Local marketing is an important component of a bigger marketing strategy for small businesses since it can expose your brand to a larger local audience that is more likely to patronise you in the near future.
The importance of reaching local clients is demonstrated by the fact that 85 percent of business owners rely on word-of-mouth referrals. Because you’ll be working hard to discover, reach, engage, and appeal to local people directly, local marketing strategies differ slightly from general marketing approaches and procedures.
What is Localized Marketing?
Local Marketing reaches out to people who live in the same town or region as your company. It’s targeted at people who live within a particular radius of your actual location – usually a fair driving distance – and who could buy your goods or service at any moment.
If you own a restaurant in Red Bank, New Jersey, for example, driving website traffic from Sacramento, California, won’t help you much. Instead, you should use local marketing strategies to ensure that the majority of your target audience is close enough to drive to your restaurant or order delivery.
The purpose of a local marketing strategy is to get the most out of your marketing and advertising expenditure. For businesses of all sizes, digital marketing is a powerful tool – be it organic marketing or its sibling, paid. If you’re a local firm, though, and you don’t acquire momentum with a local audience, your marketing investment will be for naught. Not all traffic is created equal; a local marketing approach guarantees that you’re reaching out to people who might be interested in doing business with you.
Examples of Localized Marketing Campaigns
There have been great campaigns in the past, we’ve chosen te best ones for you.
1. Ikea is promoting a new Malaysian store by using dialect.
IKEA created a local marketing campaign for its new shop in Penang, Malaysia, that uses wordplay to promote the city’s culture.
This local opening campaign is conducted in Hokkien, the city’s dialect. Because many Hokkien terms finish in “Kia,” the campaign makes use of phonetic similarities between IKEA and several popular Hokkien words. Showing side-by-side photographs of a chicken and a cabinet with the slogan “We are not Kay Kia. We are IKEA” is one example. The Hokkien name for the chick is Kay Kia. “We are not Lo Kha Kia,” says another execution, which shows a tall man and the Billy bookshelf (a tall guy). “We are IKEA,” says the company. In terms of Social Media Marketing, it was just great to see the buzz around it.
2. McDonald’s Menus in Different Locations
The Mcdonald’s menu is a textbook example of local marketing where the product range is modified to different areas. Whoever believes that McDonald’s exclusively sells BigMacs, Chicken Nuggets, Cheeseburgers, and McFlurry’s is mistaken. For years, McDonald’s has adapted its menu to the nations in which it operates. To give you a few instances, consider the following: The “Patatas Deluxe” is available in Spain, the “Dosa Masala Burger” is available in India, the “McKroket” is available in the Netherlands, and the “McBraai sauce” is available in South Africa.
Why is Localization Important?
Localization is no longer just a choice for organizations looking to expand globally; it is now a need, a strategic plan that can help a brand survive in a foreign market.Localizing your website, products, and marketing campaigns helps you connect with your target customers and makes your brand more memorable in local markets.
- Localization will make it easier for you to penetrate new markets
If you want your local customers to know about you, you must first learn their language and understand things from their perspective. Localization allows your business to fit in and then shine out by breaking down linguistic and cultural barriers.
True, market penetration success is determined by other aspects such as product, pricing, location, and advertising; but, without localization, cultural issues are more likely to prevent you from entering the market.
- You will gain a competitive advantage by localizing your business
If we were to go back to 2010, localizing your website would almost certainly give you a significant advantage over your competitors. But, just as earning a college diploma used to set you apart from your contemporaries, not getting one today puts you at a disadvantage. The same may be said about localization. You can bet your life that your competitors are already doing it.
Up to 75% of worldwide consumers prefer to shop on websites that are in their local language. Even if they speak a little or even a lot of English. Reading information and seeing familiar images and message that is relevant to them, their country, and their beliefs build trust and encourage them to purchase. If you’re still selling in English or have a badly translated version of your website, your potential clients are only a click away from the competition. This has to be taken into consideration when creating your digital content strategy.
- Localization helps business to Customer satisfaction as well
You’ve need to keep your consumers pleased once you’ve gotten them! Today, user experience is critical, especially if millennials account for a sizable portion of your client base. You’ll be well on your way to ensuring that you’re addressing each client’s individual demands by localizing your documentation, blog posts, FAQs, eBooks, manuals, reports, and customer support.
Also, keep in mind that happy consumers will spread the word about you and your product. They’ll write reviews and tell their friends about you. They’ll be the ones to build and maintain your community, and there’s no greater marketing than genuine users talking about you on social media and in your marketplaces.
Strategies for Successful Localized Marketing
- Understand and target the audience
Without a thorough grasp of the market, you’re about to enter, you won’t be able to develop a successful localization strategy.
If you don’t plan ahead, marketing to new audiences might be dangerous. You should learn about the countries where you’ll be doing business because getting your messaging incorrect could harm your brand’s reputation and perhaps offend your new target audience.
After you’ve selected the markets to enter, you’ll need to figure out how great the market potential is. Working with a local partner or having someone physically in that market to truly understand the requirements and values of your new clients is the best way to do this.
Working with local specialists is critical because you’ll gain more accurate, localized experience and feedback this way.
Local partners can assist you in determining must-knows such as whether there is a market for your product, and how much it costs. Which brands are your primary competitors, how do people buy in that nation, what cultural peculiarities should you be aware of, and so on.
There are a variety of small things that may not seem significant in your native nation but might have a significant influence on another. For example, you must think about the smallest aspects, such as your brand colors, because some colors or even color combinations may annoy some individuals.
The most crucial component of your strategy is determining who your local audience is and what they anticipate, as this will give the framework for everything you do after that. Take feedback from within the country extremely seriously.
- Manage and claim the GMB ( Google My Business) listing
Google increases its local search skills year after year. Consumers use this search engine to locate businesses in their area. Make sure your business appears in both Google Maps and Google Search’s local results area if you want to be found by customers in your community. How do you go about doing that? The official word for a Google business listing is a Google Business Profile.
This free listing will not only help you gain more consumers, but it will also help you gain more visibility in local searches. This is because the listing offers all of the information a customer requires to make an informed judgment about your company and even engage with it. It is one of the easiest ways to increase traffic and generating organic leads on your website as well.
- Participate in the local community
People, as well as local companies and organizations, are proud of the cities, towns, and neighborhoods in which they live. When you, as a business and an employer, support your community, your community is more likely to support you.
Participate in non-profit organizations, local sports teams, community school events, county fairs, or expositions to stay active. If you are unable to attend, try sponsoring an event to increase awareness of your company.
- Create & set up landing pages for all your local business locations
If your company has many locations, you should establish a separate page on your website for each one to help with localization. Your content strategy must invlove cultural aspects.
A lot of companies have a lot of different locations, but they don’t have pages on their website with information on those many locations.Each location, directions, and store hours should all be published on these webpages.
These pages, according to Lodge, should feature specific content about your company. A real estate agent in Nashville, Tennessee, for example, should not just mention on their website that they are a “real estate agent.” Instead, using the key phrase “top real estate agent in Nashville” tells search engines where the agent is located and helps them provide local results. It also analyses how people seek real estate agents; they want “the greatest” or “leading” real estate agents, not just anyone.
This means that you’ve to opt for SEO Service providers who know the job well.
- Focus on local SEO & mobile-friendly website
Did you know that if a local business has a mobile-friendly website, 61 percent of mobile searchers are more inclined to contact them? A mobile-friendly website is essential for gaining new clients, particularly local ones.
When viewed on a mobile device, mobile-friendly sites load quickly. They frequently display larger text, form fields, menus, and buttons to make it easier to browse site information while on the go.
Make sure your website is mobile-friendly before you start using these local marketing methods. 50 percent of smartphone users visit stores within 24 hours after conducting a local search. However, without local SEO, this would not be achievable. Choose local Content Writing Service Providers for your local pages, they will get in the required twist.
Local SEO is the process of optimizing your website to rank for terms and keywords that are relevant to your area. Here, Google Trends is a useful tool for determining which terms are popular in your area and in your sector.
Create local content in addition to localizing your website. Local meetings, neighborhood activities, and industry listings from your area should all be promoted. This type of material can help your website become more localized and establish you as a local authority.
- Optimized the website locally with an updated title & meta description
Another thing to think about, is if your website’s title tags and metadata are up to date. Metadata has a few distinct components, but the majority of users only need to be concerned with the meta description and title tag.
The 60 characters that search engine users view on the search engine results page are referred to as the title tag (SERP). It’s best to keep a title tag that’s related to your business and area but less than 60 characters long.
The meta description is less likely to affect search rankings, but it can increase click-through rates by indicating to users what type of content they might discover on the page.
According to data, a good meta description can aid with the click-through rate. On the other hand, putting a phone number in the meta description is extremely important for a business like a restaurant that wants consumers to contact Meta descriptions should never exceed 160 characters. Make sure to employ good Content Optimization Services. You can also run a content audit to know the opportunities that are available.
- Collaborate with other local businesses to promote your brand
You may team up with another local small business to host a promotion. This is an excellent tactic since you will each be able to draw in the audience of the other. Running a giveaway or promotion can be beneficial in this situation.
Choose a nearby company that complements yours but isn’t a direct competitor. Each company can provide its own reward or experience and market it through a joint competition. Customers from both establishments will be attracted to the contest.
A restaurant, for example, could collaborate with a nearby spa. A massage and a lunch at the restaurant may be the prize. Both firms will gain from advertising this contest.
- Active promotion on social media pages & communication, engage with a local audience
When it comes to local web marketing, social media marketing is crucial. Your social media pages, like your website, should be optimized and localized. This entails supplying current information about your company, such as its location, contact information, and store hours. It also entails keeping a social media account active. The key is to focus on your local audience.
Instagram has hundreds of millions of monthly active users, which means there are plenty of options for brand visibility. In your social media profiles, including your location. If you want to obtain more involvement from local folks, make sure to tag your location in your posts. Make sure to concentrate on the types of social media sites that your target audience frequents.
LinkedIn, for example, caters to business users and could be beneficial if you sell to other firms. Working with influencers for influencer marketing could also help you reach a larger audience on social media.
- Encourage your audience & ask for positive reviews and ratings
In addition to visiting your website and contacting you, potential clients will rely on what others have said about your company to learn more about it. If your business appears in a directory but has no reviews, customers are likely to go to a competitor who does. Ask clients to post positive online reviews for these directories and make it easy for them to do so to improve your local online marketing.
- Create maximum local business listings and directories
More than half of small businesses had yet to claim their Google My Business listing. They are overlooking a crucial local marketing strategy. Your business name, phone number, address (with zip code), directions, hours of operation, and a link to your website can all be included in your profile. Content such as attractive photographs is also added by savvy small enterprises. It’s free exposure on the most powerful search engine on the planet.
The first step is to claim and actively monitor your Google My Business listing. This will also add your location to Google Maps. Other options for becoming featured online include Bing Places and yellow page directories.
- Utilize local media and run some promotions and contests for your introduction
Although social media platforms are global, you may use them to effectively interact with local customers. You’ll need to make your social media presence very location-specific to do this.
Setting a location on your profile, tagging your area in your post, utilizing location-specific hashtags, and talking and engaging with other local companies are some of the best practices. It’s always a good idea to share or post about local news and subjects. Master the art of writing press releases to get them picked.
Joining local community groups and advertising your business here is also a good idea. This is an excellent opportunity to communicate with your customers and discover any potential community pain points.
Many things change, but one thing remains constant: people adore free stuff! As a result, holding a contest or giveaway is a terrific method to attract locals to your business. You may use social media, email, your website, or even the local paper or a local radio station to promote it. You might even require in-store pickup or redemption to lure folks through your doors.
- Tell your story & gather more testimonials and customer referrals
Tell your company’s or your own tale as the founder’s story. Telling a tale piques people’s interest and makes your brand name stick in their minds. Telling your story allows prospects to connect with your company, increasing their likelihood of purchasing from you. Existing consumers are less likely to desert you for the shiny new chain down the block if you tell them a compelling tale about how your firm got established.
Customers in the area want to work with a company they can trust, which you may demonstrate through favorable reviews and testimonials. When it comes to requesting evaluations from clients, be cautious. Yelp and other communities frown upon this. Instead, you may advise that customers tell others what they think of your products or services in general. Customers are more likely to leave a review if they are not specifically asked to do so on a particular website. Make sure you’re aware of the regulations so you don’t go too far.
Check out what others are saying about your company on social media and review sites. Reach out to customers who have had a negative experience with customer service and see what you can do to make things right. Others will notice and admire your efforts. And if your customer knows you’re attempting to address their concerns, you might be able to turn a negative review into a positive one.
- Run the localize paid ads (If any)
Paid advertising is a great approach to reach out to a specific local audience. You can use location-based advertising and optimize them with the proper keywords. Your Google advertisements should be focused on direct intent keywords (for example, “plumber Vancouver”). Your ad may appear at the top of a search for “plumber near me.” You may target a highly specific reach of local clients by including your location in your listings and adding location data when setting up your advertisements.
Want to create your own Local Marketing Plan?
There is a lot you can do for your business at little or no cost when it comes to optimizing your digital properties for a local audience.
The best places to start are by creating an optimized and localized website, giving your social network pages the same treatment, and claiming your Google My Business listing. Then, both online and in-person, spend some time engaging your local audience. Increase your visibility and strengthen the link between your company and your audience by responding to reviews and organizing community-based activities.
These strategies are simple, affordable, and successful, whether you run a firm that relies heavily on local interaction or simply want to boost your local marketing.
At Missve Digital, we help clients with everything in terms of Organic Marketing Service needs. Get in touch with us today to get a custom plan.
