Low-Cost Advertising Local Businesses Can Count On
Local businesses usually don’t have the budget and resources that large multi-location businesses have, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be competitive and grow their brands. When it comes to advertising local businesses, it is all about choosing the right media channels and advertising techniques. Many local businesses find themselves overwhelmed when it comes to choosing which techniques of marketing and advertising they will use, which causes it to be overlooked or unsuccessful. Below are some of the most inexpensive and effective forms of advertising that local businesses can benefit from.
Facebook Ads
Making sure you are active on social media provides many benefits to your local business, such as boosting your SEO efforts and improving your brand’s image. However, your social media presence doesn’t have to stop there. Facebook offers cost-effective advertising local businesses can benefit from. Facebook advertising allows you to reach an exact demographic and users that fit a particular profile, making this a great tool for local businesses that are trying to target highly-segmented users. For example, a local catering company could have the advantage of serving its ads to users who live in a certain area and have recently changed their status from “single” to “engaged.” In this instance, the local catering company is reaching brand new consumers almost instantaneously who are now well-qualified leads. Whatever type of local business you have, Facebook advertising ensures your dollars are not going to waste and you are spending money on high-quality leads.
Pay-Per-Click Advertising
Pay-Per-Click (PPC) is a method of advertising that allows businesses to bid on top ad placement in search engine results. PPC advertising can give your ads immediate visibility depending on your bid amount, versus SEO which takes commitment and time before seeing results. The beauty of PPC is that you only pay the search engines when your ad is clicked. This allows you to have better control over your budget, making this a worthy option of advertising local businesses should consider. However, there is a lot that goes in to planning a successful PPC campaign, from landing page and ad content creation to quality score and bid placements, so it is best to consult with a PPC expert to help make sure your campaign is a success.
Online Directories & Google My Business
Although this is more of a marketing strategy rather than advertising, it’s still worth a mention because of its effectiveness and value to local businesses. Most local consumers turn to the internet first to find businesses in their area, and as a result, directory listings are an important factor in organic search engine rankings. Also referred to as local search engine optimization (SEO), this tactic is one of the most effective ways for local businesses to reach highly-targeted consumers exactly when they need a particular product or service. Making sure your business is listed on directories, such as Yelp, Citysearch and Yellow Pages, in addition to Google My Business, Yahoo Localworks and Bing Places for Business gives you an edge over the competition because search engines will consider your business to be legitimate and will rank you higher in search results. Google My Business in particular is a great tool for local businesses to take advantage of because it is free and makes your brand visible on the most widely-used search engine. Many other directories are also free, which makes this a very cost-effective strategy.
Although local SEO is inexpensive, managing all of your listings can be time-consuming. In order to get the most out of online directories, your business information needs to be consistent and up to date across the web. Having incorrect or inconsistent business information can be just as bad as not being listed. You also want to make sure your listings are complete, including address, phone number, businesses hours and description. With so many details going into your business listings, it is best to use a local listing management tool to save you time and help to ensure your information is consistent and accurate.
Locally Focused Content
Another marketing tactic, content marketing increases your brand’s online visibility and has a profound effect on your overall SEO strategy. If you’re attempting to boost local traffic, producing-locally focused content can help. Creating blog posts or landing pages with your town name in the keyword can help your brand show up for consumers who are specifically searching in your area. Not only will you be targeting a local audience, but your content can also be seen by anyone who is searching your area on the web. Overall, content marketing strategies give your brand more brand visibility and recognition which is beneficial long term.
Advertising Local Businesses for Over 25 Years
Strategic marketing is a full-service advertising agency that has been helping local businesses grow their brand for over 25 years. While these are just a few forms of advertising local businesses can use, each business is different and the experts at Strategic Marketing can help you decide which advertising tactic is best for your brand based on your budget and goals. With specialists that are experts in both print and traditional advertising methods, we are well-equipped to find and execute a suitable and comprehensive solution. Whether it’s PPC advertising, SEO or other methods, we can help. We also offer a local search management tool, SmartList, that manages your business listing across thousands of online publishers so you can focus on running your business. Give us a call at (561) 688-8155 or visit our contact page to learn more about how we can help grow your local business.
