Although there are a thousand ways in which a small business is different from large ventures, none is more significant than the size of their respective customer bases. While a large business enterprise often channels its offerings towards people of diverse groups, location, and beliefs, small businesses are renowned for their locally-centered customer base; that is, they only target people within their immediate environment and reach. This disparity in the size of target audiences – which is one of the biggest differences between a small scale and a large scale business – is what determines, to a large extent, the type of marketing strategy that is ideal for a business brand.
That is to say that the marketing strategies that worked for a large scale business owner might fail when tried by a small scale owner. However, as a small business owner, there is a unique type of marketing strategy that can work excellently for you too regardless of your business type, and this strategy is called the “local advertising strategy.” But to utilize this strategy efficiently, you may need to first understand the different applications of it that are available to you. But you need not worry, as we’ve already done all the hard work for you, all you need to do now is to sit tight and enjoy the list of local advertising ideas we’ve compiled for you below.
Google My Business
Thank you Google for this wonderful innovation! With Google My Business, local businesses can advertise for free on the world-famous Google platform. How is that possible? Some may quip. Well, there is a number of ways through which local business owners can advertise on the Google platform, so it all depends on the type of recognition and results you seek. Firstly, you can advertise for free on Google by making your business appear on some of Google’s biggest platforms, including Google Maps, Google Search, and Google’s Knowledge Panel. This strategy is quite appropriate for businesses in the food, fashion, accommodation, or transport industry, as it helps local consumers local them easily. Secondly, you can seed your Q&A section to highlight important features and increase customer confidence. Thirdly, you can collect Google reviews, which are perhaps the most effective organic advertising. Finally, you can post promotions, events, news, and products to your profile.
Local listing works absolutely well
When people need anything these days, the internet is the first place they visit to find answers. Whether they are a local resident of a given area or they are just visiting, consumers believe so much in the answers they get on the internet. For instance, someone interested in booking a hotel space needed for an event in an area they’re not familiar with will most likely prefer to look up the options and reviews of hotels available in that area on the internet than ask around about the best hotels in the area. Therefore, local listings are a great way to advertise your small business. When you claim, verify, and create local listings, it becomes easier for consumers to find you whenever they’re searching online for things that pertain to your area of specialization. As you can see above, a Google My Business Listing is essential. Yet, you should also have completed listings on other local directories.
Referrals work, too
For a local business, there is nothing that works better than referral promotion. When you offer your existing customers incentives and bonuses for referring people to your business, you’ll be surprised at the number of results you’d start getting. Not because your current customers are experts in the world of marketing, but because of the extent to which word-of-mouth advertisement aids business marketing. People are more likely to tell others about your brand when they know that they’ll be getting something in return. In a similar vein, people are more likely to visit your local shop or store when they’re advised to do so by their loved ones or people they trust.
Distribute printables
Although this may sound like an old-school advert strategy, trust me, it still works well, even in 2020. If you don’t mind, you can have a designer design for you printables like business cards, brochures, flyers, booklets, pamphlets, calendars, posters, etc., but if you’d really like to save cost, you can opt for a DIY approach, such that you do your designing yourself. With the plethora of pre-made images, designs, and clipart flying around the internet today, you shouldn’t have a problem finding cheap images to download to use for your advert designs. Once you design the materials, you can print them at the nearest printer shop and then distribute them at your shops or stores or get them across to passers-by on the street. The idea here is to create an advert design that doesn’t just captivate readers and viewers into looking at them, but also connects with them in such a way that they subconsciously become interested in knowing more about the brand in question. And before you ask, YES, printables can do that quite well!
Wear branded swag
It’s relatively inexpensive to get branded swag for your team and possibly even family or friends. You can advertise your business by sporting branded t-shirts, jackets, hats, bracelets, lanyards, and more. It’s an investment that doesn’t stop giving until you stop wearing!
Make use of the local newspaper
The local newspaper provides various opportunities for advertising. You can place an ad or get a listing in the appropriate section (whether that be in the classifieds or elsewhere). Plus, you may even be able to submit educational content that people will benefit from. As a result, they may be inclined to make contact with your business.
Do a radio contest or giveaway
If you can think up a fun contest idea or are willing to give away a desirable gift, you can use that to your advantage. You can enlist a nearby radio station to spread the news about your contest or giveaway. This will likely generate a lot of excitement. All the while, your business will be getting tons of exposure.
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