Reaching your local audience is essential for a thriving business. Growing your online presence can help boost your local visibility and cultivate more customers. Whether you offer services or have a brick-and-mortar store, your local community can be a great resource. Here are three achievable ways to increase your local visibility.

Step 1: Establish Your Local Brand Online

Claiming your local business listings through online directories can quickly help locals find your business. If you haven’t already, create a Google My Business page and claim ownership. Having this online presence can help you rank higher in local searches and generate more traffic. Your business page should contain all the important information and be up to date with contact details, address, opening times, and a website link. 

Create a distinctive brand and image that customers can follow. Your brand should be cohesive and unique while grabbing potential and existing customers’ attention. Your website should also include links to any social media accounts. Having your website mobile-friendly is necessary as well. Most consumers are constantly on their cell phones and often check business websites on their phones. It can be incredibly frustrating when a website doesn’t work properly on a phone. 

To increase your visibility in your local market, it’s important to incorporate SEO tactics that are proven to work in your area. Optimizing your website will reach your target audience with more ease. On your website, including a page based on local services could also be beneficial. Some areas have local directories or specific websites for neighborhoods; adding your business to these resources can guide locals to your business. 

Step 2: Take Advantage of Social Media

Social media has become the forefront for most marketing efforts. Social media also aligns with establishing your brand online. Most social media platforms are an excellent strategy for interacting with local customers. It’s becoming more common for people to reach out to businesses via their social media accounts. Social media can help your business increase its local visibility by establishing a more personal connection with your customers and community via localized hashtags, location tags, and groups. 

Running campaigns through platforms such as Instagram and Facebook has proven to be very effective in reaching target audiences. It’s a great way to promote your brand and can be very cost-effective. Having the right social media account is important too, and some platforms might not be a right fit for some businesses. Whatever platform is best for your business, having an active account is necessary. With dormant accounts, it can deter potential customers. 

Step 3: Encourage Reviews and Get Personal With Your Customers

Ask local customers to share any feedback and to leave reviews online. Positive online reviews are fundamental to an online presence that locals can track.  92% of B2B buyers are more likely to purchase after reading a trusted review from sites like Yelp and Google (Learn Hub).

You can promote any local events through your website or social media accounts to increase reach. A referral program can also be helpful for local customers. Offering a discount for existing customers if they recommend your business to family members or friends can increase your customer base and local visibility. 

Increasing Local Visibility With Digital Mules

Knowing how to perform these tasks is one thing, but it can be overwhelming to execute these tactics independently. With Digital Mules, we offer a wide range of marketing tools to fit any business or industry. 

We have the best web designers to help with your website, social media management to create valuable content, and graphic designers to curate any design needs. Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help increase your local visibility.