Networking with Other Local Businesses
If you are in a small town or area that does not already have the service your company provides, then you need to network with other local businesses. This can increase your exposure and attract customers. Ask local businesses to post your company’s fliers on doors or in highly trafficked areas. A flier gives you the opportunity to display all of the services that your business is able to provide. Another option is to give a portion of your time to a local church or fraternal organization to increase exposure to many more people. This will enable you to gain referrals and develop your local reputation.
The Most Basic Type of Local Marketing
The most basic type of local marketing is to use a business card. You can give these out as you meet new people or begin work projects. This enables the individual to refer to your business, website or phone number when future contact is necessary.
You also need to design a specialized online local marketing strategy to complement your offline marketing strategy, we all know the majority of people search the internet to learn more about companies they are evaluating doing business with.
Search Engine Marketing
If you want to attract new customers online, you will need to use local marketing strategies that are part of a search engine marketing, or SEM, for your business.
The main focus of a local marketing strategy is to first determine all of the local keywords for your business. These keywords need to be specific to your area of operations to attract local customers. This is also known as location-based keyword usage. Your site should have keywords that include your city, county or geographic area.