7 Local Marketing Tips You Can Implement Today

Set Up Your Online Presence

If you’re going to market your business, start by checking that your online listings are accurate, up to date, and looking beautiful. Go through all the local areas where a potential client might try to find you and add all the information you can.

Here’s a list of places to make sure you’re listed correctly:

• Google+Local
• Google
• Yahoo! Local
• Bing Local
• Yelp
• Facebook Business

Get Reviewed on As Many Platforms As Possible

Your customers’ opinions are vital to your business, and you should give them as many platforms to express themselves as possible!

Put up a sign in your office or store inviting guests to like your social media accounts and leave a review, or add a call to action in your email signature line to review your business on Google+ or Yelp. Invite people to review your business, and many are happy to oblige.

Whatever you do, never buy reviews online. These tactics are very shady and can get you in trouble with Google.

Use A Loyalty Program

Have you ever used one of those reward punch cards at a local business? An even better solution is a digital program like Kangaroo Rewards, where a convenient app shares deals, tracks shopping, and offers loyalty rewards to people in your area.

Customers get a great deal and businesses win new customers. It’s a win-win! Setup is shockingly easy, and you can tailor the experience to each of your customer’s based on their interests.

Make Friends With Local Journalists

Most people think of journalists as remote and inaccessible, but in reality they’re always on the hunt for interesting stories and scoops. Most journalists focus on a specific area or beat, so figure out which reporter covers local businesses and connect with that person specifically.

If you see something newsworthy, send it their way. Offer to buy them coffee and update them on what’s going on in your business.

Keep in contact and keep them informed; the relationship will turn out to be mutually beneficial in some way or another.

Write A Press Release

If anything big happens in your business, write a press release and send it to local news agencies. You never know what they may be looking to cover, and it could result in some amazing publicity for you. Plus, links to your website from press release sites can boost your search engine rankings and inform potential clients that your business is thriving.

Build An Email List

As you’re ringing up a customer or client, why not ask them if you can add them to your email list? For local lists like these, it’s best to mention that you send emails with special deals and events, and only send them from time to time. If they know you won’t abuse the privilege, your customers will be happy to hear from you!

Email lists have incredibly high ROIs because they go to customers who already want to hear from you. After all, they’ve volunteered to receive communication from you! This is so rare in the world of content marketing, so take advantage of it.

Poster Up Local Areas

This tip is an oldie but a goodie: put up flyers! Many local hot spots have community boards where you can post a flyer if you ask the manager on duty, and people really do check them.

You can have a nice looking flyer made inexpensively on Fiverr, or whip one up yourself in Microsoft Word. Print a dozen or so, put them up, and you’re good to go. Posters work especially well for special events and sales.

What practices have worked best for you in your local business? Leave us a comment or send us an email with your thoughts.