How to Promote Your Local Business

 Last year, I decided that I wanted to invest in personal training.


As a lifelong sedentary person, I realized that I didn't know how to start, so I went to the almighty Google machine.


I typed in "personal trainers Orange County," looked at the top results, and examined the reviews.


Before scheduling any consultations, I narrowed down the options based on their fitness philosophy (seen on their website) and the most highly rated.


When searching for a local business, this approach and process isn't unique.


In fact, 90% of consumers used the internet to find a local business in the last year.


That's why, as marketers, our businesses have to show up when people are searching for local companies online.


Below, let's review the top strategies to promote your business locally.


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How to Promote Your Business Locally

Advertise with local audience targeting.

Create a blog strategy catering to a local audience.

Post locally appealing content to social media.

Get set up with online directories.

Be involved in the community.

Create a loyalty program.

Build an email list.

Use traditional methods.

1. Advertise with local audience targeting.

Online advertising is one of the main ways to show up in local searches. In fact, you should use both social media and search engine advertising to promote your business locally.


With local advertising, you'll have to set up location targeting and write copy that uses specific language targeted to your local audience.


And with marketing tools like HubSpot, you can use local audience targeting directly in your software.


With local audience targeting, you can choose a specific location to show your ad. This means using zip codes or geographic regions.


However, local audience targeting isn't just about selecting a certain location. It's also about using the right keywords and the right language to appeal to that audience.


For instance, you can use locations in your page titles and meta descriptions. Just adding the words "Orange County" in your description could mean the difference between a click and a scroll by.


Additionally, you should use tools like Google Trends to see which keywords are more popular in a given location. If you serve several locations, you might choose one keyword over the other.


In my example, perhaps the term "fitness instructor" is more popular than "personal trainer" in Southern California. If that's the case, then personal trainers should adjust the language in their ads.


Alongside advertising, you might be investing in public relations as well. If so, don't forget to have a local PR strategy.

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