As a small business owner that does business all over the US, it is just as important for me to be found locally too. I want my friends and neighbors to know what I do so I can be their go-to business owner for the product and services they need. Supporting local business is not only great for your local economy, but it helps build rapport and support.
Whether your business is on the internet or a brick and mortar business, there is a place for local marketing on the internet that you need to be adding to your marketing plan. You need to make sure you are found on local search engines and here are some tips that will help you increase your visibility.
Tips to Help You Harness the Power of Local Marketing
- Have a business site – A must have today! This is the portal to your online and local marketing efforts for all that you place in there can be used elsewhere online and for customer development and support.
- Social media marketing – This is an important component to your online marketing. Not only is it seen by the search engines as a part of your visibility due to recent and frequent interaction, it is especially useful when targeting local markets. Utilize Google+ and the power of that site to develop your business listing. Refer to #3 for more.
- Advertise – When was the last time you advertised your business? Look at online newspapers and local sites for advertisement. Print media that crosses over to online is effective. Also advertising on social media with services like Facebook that can target local or enhanced areas is a way to grow your followers.
- Use location based services – There are many apps that use local based check in’s that are great for social interaction. Foursquare, Yelp, and even Facebook Places are great tools to integrate into your business.
- User review and rating sites – Use review sites like Yelp and similar integrated review apps you can pull into your website. These are not only liked by the search engines, but some allow you to interact with the customer. Yelp is very popular and it is not just for restaurants. Claim your site and set up a profile to optimize it with images, maps and descriptions of your business.
- Track and tweak what works and what doesn’t work – Don’t just put your site up and link to the places I suggested. Follow the development. Interact and see what is working and not. Install, learn, and use Google Analytics to see where traffic is coming from. Work your sites so they are fresh and inviting.
Local marketing can do powerful things for your business, as long as you are consistent and don’t give up. Is this the magic pill that will make you rich? No, but it will help with your SEO efforts, start to bring more and more traffic to your site, and allow you to be found more easily locally.
