10 ways to market your local business online
DESCRIPTION
Learn 10 things every local business should be doing online to succeed offline.”TRANSCRIPT
10 Ways to Market Your Local Business Online
by AltaLocal.com
“ Learn 10 things every local business
should be doing online to
succeed offline.”
Did you know? 99% use computers to
search for local businesses
75% of mobile and 90% of tablet users search for local businesses
Use of phonebooks and mailers for business information declining
What does it mean for you?
When people search online, can they find your business?• Is the information accurate?• Are competitors more visible?
Every local business needs to include the internet in its marketing plan to maintain relevancy.
10 Ways to Utilize the Internet
Website Social Media Reviews Listings Craigslist
Coupons Community
Sites B2B Local Deals Blogs/Content
Build a Simple Website Customers’ 4th most
expected feature, after phone, address, & hours
Helps generate leads, gives control over web presence & provides 24/7 representation
Should match brand and include introduction, business info, location, promotions, etc.
Be Active on Social Media 15% use social networks to
look for local businesses• 2/3 more likely to use a
business listed on social networks
• Helps you connect with community and improve visibility
Post promos, interesting content, start & join conversations
Free to Use
Get on Local Review Sites 72% trust online reviews like personal
recommendations 52% say positive reviews make them more likely to
use a business ¾ of people said they use online reviews to make local
business decisions Make sure your business is on:
• Search Engines: Google Places , Bing, Yahoo Local• Angie’s List• Yelp• Local.com• Merchant Circle• Niche Sites:
Urbanspoon TravelAdvisor
Use Local Business Listings With so many information
sources, hard to predict where customers will look
Get listed on search engines, online yellow pages, business directories, local directories, GPS databases, mobile providers, and 411 databases.
Comprehensive listing services can cover all listings bases
Post on Craiglist Widely used for local buying
and selling
Free advertising
Businesses can post items for sale, services offered, events
Categories for small business, skilled trades, and other services
Keep ads short and simple, link to website and/or reviews
Distribute Coupons Get new and existing customers in the door
Post on website, Facebook, Twitter, Google Places and community forums
Set up Facebook ‘like’ campaigns that reward customers with promos
Use Local Community Websites Nearly every community
has local websites • Community News• Forum Discussions• Local Networking
Many allow free or low-cost business listings and classifieds
Participate and get involved (focus on connections, not spam)
B2B Networking Network with other local businesses
• Important way to gain referrals, vendor contacts• Symbiotic relationships (ex. A plumber may have an
electrician he refers customers to and vice versa)
Use LinkedIn and MerchantCircle
Try Local Deal Sites Feature steep discounts in exchange for mass
exposure
Can boost business in off-times or introduce new customers• But avoid overreliance to preserve brand value• Determine what your bottom-line can handle
Popular sites include • Groupon, • LivingSocial• Tippr• DealsGoRound
Blog & Create Useful Content Provide content your customers can use
Blogs are easy to operate and valuable for SEO• Post about specials, events, employees, new products & more
Product tutorials, FAQs, and DIY articles
Use articles, videos, images, presentations etc to keep content fresh and interesting
Beneficial in building valuable customer relationships
Want more?
Read the full article at AltaLocal’s Blog
http://www.altalocal.com/10-ways-to-market-your-local-business-online
/