How to generate leads for your local business

Looking for creative ways to turn locals into leads? Discover 10 of the best ideas in our expert guide.

Most businesses start with a product or service. It's this initial brainwave that puts the wheels in motion. But those wheels won't turn without a host of other processes in place.

It's one of the things that can discourage businesses in their early days. That initial excitement quickly gets lost in a sea of admin.

That admin, of course, is essential. Take lead generation. You could have the best idea in the world, but no one will care if you don't catch their interest.

Companies with national or international reach typically have large marketing departments with correspondingly large budgets. But if you're a local business trying to generate leads, how do you go about it?

Well, it's not easy. Agencies like us exist to do the donkey work so you don't have to. But it's not confidential information. We've no interest in hiding our methods beneath reams of sales jargon.

That's why we've put together this guide to generating leads for your local business. We hope it helps your brand to grow.

1. Local SEO

You sell shoes in Cwmbran. If you type "cwmbran shoes", does your website come up? No? Then you need to up your local SEO game.

There's more to it than that, of course. But the general point is that you need to rise to the top of the search results if you want those valuable clicks.

2. Email marketing

When people criticise email marketing, they're actually criticising bad email marketing. Done well, it can be a concise, creative way of selling your products or services.

Consistency is key. Consumers are like teenagers – you need to tell them something more than once for it to sink in. Emails let you hammer home your branding with a hammer wrapped in velvet.

Of course, to reach those local customers you need to know who they are. This means gathering their data – with their permission, of course.

One way is to ask at the point of sale. If you run a local shop, for instance, you could ask customers for their email addresses in exchange for a one-time offer.

3. Referral marketing

In the early days, it's often the case that leads don't ripple outwards. In other words, you may pin down a customer, and they may even mention you to a friend. But it can often feel like you're proceeding one customer at a time.

This is where referrals can reap dividends. It's where you encourage customers to recommend your business to their friends and family in exchange for a discount, BOGOF or other perk.

4. Social media

Ah, social media: the friend and foe of every local business (and not just local businesses!)

Social media is indispensable, but it often feels like the goalposts are constantly shifting. Keeping across it all takes time and energy.

The big picture, however, is largely constant. You can post content that situates you in the local area. You can interact with customers, whether they're giving you good or bad feedback. And you can strategically target ads to give your brand more reach.

5. Blogging

Many small businesses post regular blog posts on their website. This is a way of driving traffic to the site.

A whisky distillery in Cumbria might post articles about the whisky-making process, taste notes, pairings and so on. But they could also post articles about local walks, local attractions, local food and drink – the list goes on.

The same goes for content like games, quizzes and guides. All can be a way of getting locals onto your site.

6. Video marketing

Video content helps familiarise people with your brand, whether it's footage of your products, behind-the-scenes interviews or location shots.

It's never been easier to create cheap and cheerful videos on your smartphone. But if you want to take it up a notch, you may want to work with a video production and animation company that can deliver the professional touch. This can help you stand out on platforms that are saturated with video content.

7. Landing pages

Landing pages are standalone web pages that encourage visitors to take a specific action. This is a key way to generate leads and begin to convert those leads into customers.

Your landing page could be there to sell a particular product, link to a newsletter or download a document. It could be linked from a marketing email, an online ad, or, indeed, anywhere else online.

8. Pay-per-click advertising

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is a model of online advertising. Your ad appears on search engines, social media or websites. In exchange, you pay a fee for each click on your link.

PPC alone probably won't give you the leads you want – but as part of a package of local digital marketing strategies, it will certainly help.

9. Working with influencers

At the time of writing, YouTube has more than 2.5 billion monthly users. TikTok's usership is in the billions, too. These platforms are full of influencers using their personal brands to shift other people's products.

If you run an attraction, you could give influencers free entry in exchange for coverage. If you have a product range, you could give them samples to review.

This can be a great way to boost your signal in a crowded market. However, you need to be confident that the benefits run both ways. The alternative is to give away freebies and make little or nothing back.

10. Work with a digital marketing agency

Digital marketing is like renovating your house. Chances are you have the intelligence to master all the skills required to do it yourself. But do you have the time?

If you're finding that your lead generation is losing steam under the weight of other tasks, why not work with My Digital Hero? We help a wide range of local businesses widen their client base and boost their revenue.

So, if you're thinking about outsourcing lead generation, don't hesitate to contact us and learn more about our flexible, competitively priced services.