Strategic Approaches to Local Marketing
Did you know that in the last two years, the search terms “near me” and “close by” grew by over 900%? Every day, more and more consumers are prioritizing convenience, actively seeking businesses closer to home. So, what does that mean for business owners?
This means that tapping into local marketing strategies has never been more critical. Not only does it enhance visibility, but it also promises to attract new customers and drive foot traffic to your doorstep or online store. In this article, we take a closer look at local marketing, discussing its parameters and sharing strategic approaches to bringing in the locals while driving sustainable growth.
What Is Local Marketing?
Local marketing is an essential component of a broader marketing strategy that targets consumers in the same city or within a specific radius of your business. For example, if you own a café in Portland, Oregon, a local marketing strategy would employ tactics to draw potential customers within driving distance.
It is important to understand that local marketing is not just an ad campaign. It is a multifaceted approach that aims to engage with the community on various levels, both online and offline, motivating them to become patrons of your business.
Continuously Optimize Your Online Presence
Online optimization is not just a one-time update with a sleek website template. It’s a more iterative process geared towards regularly enhancing your online presence to be more accessible and user-friendly.
This begins by following best practices such as:
- Prioritizing local SEO. Periodically refreshing your website content, meta descriptions, and title with on-trend, relevant local keywords can boost your business’s visibility in geographically targeted search results. For example, if you run a bakery in San Francisco, incorporating keywords like “best bakery in San Francisco” or “artisanal bread in the Mission District” can help potential customers find you.
- Ensuring mobile responsiveness. With over 64% of internet traffic originating from mobile devices, mobile optimization cannot be ignored. Your website must be mobile-friendly and dynamic, able to adjust to different screen resolutions and sizes for a seamless viewing experience across smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers.
- Simplify navigation. Create clear, intuitive menus and navigation paths to help site visitors find what they’re looking for quickly and easily. Not only does this keep visitors on your website, but it also increases the likelihood that they will engage with you.
Claim Profiles on Online Local Listings
One of the most effective local marketing strategies for long-term gains involves registering and verifying your business on popular platforms such as Google My Business, Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Facebook.
By claiming your profiles on these local listings, you gain control over the key information about your business, such as phone number, address, business hours, and website link, and this control is vital. A staggering 76% of consumers look up a business online before visiting in person. If business information is inconsistent, they will scroll on to a competitor.
Claiming listing profiles also lets you respond to customer reviews, and research consistently demonstrates that consumers prioritize business engagement when making purchasing decisions. In fact, 88% of consumers are more likely to support a business that responds to both positive and negative reviews, nearly double compared to the 47% who indicated replying to reviews didn’t matter.
Therefore, if a business does nothing more than just respond to their customer’s feedback, they still have a substantial advantage in building trust and loyalty among their customer base.
Direct-Mail Campaigns
Direct mail may seem too old-fashioned for a local marketing strategy in today’s digital age. Yet, it remains one of the most impactful methods for reaching your prime customers. According to an ANA Report, compared to other advertising mediums, direct mail is:
- A less saturated channel
- Has a higher response rate
- Is more targeted
- Yields a higher return on investment (ROI)
To make the most of this media, focus on creating attention-grabbing mailers and offering exclusive discounts and promotions, and incorporate QR codes to make it easier to gain access to your website to learn more.
Customer Loyalty Program
Local marketing strategies are not just limited to acquiring new customers. They also extend to retaining existing ones, who have been shown to spend up to a whopping 67% more on average than those new to your business. A customer loyalty program is a savvy strategic move to capturing this recurring revenue while building lasting relationships within your area of operations.
By incentivizing repeat purchases, businesses foster a sense of appreciation and value, encouraging customers to choose their establishment over competitors. For example, offering points for every purchase that can be redeemed for discounts or freebies can motivate customers to return regularly, boosting sales and generating ongoing revenue.
A well-designed loyalty program can also provide data-driven insights into customer preferences, spending habits, and behavior. Armed with this information, businesses can further personalize their marketing efforts and offer product offerings that better align with customer needs, solidifying brand loyalty.
Co-op Marketing with Other Local Businesses
Contrary to popular belief, cooperative marketing, or co-op marketing, is not just a financial tactic for sharing marketing resources. It is a powerful strategy for amplifying your reach within the locale while driving mutual success.
By combining local marketing efforts with complementary businesses, you have the opportunity to tap into an established customer base and introduce your brand to new potential customers. Simultaneously, there is a synergy for the exchange of ideas, allowing businesses to leverage each other’s strengths. The result? Innovative and engaging local campaigns that maximize ROI for all parties involved.
Take, for instance, a new coffee shop in the community. A cooperative marketing strategy might see a partnership with a nearby bakery to offer a joint promotion where customers receive a discount or a free offer when they purchase coffee and pastries. Such collaborations not only drive foot traffic and sales but also heighten support for local businesses in the community.
Final Thoughts
While all local marketing strategies offer valuable benefits and have the potential to reach a local audience, they often come with a higher investment. Cooperative marketing, however, offers a synergistic approach without breaking the bank. By joining forces with other local businesses, you can amplify your reach, boost sales, and strengthen community ties, all while maximizing cost-effectiveness and ROI.
Ready to harness the power of cooperative marketing for your business? Contact Cooperative Marketing today for tailored services and solutions that strengthen your network, improve results, and maximize ROI.
Ryan Parker has 10+ years of experience including implementation lead in several projects. Built and led a team of 25+ while working closely with development through discovery, design, development, testing and client acceptance for several custom enterprise based solutions of core Cooperate clients. Full-service agency experience across verticals such as CPG, Professional Sports, Wireless Providers, Childhood Education, PowerSports, Financial Services, Entertainment, and experiential production. BS in Entrepreneurship & Corporate Innovation, Marketing from Indiana University with a minor in Music. Former Division 1 Football player, Audio Engineer, and when not professionally working, enjoys writing, producing, and performing music with his band, Space Gators.
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