In today’s day and age you have to go out of your way to avoid social media. It is everywhere! Internet users are 58% of the total population in the world and digital marketing has been a blessing for businesses to grow beyond conventional measures. Online businesses are weighing heavily on digital marketing because their business is online. But that doesn’t mean digital marketing can not help brick and mortar businesses.
Businesses with physical locations or local businesses can learn from online businesses and use this medium to effectively promote their business. A business can choose from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Pinterest, depending on the industry and customer. People respond positively to the local businesses getting online and providing prompt service. Digital marketing can be a game-changer for them. Here are 10 ways digital marketing techniques can help local businesses.
Adding location tag in Instagram post
Instagram allows users to post a photo to their stories or profile with a real time location tag. Posts with a tagged location result in 79% higher engagement than posts without a tagged location.
When people search for a particular place on Instagram, location tag helps them direct to the appropriate place. They can see all the posts using that tag and that in turn helps them make a decision.
An organization should always use a location tag when posting anything and should encourage customers to use it too. When people see posts by other people, they are inclined to trust it more because it seems more personal and authentic.
Adding Location Stickers To Instagram Stories
While posting Instagram stories, you should use location stickers to increase brand awareness. On clicking, the Instagram user will be redirected to the search results page and will be able to research more about your business by viewing all posts that have been tagged with your location.
Using Snapchat location filters
Snapchat offers the same service as Instagram in terms of location tags. They call it location filters. You can select a particular location filter based on where you are and post it in your stories. The primary benefit is that there are people who extensively use Snapchat but aren’t on Instagram. This is a way to reach the audience you’re not getting on Instagram.
You can create your own geofilters for your local business, so consider making one for your restaurant. Make sure the geofilter has a brand recall and local connect. Create your own geofilter on the Snapchat website.
Optimizing Google My Business profile
Google My Business is one of the most powerful tools for local businesses. Everybody’s first instinct when they want something is to use Google Search. They immediately bring the phone out and search for the thing they want. Look at the screenshot below about a google search of ice-cream. If an organization manages to get good reviews and citations and optimizes their profile, they can get in the top three in the google search. This can help a lot in growing the business.
Developing Facebook Store Pages
Creating and maintaining a functional Facebook page helps a lot in developing the business. It is the least one can do if he doesn’t want to invest more in social media. Believe it or not but this one small step can help a lot. Say for example someone wants to eat out. What would he want to know first? He would immediately go to Google or Facebook to see the timings/reviews of that particular restaurant. Now, a brand with multiple store locations with different addresses and contact details, can develop Facebook Store Locations. This would help users to find the nearest store and their contact details. Also, store pages allow check-ins, adding more visibility to their online presence.
Promote Facebook Check In
Check-in works the same way a location tag or location filter does. It helps other people know about the place and encourages them to use it when they go there. When people search for posts using that tag, they get authentic reviews and posts about the place. A single business with multiple locations can have a store locator feature on Facebook which lets customers know about the different locations of that particular business.
Optimize the website for local searches (Local SEO)
A brand’s website is what the customers would see when they want to get in touch with you. It is the first impression of the organization. It should provide a good experience for them to use it. The website shouldn’t look or function like it was made 20 years ago. Along with this, a brand should develop a location-oriented landing page, providing information about that particular store. This landing page should also be optimized for local searches by adding following things:
- Products and service available at that location
- Adding address
- Embedding Facebook Feed
- Embedding Google Map
- Showing Google Reviews on website
Encourage reviews from local customers
It is also one of the simplest things to do. After a business provides the service, they can always ask for feedback and encourage the customers to give a review online. It helps a business get better in their weaker areas. It helps one realize what works and motivates them to maintain it. When people see reviews of your brand, it helps them make decisions. It also makes the interaction in real time. A brand can respond to their bad experiences and solve the problems right away.
Demonstrate Your Local Pride
A local business should always be updated about local events and happenings. It should share appropriate posts regarding that event. Posts about local events and in local languages help a lot. A business can connect with a lot of people on an emotional level and build a community from there.
Try Facebook local awareness and store visit ads
It is one of the paid and professional ways to advertise the products. Facebook lets you run ads on them with a defined target demographic. It helps the brand reach the proper audience. It is better if a brand hires a social media manager to advertise the products through facebook ads. A social media manager knows a brand’s needs as well as customers’. He understands what works and what doesn’t. He can help identify the target audience and promote the products accordingly.
Final thoughts:
Digital marketing has been a boon for businesses, be it online or local. They have presented numerous platforms, novel techniques and endless opportunities to market the products. It is upto the businesses now to make the most of it. They can adapt the platform which is appropriate to their sector and use the strategies accordingly.
Create a buzz in the digital space by implementing unique strategies. It is time to stay connected with your audience and adopt new digital or social marketing trends. Sometimes, an expert can help.