5 Ways to Start Growing Your Local Business Using Digital Marketing
When you start marketing a local business, it can be kind of intimidating. There are so many tactics to try and so many people telling you all the things you should do.
It can be difficult to know where to start.
But don’t let overwhelm stop you from getting started. If you want to grow your local business using digital marketing, don’t get confused by all the options. Instead, start with what works and will make the most immediate impact in your business.
5 Ways to Grow Your Local Business with Digital Marketing
There are many ways to grow your local business with digital marketing. But if you are just getting started, begin here.
#1) Local SEO
To grow your local business with digital marketing, you need to start by getting new, nearby customers to discover you. One way to do that is through local SEO. Local SEO is the process of optimizing your online presence so when nearby customers search for terms related to your business, you pop up. For example, a gym would want people in their city to find them when searching for, “gym near me.” There are a few tactics you can do to boost your local SEO.
- Create a Google My Business page.
- Add your business to local and industry directories.
- Create a profile on your Local Area Site.
- Generate reviews on your directory and profile pages.
- Use your city name in the footer and contact page of your site.
- Create location pages if you have more than one location.
For more tips, read Local SEO: How to Get Your Business To Show Up In Local Searches.
#2) Geofencing Advertising
Another way to make digital marketing work for your local business in the customer discovery phase is through the use of geofencing. Geofencing is a type of location marketing that reaches people based on where they are. It creates a virtual boundary around a specified area and then presents ads to people who move in or out of that boundary.
A local business can use geofencing to get in front of people who are likely to become customers. For example, a restaurant can target customers of a competitor restaurant in their same neighborhood, or they can reach customers that live within ten miles of the business.
To learn more about this tactic, check out Geofencing Marketing: A Complete Guide to Building an Effective Strategy.
#3) Social Media
To effectively market your local business, you need to both reach new customers and keep existing customers engaged. Social media allows you to do both. Social media helps new nearby customers discover you while also giving you a way to stay in touch with people who already know you.
You don’t need to be on every social media site to grow your local business using digital marketing. Start with the basics and create profiles on Facebook and Instagram. Help new customers discover you on those platforms by:
- Using local hashtags that are related to your area.
- Tagging your city location.
- Prompting existing customers to tag your business and share photos.
- Running a social media contest that invites existing followers to promote your page.
- Partnering with a local Influencer who can introduce your business to their following.
Then, use social media to stay in touch with customers by posting regular content that is a mix of adding value, promoting your restaurant, and sharing fun engaging content. Need tips on what to post? Check out Social Media Posting Tips Your Local Business Needs to Embrace Today.
#4) Customer Data Platform
Once you start growing your local business with digital marketing, you need to be able to stay in touch with your new customers. Marketing is just as much about re-engaging past customers as it is about attracting new customers. A customer data platform helps you to increase the customer lifetime value of each person who does business with you by allowing you to remarket them.
A customer data platform is software that allows you to create profiles on each person that interacts with your business. You can use it to create profiles that include customer contact information, purchase history, and other identifying details that help you get to know who your customers are and what they want and need.
The data you collect allows you to stay in touch with customers, leverage marketing automation, and create effective remarketing campaigns that bring people back again and again. Creating a customer data platform isn’t as hard as it sounds. Learn more by checking out What’s a Customer Data Platform? And Why You Need to Use One.
#5) Email and Text Marketing
Having a customer data platform will make it much easier to begin to engage in this digital marketing tactic for local businesses. Once you collect contact information from your customers, use email and text marketing to stay in touch and invite customers to visit again. Both email and text marketing are powerful ways to stay top-of-mind with customers.
Employ email campaigns that keep customers informed about what is new at your business. Share upcoming events, specials, deals, and new offerings. Here are a few ideas of what you can send via email: 9 Strategic Email Marketing Campaigns Your Business Can Launch.
Use text marketing to share important, time-sensitive, or very compelling deals. People often read texts within just a few minutes so it’s a great way to quickly get in front of your customers. Too many small businesses put all their energy into email marketing and miss the opportunities of text marketing. Find out why that is a mistake in: Is Text Message Marketing for Small Business Right For Your Local Brand?
Ready to Grow Your Local Business with Digital Marketing?
There are many ways to grow a local business with digital marketing. Don’t get lost sorting through the dozens of ways you can promote your brand. Instead, start by focusing on the tactics that will create the biggest impact.
Use the tips outlined in this post to get started with digital marketing for your business, and grow from there. Replicate what works and explore other options once you know what is working for your brand and customers.
Get there faster by signing up for mySuite by MyArea Network.
mySuite includes local marketing tools you can use to set up campaigns to start reaching nearby customers right away. Plus, it’s free to get started and includes a free business profile on your Local Area Site. Sign up for free today.
