The internet has turned the idea of modern marketing completely on its head, and no matter the product or service you’re looking to advertise there’s always an avenue for you to reach your audience.
This has become especially advantageous for businesses looking to increase reach in their local vicinity, particularly those that need to keep an eye on budget constraints.
With a little thought and effort, you can get a range of advertisements in front of engaged audiences across numerous platforms.
Whether you’re new to online advertising or you’re simply looking to sharpen your skills in the online marketing arena, in this piece we’ll be looking at some hints and tips on how you can build your local presence with online advertising.
#1: Utilise Local Outlets & Publications
One of the best ways to touch base with your local community is utilising the advertising services of online news outlets and publications in your area. This is a simple, cost-effective method of geographically target a broad range of individuals.
A large-scale study by advertising brand Newsworks recently investigated the impact of advertising when it appears alongside premium news content, concluding that adverts created in this manner are:
- Twice as likely to curate customer loyalty.
- 43% more likely to deliver market share growth.
- 36% more likely to deliver an ROI.
- Viewed for 30% longer than adverts targeting non-local areas.
- Twice as likely to be noticed.
Advertising in local media, not only boosts the visibility of your brand, but also reinforces the element of trust that a brand can attain by appearing alongside local content that residents rely on to remain connected to their community.
#2: Localised Adverts
If you’re looking to increase sales within a specific geographic area, then a targeted advertising campaign can be incredibly effective. Even if you’re selling something similar to several other companies on the internet, a well-planned and executed local advertising campaign is still capable of drawing in customers within your local vicinity who are looking for the most convenient solution.
It’s easy to advertise locally on search engines with Google Ads and on social media through the likes of Facebook and LinkedIn, and for those looking after the purse strings, it’s easy to manage budgets through these platforms too.
All you need to do is set your search parameters by refining location, search terms, interests and demographics and you have a pool of potentially engaged customers ready and waiting to engage with your adverts.
If you’re still not convinced, consider that according to Kenshoo.com more than 30% of all searches on Google have local intent, and 27% of internet users say that they find new products and services through paid social ads.
So, is this something that you can really afford to ignore?
#3: Diversify Marketing Channels
Of course, social media and news outlets aren’t the only way to increase localised sales. The most impactful ads are those which advertise in print publications and then across a range of digital avenues to increase reach no matter which media sources they choose.
Blending your marketing channels both broadens and increases your local visibility. What’s more, research shows that by spreading your marketing efforts, you can retain 89% of your customer base.
#4: Measure & Optimise
Any campaign, local or otherwise, hinges on developing a habit of measuring and optimising your campaign performance.
Any marketer worth their salt understands how to measure the impact of their efforts and resources to ensure that any strategy going forward can heed what has and hasn’t worked.
Unquestionably the best part of advertising online is the scale and depth of the feedback you can receive. For example, if you’re advertising a local service, you might want to try different content and visuals for different areas in your vicinity.
Once you do this it’s easy to track and compare the performance of each advert in each location. Using metrics such as clicks and views, might give the insight you need to move elements from your best performing ads and duplicate them across other areas that aren’t performing as well.
Even after the ads are set live in each location, you’ll begin to obtain a range of stats and data sets that can be referred to during future campaigns.
Takeaways
No matter what product or service you’re promoting, there’s plenty of potentially engaged customers right on your doorstep just waiting to hear about what your business can offer them.
Targeting locally used to mean paying for an ad in a weekly supplement and hoping for the best, but these days there’s a whole host of options for your business to utilise to get through to your local community.
Whether you choose to use online magazines, social media ads or, even better, a combination of several different platforms, there’s an option out there for even the smallest of local businesses.
Jaqui Fairfax is a Business Expert and a Partner in The Local View the Webzine for Cambridgeshire
Jesse Pitts has been with the Global Banking & Finance Review since 2016, serving in various capacities, including Graphic Designer, Content Publisher, and Editorial Assistant. As the sole graphic designer for the company, Jesse plays a crucial role in shaping the visual identity of Global Banking & Finance Review. Additionally, Jesse manages the publishing of content across multiple platforms, including Global Banking & Finance Review, Asset Digest, Biz Dispatch, Blockchain Tribune, Business Express, Brands Journal, Companies Digest, Economy Standard, Entrepreneur Tribune, Finance Digest, Fintech Herald, Global Islamic Finance Magazine, International Releases, Online World News, Luxury Adviser, Palmbay Herald, Startup Observer, Technology Dispatch, Trading Herald, and Wealth Tribune.