Tier3 Marketing on How to Attract Local Customers Online
Posted 9th April 2013 at 02:55 PM by Tier3Marketing
Updated 9th April 2013 at 02:56 PM by Tier3Marketing (Image won't float right.)
Updated 9th April 2013 at 02:56 PM by Tier3Marketing (Image won't float right.)
The Internet gives business owners the opportunity to acquire customers from all over the world. For some online marketers, this means an excellent opportunity to dramatically increase their potential customer bases. Not all businesses are appropriate for global sales, though. Certain types of businesses need to attract local customers and do not benefit from global advertising. For example, if you own an independent landscaping business or restaurant, it is more important to attract customers in your city or town than to acquire visitors in other states or countries.
Fortunately, Internet marketing can be just as useful for local companies as it is for international businesses. There are several strategies you can use to bring in local customers through online marketing efforts:
1) Use Facebook ads to reach local customers through social media. In some respects, Facebook ads are similar to Google ads. Both involve paying to receive traffic. The primary difference, though, is that Facebook ads are targeted to people who have interests relevant to your site. If you launch a Facebook ad for a local hardware store and a Facebook user posts about his latest home improvement project, your ad will probably appear next to his news feed.
When you develop your ad, you can choose to limit ad placement to pages owned by people in a particular state, city, or zip code. This allows you to reach people near you without wasting money advertising to people who live too far away to visit your store.
2) Make sure your business is listed on Yelp and similar customer review sites. Yelp groups businesses by location, allowing people in your city or metropolitan area to easily find you. If your business is not listed, you can contact the website to add your company. Make sure that all information is accurate and that there is a direct link to your website or blog.
Yelp also offers ad placement for local businesses. When you purchase a Yelp ad, it will appear when people search for businesses near your location.
You can also enhance your Yelp business page to make your local business more attractive to potential customers. For example, you can place a slideshow on your Yelp page. Your slideshow can contain pictures of your store, images of your products, and other images that might help build viewer interest. Video is another popular enhancement. You can place a promotional video on your Yelp page to give visitors in-depth information about your company, products, and services.
3) Offer referral incentives to social media followers. This can help encourage word-of-mouth advertising and bring in local customers who might not have heard of your business. For example, if you own a restaurant, you could offer a free entree to followers who refer two new customers to your restaurant.
Of course, you should also offer something of value to referral customers to get them in the door. One simple way to reward both current customers and referral customers is to provide an online voucher or coupon for each. Customers can redeem these coupons by printing them or showing them on their Android phones or iPhones at your store.
4) Target local keywords. Using location-specific keywords in blog and website content can help attract customers who are searching for businesses in your area. For example, you could target keywords such as "Indian restaurants near OSU" or "Florists in Ann Arbor." Keep in mind, though, that these keywords should appear naturally in your content. Avoid constructing awkward sentences or paragraphs for the sole purpose of including a keyword.
By using these strategies, you can find new customers more easily and inexpensively than you could through traditional local advertising channels. Although online marketing should not replace local marketing, it can help you build your business while keeping your advertising budget in check.
Fortunately, Internet marketing can be just as useful for local companies as it is for international businesses. There are several strategies you can use to bring in local customers through online marketing efforts:
1) Use Facebook ads to reach local customers through social media. In some respects, Facebook ads are similar to Google ads. Both involve paying to receive traffic. The primary difference, though, is that Facebook ads are targeted to people who have interests relevant to your site. If you launch a Facebook ad for a local hardware store and a Facebook user posts about his latest home improvement project, your ad will probably appear next to his news feed.
When you develop your ad, you can choose to limit ad placement to pages owned by people in a particular state, city, or zip code. This allows you to reach people near you without wasting money advertising to people who live too far away to visit your store.
2) Make sure your business is listed on Yelp and similar customer review sites. Yelp groups businesses by location, allowing people in your city or metropolitan area to easily find you. If your business is not listed, you can contact the website to add your company. Make sure that all information is accurate and that there is a direct link to your website or blog.
Yelp also offers ad placement for local businesses. When you purchase a Yelp ad, it will appear when people search for businesses near your location.
You can also enhance your Yelp business page to make your local business more attractive to potential customers. For example, you can place a slideshow on your Yelp page. Your slideshow can contain pictures of your store, images of your products, and other images that might help build viewer interest. Video is another popular enhancement. You can place a promotional video on your Yelp page to give visitors in-depth information about your company, products, and services.
3) Offer referral incentives to social media followers. This can help encourage word-of-mouth advertising and bring in local customers who might not have heard of your business. For example, if you own a restaurant, you could offer a free entree to followers who refer two new customers to your restaurant.
Of course, you should also offer something of value to referral customers to get them in the door. One simple way to reward both current customers and referral customers is to provide an online voucher or coupon for each. Customers can redeem these coupons by printing them or showing them on their Android phones or iPhones at your store.
4) Target local keywords. Using location-specific keywords in blog and website content can help attract customers who are searching for businesses in your area. For example, you could target keywords such as "Indian restaurants near OSU" or "Florists in Ann Arbor." Keep in mind, though, that these keywords should appear naturally in your content. Avoid constructing awkward sentences or paragraphs for the sole purpose of including a keyword.
By using these strategies, you can find new customers more easily and inexpensively than you could through traditional local advertising channels. Although online marketing should not replace local marketing, it can help you build your business while keeping your advertising budget in check.
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