There are many methods for growing a business, but local marketing is an excellent way to get a foot in the door. Local marketing targets an audience in a specific geographical location. Approximately 93.2% of consumers shop at local merchants within 20 minutes of their homes, according to Access, making local marketing is a smart strategy.
Whether you’re a small brick-and-mortar shop or a large enterprise looking to target a specific audience, these tips from Better Business Bureau Serving the Pacific Southwest can help increase sales and grow clientele.
- Make it personal. Target your audience by saying “People from – your city – love this product,” instead of simple phrases like “Everyone loves this product.”
- Focus on local SEO. Search engine optimization (SEO) helps your website to rank higher in search engines. Nearly 30% of all mobile searches are related to location, according to Google, and consumers use terms such as “near me” when searching for businesses.
- Prioritize local engagement. Make your business visible in local communities by staying active on social media and participating in local events. This will help build your reputation.
- Incorporate user-generated content into your marketing strategy. Utilize content created by your customers such as photos, videos and written reviews of your product or service. With 84% of consumers saying they trust peer comments and recommendations, according to Neilson, these assets add value to your content strategy and strengthen your brand.
- Use geo-targeting when creating online ads, and geotag your content. Geotargeting allows you to specify where you want your ads to appear, making it one of the most effective ways to reach a specific audience. By including location-specific information with an image or video file, geotagging can provide alternative search techniques.
- Take advantage of online directories. Claim your free business listing on online directories, such as Google My Business and Yelp, to allow you to list your physical location on Google Maps. In 2020, people turned to BBB more than 220 million times to research online BBB Business Profiles, so register your business for free.
Value
BBB encourages businesses to operate with integrity, and helps consumers make wise marketplace decisions. Our innovative approach to business growth provides the tools that companies and entrepreneurs need to build better businesses. By working side by side with industry experts, we unite with a common goal. Become BBB Accredited and join our mission to create a community of trust.
For more than 100 years, the Better Business Bureau has been helping people find businesses, brands and charities they can trust. In 2020, people turned to BBB more than 220 million times for BBB Business Profiles on 6.2 million businesses and Charity Reports on 11,000 charities, all available for free at BBB.org. The International Association of Better Business Bureaus is the umbrella organization for the local, independent BBBs in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Incorporated locally in 1938, BBB Serving the Pacific Southwest serves Greater Arizona and Southern California, providing critical tools to ignite success including mentorship, online products and access to capital. Our objective expertise educates the community on ethical behavior in the marketplace and how businesses can build trust.
