How To Get More Value From Your Local Social Media Marketing

Local social media strategy works. I’ve used Yelp three times this week to figure out where to eat and once to find a shop that sells cake decorating supplies. Meanwhile on Facebook, my knees went weak when an image of Ruby Snap’s latest cookie populated my feed. I wanted to jump in my car right then! Click the link...you’ll understand.

Local businesses represent the creativity and entrepreneurship that have fueled our economy for generations. Sadly, they struggle to market effectively in the shadow of giant corporations. Yet they have a secret weapon that national brands lack; the opportunity to connect with the community at a grass-roots level. If you own a local business, social media campaigns can take advantage of this opportunity.

In this post you’ll learn to extend your social media out of the matrix and into the real world.

ADVANTAGES OF LOCAL MARKETING

Bricks-and-mortar businesses depend on feet walking through the door, that much is obvious. But, there are several other reasons to use social media in your local marketing.

Local businesses rely on the good-will of their community. This means there is an inherent social component to their success, which is also why many people prefer to spend money with a local company — it is personal. Local marketing does more than bring feet in the door; it helps establish you as part of the community. Messaging that incorporates the community as well as your business will be more successful. Think of location as part of your niche.

Beyond community, local marketing builds individual relationships. Ongoing interaction with your customers, including sharing their stories, solidifies your place in their lives. It’s not enough to be a name on a billboard anymore, positive relationships drive ongoing loyalty.

While the benefits of social media marketing are typically associated with leads, it helps grow your business in other ways as well. Local chatter provides insight to your local market’s values and needs. It’s an opportunity to meet their needs even better, from tweaking customer service, to developing new products. Listen intently to your community and they will tell you how to grow your business. This holds true in both the digital world and in person.

One of the most time-consuming parts of social media is the curation of good material to share. Luckily, incorporating a local angle in your social media expands your content stream, including events, culture, and news. This is all around you every day. Step outside your doors and tune in. The content is there. 

FINDING LOCAL CUSTOMERS

Most social platforms have a search function you can use to find users, but using these effectively is the trick. Some allow you to search for activity by location, which gives you a clue as to which accounts are active there. For example, when Ruby Snap found and followed me, I promptly followed back. Every time they post a picture on Facebook I remember how good they are.

Others, like Facebook, allow you to advertise to users in a specific geographical area. Each platform is different. Here I’ll lay out the different methods you can use to track down accounts in your area.

Search by profile or hashtag - Again this is dependent on which outlet you’re using. On Pinterest, you are able to search by Pinner, Pins, or Board. On Instagram you have the option to search by Top, People, Tags, and Places. Twitter gives you a bunch of advanced options when using a desktop, including location, name, and hashtag. Facebook also has powerful search capabilities that allow you to search a place name for Top, Latest, People, Photos, and Videos. Be sure to click “see all results” after entering the place name to view these options.

Search for posts by place - Searching by place reveals a stream of posts using either with the area name or that have been geotagged in that area. This can be overwhelming and is often full of random content so I use it to fill in gaps, but prefer to focus on other search methods. This search works better when combined with a subject key work. Here is an example, “Salt Lake City + hiking.” This cuts out random adolescents talking about English class and who kissed whom. Once you have a manageable list, note which account are highly engaged in that topic. These are potential connections.

Connect with other local businesses - Local businesses need to support one another in the quest to rise above national marketing budgets. One way to do this is by combining voices. In some places a deliberate effort is launched through chambers or other associations. If this isn’t available, you can still do your best to promote each other informally. Toss your efforts in first and see what happens. Sometimes it takes one voice to get the others moving.

Finding other businesses online is a targeted search, although you may run across them during your other searches by chance. If you have a list to work from, such as from the Chamber of Commerce, visit each business’s website and look for a collection social links, usually found in the margins or on the contact page. This is faster than trying to search each social media outlet for that business.

Help them find you - The best connection is the one that reaches out to you because they are showing an active interest. That said, most social users are inherently lazy and only connect if you make it easy. Display social links wherever you communicate digitally, including on your website and in your email signature. Additionally, list social accounts on print ads and on office signage. Local customers enjoy connection - make it easy.

In this post I’ve shared why local social media connections are vital to a bricks-and-mortar business beyond delivering leads and how to find those connections. In future posts I’ll inspire with content ideas that build trust and relationships. Stay tuned.

Never let them forget how good you are. 

This post originally appeared on my site: ActiveExplorerMedia.com