Is the word “world” in the World Wide Web preventing local companies from capitalizing on digital marketing solutions? Small businesses, like security dealers, hope to attract a local consumer group and may exclude online platforms in favor of promotional campaigns they feel focus on closer markets.
There are numerous ways to aim Internet advertising materials at local audiences. If a small business wants to post marketing content on a digital channel, here are four things to keep in mind to make sure neighborhood customers will come across them:
1. Your competitors are going digital
More small businesses turn to digital advertising options every day. Adweek reported on findings from the Borell Associates that said online advertising should grow by 42 percent from 2014 to 2015 – digital increased by 40 percent the previous year.
The Borell Associates report goes on to state new digital campaigns are taking the place of traditional local advertising options. Small businesses rush to invest in online marketing materials because most of their consumers do their product research on the Internet – and many shoppers use mobile devices to do it. Other influencers guiding companies toward digital advertising spending include the simplicity in designing materials and improved audience targeting technology.
2. Better targeting technology is available
Ad Week specifically mentioned programmatic buying as an innovation that allows businesses to carefully allocate their marketing resources for local audiences. Online platforms that feature programmatically bought ad spaces allow companies to make bids on publishing rights based on age of audience, price range and where consumers are located.
There are other new technologies which make online ads perfect for local advertisers. Marketing Land suggested more mobile users with GPS capabilities allow companies to practice hyperlocal advertising. A business can distribute promotional content to phone and tablet users based on their location. If a consumer searches for a particular product or service, a hyperlocal search engine will display the closest results with the most relevant online materials first.
Social media is a cost-efficient way to explore digital marketing capabilities.3. Social media speed promotes local events
Some platforms allow small business owners to target marketing materials very easily. When buying ads on Facebook and Twitter, companies can select the geographical range they want the advertising content broadcasted within and use very specific regional metrics for success.
If a small business wants to explore digital advertising without spending too many resources, Forbes suggested using social media sites to build communities out of customers and business partners. Free public platforms allow security dealers to advertise upcoming local events and share news about changing alarm billing procedures or new products to invested parties.
4. Associate your brand with local stories
The Content Marketing Institute described the process of associating your brand with a developing story or popular trend on social media as newsjacking. Many famous corporations use national sporting events, major films and global politics to share their marketing content.
Local companies can do this on a smaller scale. Security dealers can appeal to local families by sharing information about high school football games or school programs on social media. Employees can monitor local news for information that applies to the company’s products or services and add comments from their personal pages to promote company offerings. If multiple workers do share materials, a centralized security business software solution allows managers to track every marketing tool and see if social media or other digital strategies are consistently meeting expectations.