How to Market a Local Business

10 min read

There are a lot of challenges when it comes to getting your brand’s name out there and bringing in new customers. The best target audience, and one that needs a lot of attention for success, is your local community.

Every little bit of marketing counts when you’re starting a new business. You need to be where your potential customers are, which means spending time and money on local advertising. Promoting your business locally can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming. There are many creative ways to get your business in front of the people who matter most.

Here are some tips and methods that any business owner can use to target their local business community with their overall marketing approach.

The Importance of Your Local Community

First and foremost, your business is likely located, and part of, a local community.

A community is a living thing, even in the big cities. Most people shop in their local community, they meet each other and in many cases, know each other. In smaller towns, a local community can be more profound in its activities but don’t underestimate the communities in large cities.

Such communities are sometimes comprised of just a few streets — but that is where the action is.

Local communities have schools, churches, restaurants, and coffee shops — they often have local dentists, vets, a medical group, and of course stores. These are the elements you will deal with in a community and it’s important to know what those elements are and how to interact with them.

Join Local Groups

If you are new to a community and you’ve just opened your business, joining local groups is a great way to get involved in your community and promote your business simultaneously.

Chambers of commerce, business associations, and Rotary Clubs are just a few organizations that can help you connect with other business people and potential customers.

In addition, attending meetings and events and participating in activities can raise awareness of your business and make valuable contacts.

Work with Other Local Businesses

When it comes to marketing your local business, the larger your network the easier targeting your local market will be.

Start by considering all the services your business uses regularly. Look at what companies you use, and if there are some good local alternatives consider switching over to those businesses. After moving over some of your business to utilize other local businesses you will build up contact information and grow your local network.

If you have a physical location, then working with small, up-and-coming local businesses is a great way to gain more customers and get some foot traffic.

Depending on your store and building, you may have the perfect space to allow a new local business to have a pop-up store in your building. This will allow you to grow your local network as well as increase foot traffic into your store.

For instance, if you allow a new local coffee business to set up a small pop-up shop, customers who may have just passed your store might stop in for the coffee and potentially purchase something from you.

When you start engaging and reaching out to other local businesses you would be surprised by the local marketing and promotional opportunities that come up. When you bring consistent business to your own local community, you will also benefit by creating a large local network.

Get Your Local Customers Engaged in Your Business

Getting new customers in the door can be a struggle. There are many marketing tactics businesses use to engage new audiences or people. Here are a couple that you may want to consider when figuring out how to get customers to naturally engage with your business.

Get Your Business into Local Business Listings

If you’re getting started, getting your business listed on local online directories is a great way to promote your business online. This could be a registry, citations, or an online version of the Yellow Pages.

Use Fliers and Pamphlets to Show You’re There

Flyers and pamphlets are another great way to announce your presence in the community and show what you have to offer. You can leave stacks of them in local coffee shops, supermarkets, and restaurants, and other stores may even have a stack ready.

You can use a distribution service to spread your flyers all over the community, on cars, on doorknobs, etc. This low-cost method of promotion typically can do very well in a local community.

Put Your Company Logo on Your Car

Adding your company logo and contact information to your personal & business vehicles effectively promotes your business locally at no cost.

You can customize your logo sticker and contact information in so many ways. Image source.

People who see your car around town will start to recognize your brand. Many removable options are available that won’t damage your car’s paint. Car logos are an inexpensive way to advertise and are easy to remove when you want to change your look.

Overall, this is a great way to make your business known.

Award Online Interactions

Think of unique promotions or free things for customers who like or share your content. When they come in and claim their promotion, ask if you can take a picture of them and share that on your own social media.

As a bonus, that customer may feel special because a local business posted a photo of them and they will share that same photo on their own personal social media.

Review Sites

Awarding reviews is tempting but can be a bit tricky because some people may leave false reviews just to get the promotions.

It may depend on what promotional tactic you choose, if it’s too good to pass up then false reviews will be something you have to deal with.

Having good reviews is always a great thing, but if people are not being genuine after a while it is pretty easy for others to tell that the reviews may be fake. Don’t be discouraged by this, but do be cautious.

Existing Customers

Don’t forget about your existing customers!

It is always easy to think of new promotional things for new customers. Many business owners focus on “how I can get more people in my store”. Find ways to engage those who already bring you business.

One way to do this is to reward referrals by offering existing customers an incentive for referring new customers to your business. You can promote referrals by including information about it in your store, on your website and social media pages, and on any print materials you create.

By making it easy for customers to refer others to your business, you can quickly expand your reach and promote your business at a low cost.

Being Engaged with Your Local Community Will Help Grow Your Business

Having engaged customers is a two-way street. You can’t expect customers to promote your business and give nothing back in return. Business owners who are active in their local communities usually do really well.

Being engaged in local events and activities makes locals really like you and your business which makes them want to go there. Here are a couple of ways for you to start impacting your community.

Local Newspaper

It’s old school but it works! Try purchasing some ads or accepting opportunities for local newspaper interviews. Try doing something newsworthy, in a small community it doesn’t take much. Plan a charity event that features local artists or that will benefit the community in some small way, such as cleaning up a street. It may take a couple of days of work but you will get a free feature in your local paper or news station, and it will give customers a positive outlook on your business.

Business Cards

Building contacts can be difficult when you are busy working in your own store. The fishbowl trick has been around for a while, and if you are struggling to network with local companies, put out a fishbowl for a free promotional item. It’s a great and passive way to build up contacts.

Customer Loyalty Programs

Loyalty programs are a great way to keep people coming back into your store. It’s also fantastic for the locals who visit your business because they are really the only ones who can utilize the program. Loyalty programs build up your local reputation and it helps lessen the blow if a well-known national brand comes to town and competes with your business.

Local Events

Even if you’re tired from working all day, take the time to show up at local events, whether it’s a local sports team, a county fair, or a craft show. Going to these events and getting your face out there will build an organic relationship with your local community. Almost everyone you meet will ask you what you do and that’s a free chance to tell someone about your business.

Optimize Your Online Presence for Your Local Community

An online presence is crucial for any modern-day company. There are some ways to optimize your online presence for the locals—here are just a few to consider.

Get Subscribers to Your Email List

Growing your email list should be a top priority for any business owner looking to promote their business locally. Email allows you to reach a wider audience with your marketing messages which can be targeted to specific segments of your mailing list.

For example, you can send targeted emails to new subscribers in your area or those who have shown interest in similar products or services. Another great way is sending out regular newsletters with news about your business, the community, special offers, and whatnot.

A great email campaign will keep you in touch with your existing customers, keeping them updated on new products, special offers, and events.

Follow Other Locally Owned Businesses

The easiest and cheapest way to start optimizing your local online presence is with social media.

Make sure you are following other local businesses whether or not they are in your industry. Keep engaging with those businesses by liking or sharing their content. This will help them out and they may be more inclined to like or share your content with their audience in return.

Local Search Engine Optimization

SEO is an amazing tool companies use to market their business. The first thing any local business should do is create a Google My Business Account, this is how your business comes up when people search for things “near me.”

Additionally, if you have a blog or any content on your website, don’t forget to make content around local news stories or events. If locals are searching for these events, even if your company is not in charge of the event your company’s page could show up in the search results.

Local Influencers

Find people who are local and have a big social media presence. They don’t have to be huge with millions of followers, just someone who has a good influence in your local community. Offer them some sort of promotion or sponsorship for posting about your business on their social media, this marketing strategy will come off more organically since that person is local and often isn’t too costly.

Deliver Great Customer Service

In-store or online, great customer service is the cornerstone of any successful business, and even more so for companies that rely on local customers.

In a small community, word of mouth can make or break a business, so giving every customer a positive experience is essential. There are a few simple ways to improve customer service and build goodwill in your community.

First, make sure your employees are friendly and welcoming. Friendly and inviting greetings can make friends immediately. Being transparent about your products and prices is equally important. And, you will be a total winner by going the extra mile to resolve any problems that may arise.

In Conclusion

Local marketing should be part of any small business strategy. Whether you’re selling products or services, largely in-person or online, a local community is often the backbone of a customer base.

With our tips in mind, we hope you’ll be able to build a presence in your local community and grow alongside your neighbors and fellow local shops and brands.

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Aug 21, 2024

About the author

Max has been working in the ecommerce industry for the last six years helping brands to establish and level-up content marketing and SEO. Despite that, he has experience with entrepreneurship. He is a fiction writer in his free time.