11 Online Marketing Strategies for Local Businesses

Every business wants to grow and scale. And growth comes with attracting more clients.

For national or international businesses, the opportunities seem endless. However, for local businesses, the audience is limited. You have a few kilometers to attract, which makes it essential to leverage all possible strategies to draw in every potential client.

While traditional marketing strategies have their place, online marketing for local businesses has become a game-changer in recent years.

Why is online marketing so powerful for local businesses?

For one, there are 331.1 million internet users in the USA, that’s 97.1% of the total population. This means you can target almost every single potential customer using the internet.

And that’s exactly what we’re going to learn today as we explore every possible opportunity that local businesses can leverage to attract customers.

Imagine you run a retail shop, café, salon, boutique, car dealership, laundry business, or cleaning service. Your primary customers might come from within a few kilometers of your location, which naturally limits your growth.

But that’s not the case when you start targeting your potential clients online.

For example, if you sell products, let’s say, office furniture like office couches, you can offer shipping to other states.

Once you start getting clients from other states and regions, you can expand into nearby cities or regions by opening franchises and outlets.

And here’s the best part: online marketing is more cost-effective than traditional marketing. Its reach, high impact, and impressive ROI make it a must-have strategy.

Take a car dealership as an example. By adopting social media marketing, it can reduce its overall marketing costs by up to 90%.

In short, online marketing isn’t optional anymore; it’s a necessity for local businesses looking to grow and scale.

If you’re a local business owner and want to expand or grow, let’s explore a range of cost-effective online marketing strategies to promote your business.

Google and Bing Profiles: Free online marketing opportunity

People search for everything on Google or Bing. So, appearing on Google and Bing is essential for any business. If your business isn’t on Google, you’re missing a big opportunity to attract free traffic.

Consider this: what do you do when you’re in an unfamiliar area and searching for a great restaurant? Chances are, you pull out your phone and Google ‘restaurants near me,’ right?

Based on search volume data, tens of thousands of people search for local businesses on Google every day. It’s often the first place potential customers look when seeking services in their area.

Here is another example:

It’s more likely that your potential clients do the same.

Whether you run a laundromat, a car dealership, or any other type of brick-and-mortar business, people are actively searching for services like yours every day on Google.

In short, if your business isn’t listed on Google, you’re missing out on all these potential customers who could easily choose your services if you invest a little time in local SEO.

Here is how you can make your business appear on Google.

List your business on Google Business Profile:

Google offers business owners the ability to list their businesses for free on Google Business Profile. These free GBP listings often appear at the top of local search results.

If you’ve ever searched for local services, you’ve likely seen local pack (local business pack) ranking at the top.

Your business can be one of them, driving more local traffic and customers. You can list your business on Google here.

List your business on Google Maps:

Another free way to market your small business online is by adding your location to Google Maps. With over 118 million people using Google Maps in the United States, it’s a powerful tool for local visibility.

When potential customers search for a local business, like a gas station, they often rely on Maps to find it.

Getting your business listed on Google Maps is simple. When you create your Google Business Profile and add a location, it automatically adds to Google Maps.

List your business on Bing Maps:

Over 32% of people use Bing in the United States. That’s a big number. So if you are missing Bing, you are missing 32% of the free customers who prefer using Bing.

The most exciting thing is that it’s pretty easy to add your business to Bing; you can follow the following steps.

1. Open BingPlaces
2. Click on New User
3. Complete your listing profile
4. Verify your listing

And you are done.

Market your local business on search engines:

One of the most powerful tools to promote your business online is search engine marketing (SEM).

Research shows that over 85% of shoppers start their buying journey by searching online, primarily using search engines like Google, Bing, Perplexity, Brave, Yahoo, and even local platforms like Baidu and Yandex.

To capture these potential customers, you have two key options:

• Search engine advertising (SEA, also known as PPC) – You pay per click to run your ads on search engines for your targeted keywords.
• Search engine optimization (SEO) – Optimize your website to rank higher organically in search results. Learn more about SEO here.
• Optimize for ChatGPT: People are now using ChatGPT for recommendations, so it’s important to create unique assets that ChatGPT can trust and present to its audience as a brand.

It’s hard to leverage these strategies on your own. You need experts to run your SEO or SEA campaigns.

Social media marketing (SMM) for local businesses:

Billions of people actively use social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, while millions engage daily on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.

These platforms are a goldmine for attracting the right customers to your local business.

Let’s explore the key platforms you must be active on. The best part? Running business profiles on these platforms is completely free, and you can also build brands with appropriate brand positioning.

Facebook

With over 3.065 billion users, Facebook is a powerhouse for local businesses.

Studies show that 9 out of 10 adults use Facebook, meaning nearly all your potential customers are on this platform. And all of them consume content. If you produce engaging content, it can be a great resource for brand awareness.

Other than running paid ads, Facebook offers three primary ways for free business engagement:

• You can create a Business Page
• You can start a ‘Group’ related to your industry
• Facebook Marketplace

Each of these methods can effectively drive traffic if managed well.

Though Facebook Ads require a budget, you can build a strong presence without spending a dime.

For instance, take the example of The Wiener’s Circle (Chicago Hot Dog Stand).

This local hot dog stand is famous not just for its food but for its quirky and aggressive banter between staff and customers.

During the pandemic, when their physical store faced closure, they launched a series of humorous Facebook Live events that involved a “drive-thru roast.”

Customers could visit and get roasted by the staff, with the interactions broadcast live on Facebook.

This campaign attracted attention, went viral, and boosted customer engagement and foot traffic once they reopened.

By leveraging their unique brand persona on Facebook, they were able to maintain interest during a challenging time and create a memorable customer experience.

YouTube

As the second-largest search engine in the world, YouTube is a game-changer for local businesses. Visual content helps build brand trust and convert viewers into customers. If you’re not leveraging YouTube, you’re missing out on a vast audience.

The best part? YouTube is free, and you can set up a business channel within a day.

You just need to create engaging content and present your business as an authoritative brand.

Instagram

Instagram is a must for any local business, and here’s why:

• Over 1 billion active users engage with photos and videos.
• It’s free to interact with your target audience.

Instagram helps you build a strong visual brand presence. If you want quick results, you can run ads, but building an organic presence costs nothing but time and effort.

Take a look at this restaurant, and how they are engaging over 116K followers on Instagram. This is inspiring for all local businesses.

Collaborate with local online influencers:

One of the most powerful online marketing strategies is collaborating with local online influencers.

Most local businesses leverage this digital marketing strategy because this is exceptionally powerful and effective.

As someone has built an audience, you not only reach their audience instantly, but you tap into someone’s established trust and credibility with their audience.

For instance, imagine you’re a car dealer in your area. By partnering with a local automotive enthusiast who has a strong following on YouTube, you can showcase your latest models through a dedicated review or test drive video.

This influencer’s genuine insights can attract potential buyers who trust their opinion.

Similarly, in the fashion industry, local fashion influencers on Instagram can help brands by modeling their latest collections.

For example, a boutique owner can send a few outfits to a local influencer known for their style. The influencer can then share posts or stories about those outfits. This will introduce their followers to your boutique and drive traffic to your store or website.

These influencers often have dedicated audiences who value their recommendations. So even a small fan following can bring you sales.

Local business directories:

Many customers still rely on local business directories to find services in their area. Platforms like Yelp, Yellow Pages, and Angie’s List serve as valuable resources for potential customers searching for businesses like yours.

Additionally, listings in these business directories often appear in search engine results. So, you can also get organic traffic from search engines.

This means optimizing your presence on these platforms can significantly enhance your online visibility and attract local customers.

Using local business directories not only helps improve your search engine ranking but also boosts your credibility. Customers are more likely to trust a business that has a presence in reputable directories.

Here are the top directories to market your local business online, helping you reach your target audience effectively:

• Google Business Profile (GMB)
• Yelp
• Yellow Pages
• Angie’s List
• Bing Places for Business
• TripAdvisor
• Foursquare
• Manta

By utilizing these directories, you can maximize your chances of being discovered by customers actively looking for local businesses.

Local communities:

Millions of individuals engage in online communities and forums regularly. While there are many local communities in your area, platforms like Quora and Reddit have gained global popularity and can be powerful marketing tools for your business.

For instance, I leverage Reddit to promote and sell products. The key to success on Reddit is sincerity; users appreciate genuine help and advice.

Reddit’s user base values authentic interaction, and when you add meaningful insights, you can build trust and attract potential customers.

However, it’s important to maintain originality in your interactions.

Redditors are known for being discerning, and any insincerity or spammy behavior can quickly ruin your reputation.

In fact, this works for all communities you join. Engaging authentically will not only help you connect with your audience but also position your business as a trusted resource within the community.

For example, a B2B local business, such as an IT service provider, can utilize these platforms to answer tech-related questions relevant to communities and forums.

By sharing valuable insights about software solutions or cybersecurity tips, they can showcase their expertise.

Additionally, they can participate in local business forums or Facebook groups to offer advice or solutions relevant to small businesses in their area.

This not only helps build their brand as an industry authority but also connects them directly with potential clients who need their services.

Create an online store/website:

Over 273 million people shop online in the USA, and this number is continually growing. If you are a small business that sells products but isn’t online, you’re potentially missing out on reaching over 230 million online shoppers.

Even if you’re not directly selling products or services, having a business website is important to build trust. With a professional website, it’s easy to convert your potential clients.

If you’re not already online with a website or e-store, it’s highly recommended to get started. Having a website isn’t expensive.

There are two ways to create a business website:

• Simple business website: Purchase a domain name, choose a hosting service, and install WordPress. This is ideal for businesses looking to provide information about their services or products.
• E-commerce Store: If you plan to sell products online, consider creating an e-store with Shopify. Shopify offers user-friendly templates and tools that allow you to set up your online store quickly and efficiently.

Investing in a business website or e-commerce store can open new avenues for customer engagement and sales.

Digital PR:

Digital PR is one of the fastest and most effective online marketing methods for local businesses. Regardless of your industry or service, if you have something newsworthy, you can leverage it to promote your business locally.

There are numerous services available that will craft a compelling press release and distribute it to relevant media outlets, blogs, and online platforms.

You can expect a decent long-term ROI from these campaigns.