If you own a local business, chances are you’ve been spending a lot of time and money trying to promote it online. You have your website up and running, maybe some social media accounts as well. But now what? Just having these things isn’t enough to ensure that consumers will find your website or connect with your brand on Facebook. We will show you some strategies you can put into place.
Get listed in business directories
There are many business directories in each country where you can list your business. Just search for the business directories in Google and you will find a lot of directories that offer free listing.
Be sure to keep up to date the details of your business listing in each directory or your business exposure could go down.
Advertise with Google Ads
Allows you to target potential customers in your local area specifically with pay-per-click ads.
Choose the right keywords for your business, don’t use too wide keywords, and focus on relevant words your customers would type in. For example – if you sell skiing equipment, don’t just use the word ‘skiing’, use a long tail word like ‘buy skiing equipment’ to get better results.
Target customers in your local area by selecting who can see your ads and track how many people click through.
Create a small budget, set a low daily spend so you can learn how to get the best results with a small amount to spend. You can always increase your budget later, once you can see how to get the best results from your ads.
Run local Facebook Ads
You can target customers who live nearby by selecting an audience based on their location and interests, which allows you to find potential customers at a good price.
Not only can social media ads increase sales; they can also increase consumer awareness of your business, which can drive traffic to your website or store.
The Facebook Ads Manager is an easy way to set up and manage your ad campaign.
You can also use the Advertise on Instagram platform to target people by their location, interests, demographics, and behavior. Since many use this social network to discover new products.
Build a website
Give your customers peace of mind by providing them with complete information about the products and services you offer, so they can buy from you with confidence.
This strategy is a long-term approach to building a strong local online presence as it takes time to improve the SEO rankings of your site.
Social media
Create profiles in the main social media networks and use them to promote your products or services, but don’t forget to post regular updates.
Some ideas for the posts could be:
- Promote your latest customer reviews
- Thank loyal customers
- Post images of your recent work
- Run a contest or giveaway
Remember, you only have a few seconds to grab the attention of social media users. So make your posts stand out by using images, infographics, and videos; in fact, anything that makes the post more appealing visually will increase the engagement.
Conclusion
Treat your business like a local celebrity and you will see results.
A famous actor or musician doesn’t depend on just one method of promotion, so neither should you. Try all the methods mentioned in this article and watch as positive reviews start to flood your website and on social media profiles. Above all, be creative with marketing ideas for small businesses!