As a small business owner, you’ve learned how to craft a beautiful brand. Your website is updated and full of content. But although you have loyal customers, you may be having hard reaching new audiences. Where do you figure out how to market a local business? Lucky for you, we’ve got tips to expose your brand to new people.
Google My Business
For a lot of people, the first thing they do when looking for a service of some kind is Google it. In fact, 86% of consumers rely on the internet to find a local business while 97% of search engine users searched online to find a local business. Out of search engines, Google handles 90% of traffic. With those numbers, it’s a given you’d want your business to show up as an option.
The first step on how to market a local business is to register it on Google My Business. This tool is free to sign up for and makes your company’s information easily attainable. For example, contact information, reviews, location, websites, and hours are all displayed in an organized fashion to potential customers. You can even customize your page in ways like uploading photos to your profile and responding to reviews.
Besides making you more available, Google My Business also gives insight on the statistics it collects on your business. You can see the amount of views, searches, and activity on your account. This information gets broken down even further. For instance, Google breaks down activity by showing the quantity of calls, website clicks, direction requests, followed, and bookings. All of this can be extremely valuable information.
Social Media Profiles
While we’ve already written a whole article on the reasons why social media is so useful, it’s worth mentioning again. Social media is a key step in how to market a local business.
In 2015, 53% of small businesses actively used social media. In 2018, usage had grown to 77%. Businesses who aren’t on social media aren’t just missing out on opportunities to grow, they’re missing out on opportunities to beat out the competition.
77% of Small Businesses Actively Use Social Media
Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Twitter, and more–the platform choices are endless. The choices may also feel daunting. Start with a couple of channels and begin with that. Expand as you feel comfortable. Only stick with platforms you’ll be updating 2-3 times a week. It’s better to be active on a couple of platforms than empty on all of them.
Now that you have a profile, what do you post? Constant Contact categorizes content into easy to understand strategies. 50% of your posting should aim to entertain, ask questions, and attain engagement. 30% should be informative, curated content based on your industry. Perhaps a surprising tip, only 20% of your feed should be calls to action about your business. This is because your followers use social media to build a community, rather than solely buying and selling products.
Business Directories
Another option on how to market a local business is directories. Similar to Google My Business, these business directories would share your information–like contact details, services, location, and website–under searchable terms that are applicable to your company. Being listed on these sites also helps your business appear more credible. As far as directories go, there are both national and local examples.
These are typically easy to set up. Just like the old Yellow Pages phone book, you can simply provide your contact information and website to start creating more opportunities for your business. Some directories are free, and some cost yearly or monthly fees to maintain a listing. Do a search to find out what directories are in your area and how you can get your business listed. Here’s a list to start with.
Get Your Name Out There
With any new business, the primary goal is gaining sales – in the digital world, this is called conversions, where the aim is to convert visitors of your website into customers who purchase. To do that, we first need some visitors! By using these tools, you’ve made great strides on how to market your local business online
There’s More To Learn!
Now that you’ve grasped the basics, dive into some more tools! Download our Ultimate Guide for New Website Traffic below.
