Business marketing is becoming increasingly localised due to new technology such as mobile phone applications. So how you can combine the latest developments with tried and tested techniques to attract local customers?
This article was published in Small Business Update – Issue 97, January 2012.
Small Business Update from BHP Information Solutions is the monthly magazine for people running their own business. Articles vary in length and cover ‘hot topics’, issues of importance, and current affairs.
While technology is more often thought of as helping small firms to punch above their weight, it can also be used to market at town or even individual postcode levels.
‘It’s just easier to market within a defined geography,’ says Sarah Orchard, lead consultant and founder of Orchard Marketing Associates. ‘For example, in theory I can consult across the whole of Europe, but in practice I keep to my home town and neighbouring counties.
‘I can network locally, I can use local marketing techniques and there are enough customers in the catchment area to keep me busy,’ she explains.
Online directories for local customers
The web offers more and more options for localisation. As a first step, you can get listed on Google’s free Google Places so customers searching Google and Google Maps can find your contact details.
FreeIndex is another free online directory. ‘With FreeIndex your local customers can add reviews. The more positive reviews you get the higher up the index you go,’ clarifies Orchard. ‘Basic listings on sites such as Thomsonlocal and Yell.com are also free.’
Social networking to attract local customers
Another easy step to ensure local customers find you online is to optimise your website for local searches. At its most basic, this means including your operating area in the keywords of all pages and page title fields, and adding as many relevant back-links (links from other local websites) as possible.
It also won’t be long before location-based services for mobile devices, such as Google Latitude, introduce localised advertising. ‘Apart from the time investment, using social media such as Facebook to promote your business is free,’ points out Orchard. ‘But it doesn’t replace pressing the flesh.’
Traditional marketing for local businesses
Face-to-face networking can be an extremely effective way of building local ties, particularly for business-to-business customers. ‘If someone has met you they are much more likely to want to use your firm or refer you,’ advises Orchard.
Networking can also help you develop partnerships with local, complementary businesses. For example, a high-street wedding-dress designer and florist may find it valuable to promote each other in their day-to-day business.
Other traditional marketing techniques you could use to attract local custom include targeted leaflet drops, press releases to local media and local sponsorship.
Evaluate responses from local customers
To ensure you are spending your time wisely, measure the effectiveness of your marketing strategy. ‘Put in tracking mechanisms so you can measure how successful each technique is,’ stresses Orchard.
‘Evaluating web-based marketing can be easy using Google Analytics, which is free,’ she adds. ‘But if you do only one thing, ask all new customers how they heard of your firm.’
Disclaimer
This article from BHP Information Solutions Limited is for general guidance only, for businesses in the United Kingdom governed by the laws of England. BHP Information Solutions Limited, expert contributors and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (as distributor) disclaim all liability for any errors or omissions.
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