Local small businesses had a challenging time last year because of the pandemic. But, focusing on what you can do now, moving forward, is the key to regaining lost business. A long-term outlook will help, especially in finding out which marketing strategies work best for your business. And for your business to succeed, you need to be more proactive, even in the current circumstances. So, what is there to look forward to when it comes to digital marketing strategies for local businesses in 2021?
Embracing content as a means to engage and connect with consumers
If local businesses have learned one thing in 2021 is that they need to be online. And if people are searching online for your product or service your website needs to perform well in search results. Producing regular content for your website is key to gaining a strong position in those search results. Content that you share on social channels also has the power to build brand authority, gain consumer trust, and increase industry credibility. Successful content marketing takes advantage of best practices in SEO. Creating content isn’t always about volume. That’s why professional link agency www.ocere.com recommends focusing on writing articles that are most useful and appealing to your target market.
Marketing tips for local small businesses
Being more purposeful in marketing requires reaching a balance between automation and personalisation. Here are specific tips on how to reimagine your local marketing strategies for this year.
1. Reimagine brand message
The text on your website, marketing emails, and other scripts should resonate with consumers. They need to align with your brand identity, inspire, and encourage potential consumers to act. Ads that perform poorly should be replaced, and reimagine how you talk to your consumers when promoting the business.
2. Optimise the website for voice search.
If you have an existing profile on Google My Business or Yelp, you need to claim these profiles. Structure your website to make it easier for search engines to crawl relevant content. Adding an FAQ section will help in making it easier for consumers to discover your business through voice search.
3. Consider adding a chatbox.
AI-enabled chatboxes are becoming popular with consumers today. This type of service helps in addressing common questions and concerns that customers may have when they visit the website.
4. Become a local community ambassador for your industry or niche.
Engaging with other local businesses in your community will help in understanding what your target audience wants. You can make your presence more provident by using social media channels that allow you to engage with the locals. And don’t forget local TV and radio which are still extremely popular, though easy to forget if you live an in an internet-only media world. Aerials are still needed to access local TV and engage with the stories that are talking points in the local community.
5. Use social media stories to publish marketing content.
Creating a good narrative to promote your brand is an excellent way to appeal to your consumers on a more personal level. Social media stories allow you to share snippets such as customer testimonials, the product behind the scenes, and other relevant content.
6. Create a good company culture.
In addition to marketing purposely to your target market, you can improve brand identity by strengthening company culture. Your employees, as much as your customers, are critical to the success of the business.
Marketing a local small business leverages many strategies aligned with SEO principles. Apart from this, there are also tools specifically designed to give local companies more visibility to their target audience. Despite the ongoing challenging circumstances, businesses can still succeed by pushing for online prominence. Getting discovered through online channels will help bring in new customers, keep loyal clients, and increase the reach of the company.