As the name implies, local marketing involves getting the word out about your business to customers and other businesses in your physical area.
It uses techniques such as search engine optimization (SEO) and geolocation to connect with people in your community. But just what can it do for your small business, and how can you get started?
1. Connect with your community.
Succeeding in your contracting business means finding ways to get people excited about your brand. In your line of work, that means you need to create a positive buzz about jobs you have done well that will inspire others to enlist your services.
Local marketing pinpoints you as a fixture in your town or city, backing your claims with testimonials that people can read and evaluate for themselves.
2. Break barriers to market entry.
When your company isn’t one of the big box stores, it can be very difficult to find the key that opens the door and introduces you to potential customers.
Local marketing strategies get your name onto the social media pages and search engines of the very people you want to attract. The more specifically you can curate messages to the target demographic you want to reach, the more effective this ultra-focused sales method can be.
3. Attract customers who turn into brand ambassadors.
Local marketing can feed on itself in terrific ways. When a customer is pleased with the contracting job you have completed, they will tend to rave about it. The more you can encourage them to leave reviews and testimonials, the more motivated they will be to put your business front and center. And by the way, don’t be afraid to reward their feedback with rewards or discounts.
4. Enhance communication.
Local digital marketing gives you numerous channels that you can use to get and remain in touch with buyers. When you share valuable, locally relevant details throughout someone’s shopping journey, both conversion and retention increase.
With the help of the point of sale system tools provided by your payment processing for contractors provider, you can even segment customers into smaller groups for even more laser-focused messaging.
How to make local marketing work for you.
One of the best ways to harness the power of this effective selling mechanism is to join community business organizations. Networking with retailers and service providers in your community can ratchet up word of mouth about your company in ways you can only experience to believe.
Your next step should be to increase the visibility of your services with a Google Business Profile account. Formerly called Google My Business, this gives you ways to manage your Google business profile and rise to the top of local searches.
Be sure to include vital details such as a description of your business, contact and availability data, what service categories you provide, frequently asked questions, and a link to your website. Then augment this listing by sharing regularly on social media sites like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.
Since most of your customers are using smartphones to search for and schedule services, you also need to make sure that your website is optimized for mobile devices. This means fast downloads, comprehensive text, larger and clearly-defined buttons, and an easy and intuitive interface.
As we have stated above, reviews from happy customers can spark referrals and pique interest in what you have to offer.
Maintaining dynamic social media pages on the sites your customers prefer provides the perfect forum for these reviews and gives you opportunities to directly engage in conversations with existing and potential customers as well as to provide compelling informational content that can spur interest in your specialized contractor offerings.
Local marketing is a highly effective set of techniques that you should begin to use right now. You can’t afford to miss out on the increased visibility and credibility it can impart to your contracting company.
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