Decades ago, small businesses only had a few ways to market their business. They would sponsor local events, put up bill boards or print out fliers. In today’s digital era, there are several marketing opportunities out there on the web.
The internet is teeming with marketing platforms. The good news is that you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on marketing. You just need to know where to look.
Listed below are 6 cost-effective ways to market your local business online. Use these tips to raise awareness of your products and business.
Get social
With the ever-prevading power of social media, you can easily reach a wide audience from across the globe. This can be done with just a few clicks of a button. But in order to make the most of your social media campaign, you need to build your fan base and target audience in your specific niche.
Determine which social media platform your target audience use the most, and build a strong presence there. Be active and engage with your audience. Make meaningful conversations with your fans and followers. Provide useful and relevant information. Offer advice and support. This will help you build your reputation and establish yourself as an expert in your field.
Get listed in local business sites
Before, people would look up businesses in Yellow Pages. Today, however, people will just bring out their smartphones and will find what they’re looking for in a matter of seconds. As such, it is important to have your business listed in multiple online directories. This will make it easier for potential customers to find you and increase traffic to your website.
USdirectory.com, Yellowbook, EZ Local,Yelp, and Google My Business are just some of the free listing sites your business should be on. Don’t forget to include your business name, address, phone number, email address, and website on the listing.
Have your business listed on online review sites
Local business reviews get higher rankings in search engine results. Encourage people to post authentic reviews based on their experiences with your company.
Take time to create a good listing. TripAdvisor is a great site if you’re in a travel-related field. If you’re selling services, why not list on Angie’s List? These sites give you the opportunity to reach an enormous audience of potential customers who are looking for products or services in your industry. Reading through reviews from past customers will be beneficial for consumers who are looking to make informed purchase decisions.
Create a blog
One of the best ways to promote your business online is by creating a blog. Posting high quality content on a regular basis will do wonders for your SEO efforts. Not only will it help you drive traffic to your site, but it can also help position yourself as an industry leader. If you can become an industry leader, then it would be easier for you to capture the attention of your target audience. The best part? It won’t require any investment on your part.
Keep in mind, though, that this is a long-term strategy. It may take a while before you see results, but all your efforts will be worth it in the end. If you consistently produce high quality content, you’ll start building authority and a solid online presence.
Optimize your website for local SEO
Word of mouth and local advertisements may be excellent ways to promote your local business. But online searches are more powerful. You see, most people would automatically turn to Google if they’re looking for specific products, services, etc. In fact, studies suggest that 97% of consumers use search engines to find local businesses.
People may be searching for “restaurants near me” or “salons near me”. If you want your content to be found online, the best way is to make sure that they rank on search engine results page. Optimizing your site for local SEO can help you enhance your online visibility in local searches and grow your business.
Leverage the power of influencers
These days, one of the most popular ways to promote your business is through influencer marketing. If you an avid Youtube user, then you might have noticed most content creators promoting certain products on their videos.
While this strategy may not be free, it can help you get your products in front of a wider audience quickly and easily. The key is to find a influencer who already has a following in your area and connect with them to see if they’re interested to promote your products.
You can also provide a promo code to the influencer to encourage their followers to purchase your products. Once they apply the promo code upon checkout, then they’ll get a discount. This strategy will not only entire people to purchase, but can also help you track which influencer is driving more sales.
Final thoughts
There is a plethora of options when it comes to promoting your business online. You may not have a wad of cash to go full-on and promote your business as aggressively as the big players in the market, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t attract the attention of your target audience. With a clear goal and a solid marketing strategy in place, there is no doubt that you can grow your business over time.
Use the strategies we’ve outlined above to help you get started in promoting your business. But if you still feel overwhelmed and don’t know where to start, we’re here to help. Schedule you free consultation with us and we’ll help you build a solid marketing strategy to help you market your business and help you garner the attention it deserves.
