17 Sep 2021

Albert Wood

These 5 Local Business Marketing Strategies Will Transform Your Business

As the owner of a small or local business, you always thrive to connect with the people in the service area of your business. Though your strategies will necessarily be different from those of large corporations or companies that cast a wide regional net your goal is to come up with good ways to reach your target audience.

We are here with the top marketing strategies that will not only give your business the boost it needs but also help in drawing in more clients.

Set Your Audience

The first and most important thing to consider is who, exactly, you want to reach. How large is the region that you are choosing? Does it encompass your city, several cities or your entire county or parish? If you decide to buy paid advertisements, tailor and localize them specifically to that area. Google and Facebook both offer the chance to put your ads in front of the target demographics you select, so keep this in mind.

Accessibility is Key

Make sure that your website is fully optimized for mobile users since many people are more likely to view your site from a phone than a desktop or laptop. Make sure that you have a social media presence, and don’t be afraid to use hashtags so that your work will attract more eyes.

Also, be proactive in responding to customers who post on your page or enter your mentions. This will reflect your willingness to communicate effectively and openly, enhancing your audience’s perception of your credibility and goodwill towards the community.

Seek Out Reviews

It’s highly likely that you’ll have regular customers who love to shop local, so use them to your advantage! When a customer is satisfied and keeps coming back for your goods or services, ask if they wouldn’t mind leaving a Google review or Facebook testimonial. Even a simple star rating will look fantastic to new customers, but a typed review with a photograph is even better.

You may even consider to cash in the reviews. For example, leaving a review could give your customers 10% off on their next purchase. You can also set up giveaways that use your social media so that your viewers will set eyes on these stellar reviews. Following your business on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram and showing you proof could earn your customers one entry in a raffle to win a prize basket. Or, if they take a picture with your product and share it to social media with a clearly identifiable hashtag of your choice, they could enter a social media competition with a significant reward.

Be an Active Community Member

If you want local business, people need to perceive you as a vibrant part of the community scene. Consider sponsoring events, taking part in fundraisers or launching activities of your own. Even hosting a booth at a fair or farmer’s market will get your name out there as well as provide you with an opportunity to share swag items or business cards.

Think about a cause that aligns with your business, or choose an event that feels important to you personally. You could sponsor a basket for a silent auction filled with goodies or a voucher to your business or send volunteers to serve food at an outdoor celebration. Whatever you choose to do, make sure that passersby can clearly tell what the name of your business is at a quick glance.

Partner with Other Businesses

Teamwork between local businesses can really make the difference for both parties in terms of boosting clientele. You can easily team up with another local business for a fundraiser or event, thus ensuring that both of you are viewed as active community members.

However, you can also partner up in other ways. Perhaps you own a local boutique or spa goods store. With this business model, you can sell goods created by a local entrepreneur and share the profit between each other.

For example, you could sell a friend’s homemade sugar scrubs and lotions or reach out to a local online candlemaker to offer a physical venue for some of their stock. If you own a business where people will stay and sit for a while, like a coffee shop, you can talk to community artists to find works to display for sale on your walls.

If you keep your audience in mind, reach out to other local businesses and take care to be an active part of your local community, you will find that these strategies greatly boost your clientele. Remember that many people love to shop local and form personal connections with the businesses they frequent so that you can use this inherent advantage to your benefit.

Customers love the locals, and your marketing strategies should reflect that fact!

Albert Wood

Albert Wood is a technology futurist, sales stimuli, motivator, and E-commerce specialist at ioVista. As a data-driven and digital marketing evangelist, Albert’s passion is transforming struggling e-commerce businesses into sales-generating powerhouses through the right combination of UX and digital marketing strategies.