Local business online marketing – what works?
Posted by Jan at 6:00 pm
Local marketing has changed. It used to be fine to have a spread in the local paper and a yellow pages ad, but now these tools just aren’t working for most businesses. So what does work in todays economy and marketplace?
Here is the short answer:
Get listed:
Make sure you have a strong business profile that is updated and distributed to the tight places so you show up
Get optimized:
Make sure your business is associated with the keywords your customers are actually using to look for you and that all links funnel folks back to your business information
Get Connected:
Do what you do in your local community (just do it online)
Be visible:
Get in front of local customers when and where they are searching for you.Be social:
Make sure people can get to know you in a variety or places and groupsBe Unselfish:
You already know this in real life – but you might not know how to do this online. Provide good information, make it easy to find and follow up with helpful and relevant messages (not just selling)
Yeah, But will it work for MY business?
Many local businesses assume marketing online will not work for their business. Some have been discouraged with the internet because they invested hard earned money on a website that hasn’t made a cent or dropped thousands of dollars on Adwords only to get poor leads. Marketing online is challenging. (to say the least)
What we know works (and its’ also what makes us different)
Our take on it is this: Use the same qualities that make your business a success offline a way to attract new local customers online. If you provide great customer service, provide great online content, (think: how – to articles or videos, common questions or product demos) If you have great expertise in your area share that online. (think: articles about top ten tips, things to watch out for or how to customize your _____ )
See – that isn’t so bad. Let us handle the technology while you handle all the extra business!
