It’s not easy to run a business, especially when it feels like the best digital marketing ideas are already used by big brands. As a local business, you have a major advantage over big companies, but it’s up to you to leverage it.
In the 1980s, Wendy’s capitalized on the fact that they served fresh, never frozen, beef. They ran a major marketing campaign with the slogan, “Where’s the beef?” This helped them stand out as a fast food chain that was different from the competition.
As a local business, you have a similar opportunity to use digital marketing to your advantage. You can show local customers why they should choose your business over big chains. Here are some of the best digital marketing ideas to help you get started.
1. Get local press coverage
Getting coverage from local press can be a great way to get your business in front of a new audience.
Local press is often looking for stories about businesses in the area, so don’t be afraid to reach out to them. You can send them a press release about a new product or service you’re offering, or you can even offer to write a guest post for their website.
When you get coverage from local press, be sure to share the article on your website and social media profiles. This will help you get even more exposure for your business.
2. Get into local search directories
The next step to improving your local SEO is to get listed in as many local search directories as possible. This will help you increase your visibility and get more leads.
The most popular local search directories include Google My Business, Yelp, Bing Places, and Yahoo Local. But there are many more you can get your business into.
To find local search directories, simply do a Google search for your city and the keyword “directory.” You’ll find a list of directories where you can get your business listed.
3. Create location specific web pages
If you have multiple store locations, it’s a good idea to create location-specific web pages.
This way, you can optimize each page with the location’s name, address, phone number, business hours and other relevant information.
You can also include details about the team members who work at each location and highlight any special promotions or events that are happening there.
This will help you rank in local search results for each location and provide potential customers with the information they need to visit your store.
4. Add your business to Google Maps
Google Maps is one of the most powerful tools for local businesses, but far too many business owners overlook it. If you haven’t already, be sure to add your business to Google Maps.
Google Maps is a great way to get your business in front of local customers. When people search for businesses in their area, they will see a list of businesses on the map. If your business is listed, it will show up on the map.
In addition to adding your business to Google Maps, be sure to keep your information up to date. This includes your business name, address, phone number, website, hours of operation, and more.
5. Get into local social media
Social media is the perfect place to engage with your local customers. Many people looking for local businesses will look on social media, and you want your business to be one of the first they see.
Create social media profiles on the platforms where your customers spend the most time. At a minimum, you should have a profile on Facebook and Instagram. If you’re a B2B business, then LinkedIn is the way to go.
Make sure your profiles are complete and up-to-date with your business name, address, phone number and website. Then, post regularly to keep your profiles fresh and engage with your followers.
You can also use social media to run targeted local ads. This is a great way to reach new customers in your area and drive traffic to your website or store.
6. Create a local page
One of the most important things you can do for your business is to claim your Google My Business listing. You should also create a local page for your business on all of the most popular business directories.
This will help you to get your business found by people who are looking for products or services like yours. It will also help you to get found by people who are looking for a business like yours in their area.
Make sure that your local page is complete and up-to-date. Include your business name, address, phone number, website, hours of operation, and a description of your business. Include photos and videos of your business, products, and services.
7. Start a blog
Blogging is an excellent way to improve your website’s SEO and to provide potential customers with helpful information.
You can write about anything that’s relevant to your business and that your target audience would be interested in. For example, if you own a fitness studio, you could write blog posts about healthy recipes, workout tips, and more.
Be sure to include relevant keywords in your blog posts to improve your chances of ranking in search engines. You can use a free tool like Ubersuggest to find keywords that are relevant to your business and that have a high search volume. Once that’s done, you can also use a local rank tracking tool to monitor your rankings across multiple locations, measure progress, and spot areas for improvement.
8. Get customer reviews
Customer reviews are another way to show, not tell, potential customers what your business is all about. Reviews are a great way to build trust with potential customers and can even help you rank higher in local search results.
Encourage your customers to leave reviews on your Google My Business profile, Yelp, Facebook and other relevant review sites. You can also add a review section to your website. Just be sure to monitor your reviews and respond to them in a timely manner.
9. Create local offers
Who doesn’t love a great deal? Creating local offers is a fantastic way to drive business to your store and increase traffic to your website.
You can create local offers and promote them through your Google My Business listing. This is a great way to connect with potential customers who are already searching for your products and services.
You can also promote your local offers on social media and through other digital marketing channels. Be sure to include a call-to-action in your offer, such as “Learn More” or “Get Offer.”
This will encourage potential customers to visit your website and learn more about your business.
10. Run a contest
Contests are a great way to engage with your audience and get them to take a specific action. For example, you could run a contest where people have to like, share, and comment on your Facebook post in order to be entered into a drawing to win a prize.
Contests are a great way to increase your social media following and get more exposure for your business. Just be sure to check the rules and regulations for running contests on the platform you choose.
11. Use Facebook ads to target local customers
Facebook has a huge amount of data on its users, including where they live, what they like to do, and what they like to buy. This data can be used to create highly targeted ads that are only shown to people who are likely to be interested in your business, including users who have searched for topics like Sharetribe alternatives or similar solutions.
For example, if you have a restaurant in a certain neighborhood, you could create a Facebook ad campaign that targets people who live in that neighborhood and who have shown an interest in eating out.
This can be a great way to get your business in front of local customers who may not have heard of you before. And because you can set your budget and target audience, you can make sure you get a good return on your investment.
12. Launch a referral program to turn locals into advocates
One digital marketing idea many local businesses overlook is referral marketing. Your existing customers already know, trust, and use your business—and their recommendations carry far more weight than ads.
By encouraging happy customers to refer friends, family, or colleagues, you can tap into word-of-mouth growth that feels authentic and local. Referral programs work especially well for local businesses because people are more likely to recommend places they personally visit and enjoy.
Tools like ReferralCandy make it easy to set up and manage referral programs by automatically tracking referrals and rewarding customers when they bring in new business. Whether you offer discounts, store credit, or special perks, referrals help you acquire new customers while strengthening loyalty with existing ones.
For local businesses competing with big brands, referral marketing is a cost-effective way to grow using trust, relationships, and community—your biggest advantages.
Conclusion
We hope you found these digital marketing ideas helpful. If you’d like to learn more about how our platform can help you build a strategy, check out our digital marketing software.
