According to Stats NZ, the number of small businesses in New Zealand has been increasing, reaching over 160,000 in 2018. As competition grows, it’s no longer enough to just have a great product or service. Businesses need to market themselves effectively. For small businesses, this can be a challenge due to limited resources. However, combining local business marketing and internet marketing strategies can provide a solution.
Local marketing targets a nearby audience, such as a fish and chips shop distributing menus or a real estate agency sponsoring a local sports team. Internet marketing, on the other hand, involves promoting a business or brand and its products or services online. This includes content, email, search, paid media, and more. Combining these two strategies, small businesses can effectively market themselves to their local community using online strategies.
To succeed in local internet marketing, businesses should have a fully functional, search engine optimized website. This ensures that the business appears on the first page of search engine results when potential customers search for relevant keywords. Starting a blog can also be beneficial, allowing businesses to highlight their products or services, share industry news, and distinguish themselves as industry leaders.
Social media is crucial for successful local marketing. Geo-location based apps such as Instagram and Facebook can help people find nearby businesses. Businesses can also target their ads to specific locations. Google My Business is another useful tool, providing a platform for local SEO marketing. Once a business is verified, it will appear in searches based on proximity to the searcher.
Investing in locally-targeted Google Adwords can also be beneficial. These ads are limited to specific locations and audiences, helping to manage costs and target effectively. Building a community with neighboring businesses can also help, with cross-promotion offering a way to reach new customers.
Key Takeaways:
- Small businesses can compete in the market by combining local and internet marketing strategies, which involves promoting their business to the local community using online methods to attract new customers and increase awareness.
- Essential components of a successful local internet marketing strategy include having a fully functional and SEO-optimized website, running a blog, utilizing social media, registering with Google My Business, and investing in locally-targeted Google Adwords.
- Building a community with neighboring businesses through cross-promotion and offering special promotions can also be a powerful way for small businesses to increase their visibility and customer base.
“The best way for a small business to compete is to combine these two marketing strategies into what we like to call – you guessed it – Local Internet Marketing. Essentially, this is the process of marketing a business to its local community using online strategies to gain new customers and generate awareness.”
More details: https://www.creativecontent.co.nz/post/local-marketing-ideas-for-small-business
