Having been a small business, and having worked with a number of small businesses over the years, I know the struggles that they face on the road to success. The long nights of worry. The thankless overtime spent trying to get everything right. The scrambling to market your business the right way, to the people who are actually looking for your product or service.
Well, today I’m here to tell you that there are things you can do differently in your small business marketing strategy. This is something that used to be a given for small businesses, but that has gradually fallen by the wayside in the ‘internet age’. Yes, I’m talking about Localised Marketing.
Social Media Is Saturated
I know what you’re thinking. Localised Marketing? All my customers are on social media these days! But, are they really? The idea that small businesses need to aggressively invest in social media marketing is one that has permeated small business culture, but the truth is for many small businesses it may not be the solution at all. Your success in the world of social media depends on many things, not in the least your mastery of social media marketing and the saleability of your business or service online. Social networks are saturated with advertisements, making it difficult to stand out from the crowd. This is exactly why I urge small businesses to get on top of their local area marketing before diving into social media.
Local Shoppers Have Buying Power
Human beings are creatures of habit, and that is just about the best thing that your small business can leverage on the way to profit and success. For example, did you know that for a majority of the services and products people purchase, they travel 8km or less from their homes[1]? See, while you may have been told that online marketing is where the money is, the truth is that real power is held by local shoppers, and appealing to their needs and wants is crucial for getting ahead.
Marketing Doesn’t Need To Be A Money-Suck
Brad Sugars so wisely said: “Marketing is only expensive when done incorrectly”, and we couldn’t agree more. When you approach marketing with a smart strategy that leverages existing local buyers, instead of using a ‘spray and pray’ method that I see so often in small businesses, you’re able to match marketing cost with profit return. Now, I’m not saying that you should never use social media or other online marketing. Everything can have a place when it comes to increasing the reach of your small business, and those online channels will have a part to play. However, when you’re starting to really take control of your advertising, Localised Marketing is the foundation on which you can build your small business.
Stop trying to do it all and hoping for a positive outcome. Instead plant the seed of Localised Marketing, and nourish it with great strategy and ideas, to help your business on the way to success.
[1] Be a local voice study. Julie Dang & Associates, 2015