There are many ways to market your business. While many companies typically adopt a broad approach to their marketing, and thus advertise their companies across the country and beyond, it’s important not to overlook the local side of things, too. Treat your local customers well, and make them know that you’re there for them, and they can provide the backbone of your success. In this blog, we’re going to take a look at a few tried and tested methods for marketing your business to people in your local area.
Sponsor a Local Team
If you’re going to ask your community to support you, then you’ll have to show that you’re willing to support them too. One of the best ways to market your business is to sponsor a local sports team, who always need help with their running costs. In exchange for your help, you’ll have your name on the front of their jerseys and on other items that they use. It’s more about marketing: it’s about doing something positive for your local area. If the community’s doing well, then you will be more likely to succeed, too.
Trusted Staff
Your staff are there to do a job, but they’re also walking ambassadors for your business, and can thus help with your marketing. If they’re a positive force around town, then the locals will be more inclined to look favorably upon your company. We all know from our experience just how bad an influence a rude member of staff can have on our view of a business. While you can look at resumes and so on, you’ll also want to look at a potential employee’s personality, too. Do they seem approachable, and kind? Are they local to the area, and have similar values as your customers?
Marketing Multiple Locations
We don’t always start a business with an eye to operating that business in multiple locations, but that’s sometimes where we end up. If you’ve had success in one particular area, then it’ll be tempting to expand, and try your hand at growing your venture in new areas too. While this can be highly rewarding, it does bring it a new set of challenges that single-location businesses just don’t have to contend with. One of the challenges that multisite companies have is with their marketing. This can be problematic because different areas respond to different marketing tactics. So it’s important that you develop separate marketing campaigns to each area that has a different cultural feel (you would market differently in the UK than you would the USA, for example). Since you’ll likely only have one main corporate website, it’s important to work with a marketing firm that specializes in multi-location digital marketing, such as Integrity Marketing. That’ll help ensure that people in the local areas where you operate can find you.
Social Media Marketing
You’re going to have pride in your local area, so why not show it off with the world? One of the best ways to market a store is to tap into the local life. This is easier if you live in a place that’s scenic or has a lot going on, but it’s also possible if you live in quieter parts of the world, too. It’s all about being a presence on the ground. While you may want to make the bulk of your social media posts about the products and services that you offer, there’ll always be space for adding pictures of local life. It’ll remind your local customers that you’re a part of their community, and show your out of town customers just what’s going on where you live.
Host Local Events
Your business might primarily offer one product or service, but that’s not the only thing you can offer your local customers. Opening up your premises for events can also do wonders for your business. It’ll draw in people who have never previously interacted with your company. In the process of hosting these events, you’ll be integrating yourself even further into the fabric of local life. The types of events that you host will depend on the type of business that you have. A bookstore could host book readings; a clothes store, a night of wine and fashion. Concerts and other cultural events are applicable to all types of businesses.
It’s a slow and steady process, marketing your business to a local community. But like well-planted seeds, you’ll find that they can produce something that has a long-lasting and sincere impact on your business.