Money’s often too tight to mention when you’re running a small business.
After paying suppliers and employees, there’s usually nothing going on but the rent.
But if your marketing budget is miniscule and you don’t want to rely on word of mouth, digital marketing can provide an affordable solution.
So here are three digital marketing hacks to boost your small business.
Localised social media
Social media platforms like Facebook are attractive to SMEs because they’re free to join and their potential reach is massive.
But if you want more chance of harnessing these platforms for customer conversions rather than just establishing a presence, localised social media posts are crucial.
Localising posts makes you appear more customer-focused because you’re addressing your target customers and markets more effectively. This is especially important if you operate across different geographical areas.
Local content also encourages interaction with consumers through comments and this might make them more likely to share your posts.
You can also include relevant local knowledge in your post and this drives even more interaction.
So embrace the mass appeal of social media — but think local to get results.
Localised Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
SEO is crucial if you want all of your on- and offsite content to climb the Google rankings.
But any digital marketing agency worth their salt will tell you that localised SEO is brilliant for small businesses.
Including the name of your town in your meta description will encourage local customers to click through to your site on search engine results pages.
And claiming a free Google My Business listing can work wonders too.
Positive online reviews can also enhance your reputation and adding a local structured data markup to your website code will make Google appreciate you even more.
Tweaking your SEO to provide a local focus is really worthwhile — it doesn’t take long and really gets results.
Local links and citations
Local links and citations can boost your business online.
They enhance your visibility on Google Maps and ‘near me’ searches so that new customers can easily find you on their mobiles when they’re on the move.
And links from authoritative and influential listings sites act like a seal of approval that sets you apart from the competition.
Local links and citations also boost your long-tail ranking ability — so when a customer’s search term specifically mentions your business sector and specific neighbourhood, your business pops up first in results.
This is an excellent cost-effective method of improving the online performance of your firm.
Getting to grips with digital marketing doesn’t need to be expensive — but getting results takes time and patience.
These three digital marketing hacks to boost your small business should allow you to hit the ground running.
What local digital marketing techniques do you use? Share your advice in the comments section.
