According to statistics, the businesses in the U.S. make up the largest advertising market in the entire world. In fact, during 2016, over 190 U.S. dollars was spent on advertising in the U.S.
If you have contributed to this advertising spend, do you know if your efforts were effective? Unfortunately, many advertising efforts simply don’t provide the results you want.
If this is the situation you’re facing, it may be time to transform your advertising methods. One way to achieve better results is by focusing on your local market. Since this is (usually) a smaller area, it’s often easier to achieve the desired results.
Are you interested in local advertising? Do you want to know the best way to advertise locally to achieve your goals and objectives?
If so, you’re in the right place. Here, you can learn how and where to advertise and achieve the highest level of success.
1. Claim and Verify Your Google My Business Listing
Google My Business is a crucial component of any local advertising effort. This listing determines how your Maps listing is going to appear while providing additional real estate at the top of the search engine results.
Additionally, My Business gives you the opportunity for social validation, thanks to its review system. By claiming and verifying this listing, you have the ability to update or change it, as needed, giving you, even more, control over your online presence.
2. Attend a Local Tradeshow
If you own a small business, you may assume that it’s too expensive for you to attend a trade show. While bigger trade shows are often costly, there are quite a few smaller shows.
A particular industry or business association often host these tradeshows and provide you with an affordable way to get your products and business name “out there.”
If you’re planning to attend a tradeshow, make sure to utilize features that will help you stand out, such as colorful signs, cheap flags, and bright lights.
3. Create Locally Focused Content
While having quality content is important, it’s amazing how locally focused businesses don’t bother with content marketing.
While running a business is hard work, and there are countless things to do, day in and day out, great, locally-focused content shouldn’t fall by the wayside.
This is one of the most effective ways to “spread the word” about what you offer and where you are.
By creating locally focused content, you can increase your business’s visibility and establish your business as an authority and trusted voice in your industry or community.
When working to develop content, try to think like your customers. What are the questions they ask? What do they want to know? This can help you create content that’s actually useful.
4. Join Local Professional and Business Organizations
Every business or professional organization provides its members with exclusive advertising opportunities.
This may include free advertising on their website or advertising in a certain section of the newspaper.
Also, when you join these organizations, it’s a great reflection of your business – making this a win-win situation.
Keep in mind, you can also become professionally certified for a specific skill or ability. When you do this, customers are likely to see this and choose you over the competition.
5. Include Store Hours and Directions on Your Website
While this may seem obvious, there are still far too many websites that make the address and directions to their business extremely difficult to find.
While you know how important it is to optimize your website for mobile, it’s just as important to remember that, unless you make your business easy to find, you are missing out on countless opportunities to find new customers.
Today, there’s more than a few ways to create sophisticated websites (no coding knowledge needed). As a result, there’s no excuse to not have your address or a Google Maps widget to help people find you.
6. Email Newsletters
Many business owners don’t realize that approximately 80 percent of their future profits are going to come from 20 percent of your current customers.
This is a pretty staggering realization.
Like the majority of local, small business owners, you may be spending the majority of your advertising budget trying to acquire new customers, when you should be spending your time treating the current customers you have as valuable resources.
An extremely cost-effective way to engage your current customers is by creating and sending email newsletters. This can include information, tips, discounts and other resources your current customers would find valuable.
7. Create and Submit Local Press Releases
It’s actually pretty surprising how many local businesses aren’t submitting press releases to the business magazines and newspapers in their area.
Believe it or not, this can be extremely effective.
The idea is to ensure you submit stories, rather than blatant advertisements. You could announce you have received an award, hired someone new to your team or expanding your business.
The goal here is to share, not sell.
8. Advertise on the Local Radio Station
Believe it or not, broadcast radio is still considered a top source of information and entertainment across all demographics.
This is a highly targeted media channel that can help to drive engagement and action. Also, its much more affordable to advertise here, than many people think.
Local Advertising Efforts You Can’t Afford to Ignore
When it comes to local advertising efforts, there are more than a few you can try.
The methods mentioned here are not only effective but also affordable. The best thing you can do is choose a few of these and begin experimenting to see what works.
Remember, just like with any other advertising you invest in, the ideas you implement are going to be most effective if you plan the campaign first and then track the results you achieve.
If you are interested in learning more about promoting your business, check out our blog on the benefits of promotional giveaways.
We are dedicated to helping you achieve your business goals and find the information you are searching for.
If you have any ideas on growing local business, feel free to share them with us and other readers.
