Marketing never stops!
Marketing and advertising to promote a business are only getting sophisticated by the year, so much so that the US market is teetering over $390 billion in 2020. Even more eye-opening, local “near me” searches are growing by the day, and as a new business, you need to figure out ways to promote your business locally.
Putting up shop in your local areas does not necessarily mean that all the locals will automatically become your customers. Competition is real out here, and you need to get your business out there to the masses.
According to some more winning stats, almost 90% of all customers who do local searches call or visit the shop within the day, so there’s real potential here.
So, how do you promote your business locally and capture all these customers? In this post, we’ll guide you through the top nine fool-proof ways to promote your business and get your business off the ground.
1. Create an Awesome Website
Saying your business needs a website is an understatement. The thing is, a lot of small businesses disregard the fact that everything is currently happening on the internet and dismiss their need for a website. We’re telling you right now, this is one of the biggest mistakes you could make.
The quality of the website matters as much, and you need to make it user-friendly, clean, and awesome. It must be responsive to multiple screen sizes, especially mobile devices. A professional website will showcase your brand to your target market, increase credibility, increase your leads, and give you an avenue to rank high on Google SERPs.
2. Start Blogging
After creating a website, it’s imperative that you start a blog as well. Customers find local businesses through the internet, and starting a blog will be incredible for your local SEO. Organic search results will bring you more website traffic, more prospects, more leads, and more customers.
Beyond that, blog posts are a great place to add keywords, which makes it easier for your target audience to find you. The more your prospects visit your website, the higher the chances that you will have to convert them to loyal customers.
3. Set Up Free Listings With Google
Most local business owners feel that traditional marketing methods are sufficient ways to promote their business. While methods like word of mouth, human billboards, brochures, print ads, branded stickers, and direct mailing are still effective, they are not enough. It’s imperative for you to list your local business on Google My Business, which will make it easy for your local consumers to find you.
Your listing must include some essential information, like your address, directions to your store, your contact information, open hours, and a link to your website. Adding photos of the store will be an added advantage. The best part is that consumers will leave reviews for others to see, which can have a major positive impact.
4. Join Local Groups
If you want to know how to promote your business in the community, joining local groups is one way. You need to be active in your community so you can connect with other business owners and the residents. It’s advisable to join the local Chamber of Commerce as well.
Attending local events and meetings will expose your business, and you can also try to support other local businesses as well. Being a part of a community means that you also need to give back and consumers like businesses that support worthy causes.
5. Run Contests
A contest is one of the best ways to promote a business because it gets people excited. To get this done successfully, run your contest on online platforms, like your social media pages. Contests that encourage user-generated contests are ideal, like asking them to post pictures with your products and ultimately awarding a few winners.
One of the best results you’ll get from this, apart from the attention, is a large social media following. This is one of those places where recommendations and referrals work quite well. When friends and family members see each other posting, they’ll want to do the same.
6. Implement a Loyalty Program
Loyalty programs work as well as contests and are also one of the best ways to promote your business. Learn how to create a customer loyalty program, and you’ll see how the same customers become loyal to your business. The main goal of this program is to increase the average purchase amount of your products and increase purchase frequency.
7. Verify Your Business on Yelp
Apart from Google listings, you also need to verify your business on Yelp. Customers will rate and review your business here.
Given that most people read reviews and ratings before interacting with a business, this is a good step for your business. Just like Google My Business, it’s vital to ensure all the information about your business is available, from contact information to store address.
8. Work With a Local Influencer
One of the best ways to promote your business is by taking your social media to a higher level and hiring a local influencer. Influencers have taken social media by storm, and a lot of businesses have benefited from them.
You may have to pay them to promote your business and increase your reach. However, you can find some that are relatively inexpensive or find those willing to take a few free gifts from the business.
9. Offer Impeccable Customer Services
If there’s one thing your local business needs to offer, it’s excellent customer services. Providing impeccable services means that you’ll have satisfied customers that will leave positive reviews on your website and other review sites like Yelp. They will also spread the word about how great the new local business is and recommend it to their family, friends, and colleagues.
The Best Ways to Promote Your Business
As a local business, these are some of the ways to promote your business. The local market may not be as huge, but you should not underestimate your competitors. Look at your marketing campaign and gauge which strategies are raking in results, and which ones need to go to avoid exceeding your budget.
If you’d like to know the best marketing strategies or how to handle your business finances, please check out our blog section where we have all the information you need.
