Great Ways To Promote Your Brand To A Local Audience

The concept of the local business evokes feelings of community spirit, reliability, and independent trade. 

A business that represents these neighborly qualities does not tend to do so overnight, however, and somewhat ironically, appealing to a local audience can be extremely difficult when first starting. 

This might be particularly apparent for up-and-coming businesses facing fierce local competition or striving to deliver a completely new product or service to the area. 

If you need some extra help with your marketing efforts, there are a whole host of things you can look to consider from loyalty programmes with your customers to social media promotions and digital marketing. Here are some tips on reaching out and hopefully connecting with your local audience. 

Geofencing

Geofencing is essentially the practice of using location tracking to target customers in a specific area to direct them to your business. 

It is a great way to send personalized SMS messages to your nearby customers, which can be ideal for promoting offers that might interest your local crowd. 

This can be a highly effective form of marketing when done right, so you might want to check out a guide on SMS location targeting to find out how your brand can benefit. 

Local Search Marketing & SEO

To ensure your company is as easy to discover as possible, SEO and local search marketing are in order. 

For example, say you ran a coffee shop, and someone in your local area searched on Google, ‘coffee near me,’ making sure your business is the one that pops up is incredibly important in driving traffic to your door.

There are a few ways you can do this, such as registering your company on Google My Business and verifying your location and identity, filling out as much information about your business as you can (adding photos and opening hours, etc.), and including reviews. 

Make Your Presence Known

Alongside the virtual world, there is still very much a tangible universe, so why not start getting involved with the local community? 

You could do this by hosting charity events, offering to donate some of your products to a local cause, or even sponsoring a sports team. 

Making your presence known also pertains to your reputation in the local area as a business owner. Introducing yourself to the locals with an approachable and kind demeanor can help spread the good word of your brand, and organic marketing in local areas can also make a difference.

Win A Competition 

If you truly believe in your products, why not enter them into competitions? This can be a great way to earn yourself a certificate of some description from a local authoritative body, which can work wonders for your visibility while giving you an award worth showing off. 

The same can be said for getting hold of quotes from local critics, as they can be used to great effect on your website, perhaps boosting your SEO efforts. 

For example, if you sold burgers in LA and you managed to get a food critic to accidentally say they were the best burgers in the whole of California, make sure you shout about it from the rooftops.