How to be effective in local marketing

The modern business world is complex and multifaceted. Alongside major international markets and large-scale marketing, local markets have not lost their relevance, and there are more possibilities and ways to approach them than ever.

Operating at local scales addresses two needs that are felt with intensity in today’s societies. One of them is the importance of sustainability. In fact, conventional home delivery of parcels has the drawback of producing large amounts of CO2, and the more remote the parcel’s point of origin, the greater the amount. This is one of the reasons why non-home deliveries have grown so much in popularity.

The other is human contact. In an increasingly technological and automated world, opportunities to foster relationships between people and personalized service are more relevant than ever.

In this article, we will explore some of the fundamental ideas for businesses in local commerce.

This expression, like the synonymous term “neighborhood marketing,” refers to the strategies used by businesses to boost sales in their immediate physical location.

For many small and medium-sized businesses, this is the most relevant type of marketing. It is as old as commerce itself: after all, a shop’s exterior signage is itself a form of local marketing. Current technological resources, meanwhile, open up new possibilities.

These are basic strategies you should know to promote your store in the local market.

It is impossible to overstate the importance for modern businesses of profiling their target audience, which is the first step in defining their strategy and approach. This is an ongoing process, which may involve analyzing customer history, statistics, surveys, etc. Geographic profiling is one of the important data points to analyze.

It is essential that the company can be found in applications such as Google Maps. A useful tip is to always keep the name, address, and phone number consistent: discrepancies between these data will harm the company’s position in search engines. Another important piece of information to provide may be the opening hours.

This point is similar to the previous one. The company should make sure it has a profile in review platforms. Customer opinions and ratings are one of the most important forms of marketing today. See in our other article for some tips on how to develop a strategy regarding reviews.

A very substantial part of current traffic, and of product searches in particular, takes place through mobile devices, to which the company’s virtual space must be fully adapted. A large proportion of searches for a product or store result in a visit to the store on the same day or the next day.

Embedding the company’s virtual site solidly in the physical location can include all kinds of references, starting with the name, address, and phone number. The same applies to the company’s presence on social media. Look for opportunities to include locally relevant references.

Of course, there are more resources beyond new technologies, and being more traditional does not necessarily mean being less effective. A physical poster or advertisement can do a lot, even more so if it is inviting and creatively made. The same goes for flyers or discount coupons handed out on the street. Opportunities for the company to show itself and engage in local life include sponsorships and local newspapers.

All customers like to feel that they are valued and that their trust and loyalty are rewarded. Loyalty programs that include discounts or other privileges are mutually beneficial. For the company, they represent a way to cultivate a regular set of customers and sales. For the customer, they offer favorable conditions for making their usual purchases. From a human point of view, they can strengthen relationships, helping make the company part of the public’s life.

One target not to lose sight of is the physical presence of people in the store. Making your store a parcel pickup point for InPost leads potential customers to get to know the space and the products, and gives existing customers one more reason to spend more time in the store. In the simple interest of saving time and consolidating tasks, there will be an additional reason to make more purchases with you. In addition to everything else, you will benefit from a commercial partnership with one of the most reputable European companies in the sector.

Joining is a simple process. Learn more about how to turn your store into a Ponto Pack and about how to install a Locker, and take the first step today to become part of our vast network in Portugal and increase your sales by up to 20%.