Book Sales in Kilpauk

13 Affordable Local Marketing Ideas for Small Businesses

Establishing an efficient marketing budget is sometimes a challenge for a small business, which usually cannot allocate considerable funds in promotion. This doesn’t mean, however, that small local companies have to rely on the word of mouth.

Here’s a selection of the most effective local online marketing ideas tailored specifically for the needs of small businesses.

1) Written contributions

With their unique experience in the field, company owners can easily become thought leaders on a local scale by contributing articles to local publications or becoming guest authors in printed and digital resources. Beginner guides are a great way to start!

2) Online forums

The web is full of forums about every possible industry. As a company owner, your voice can offer some truly valuable information – use this opportunity to provide your insights or share some solutions that worked for you. But avoid pitching your business or spamming the forum with company advertisements.

3) Free listings

Have a look at the online local business directories and make sure to set free listings for your company. When doing that, remember to write them in a consistent manner and ensure that every listing includes a unique business description – this will be of great help to your SEO.

4) Video sharing

Videos are great for promoting your product or service – various studies have demonstrated their importance in boosting conversion rates. Make a video tutorial, introduce your company or record your customers’ opinions about your business. Upload the videos on YouTube, as well as other video-sharing and slide-sharing sites.

5) Facebook ads

Social media offer an inexpensive but highly efficient promotion opportunities – one of them is Facebook Ads, a promotional service that is already targeted to a certain audience. It’s still cheaper than Google AdWords, and can be vital for your marketing purposes.

6) Online reviews

Nowadays, bloggers rule the digital scene and a lot of people consider their opinion valuable. Reach out to bloggers who might find your product or service relevant and ask them to review it. Don’t persuade them to pitch your product, and always be prepared for the risk of negative feedback.

7) Networking

Precisely because your business is local, you can benefit from networking on industry meetings in your area. Contact professionals in the same line of work and let them know that you’re available to take care of possible work overloads.

8) Local listings on Google, Bing and Yahoo

Make sure to claim and verify the local listings of your business on Google Places, Bing Local and Yahoo Local. In case you change your location, always remember to update your listings.

9) Niche social media

Mainstream social media attracts a lot of people, but niche platforms offer an already targeted audience. Have a look around to see whether there are any groups or forums related to your industry – if you find one, mark your presence on it.

10) Start a blog

There’s no better way to make your voice heard than to blog. Offer industry insights and helpful advice – make use of SEO to ensure your blog’s high search rank on Google.

11) Pay with a tweet

If you’ve got unique resources available on your website, you can easily turn them into an efficient promotional material.

12) Ask for referrals

As a business owner, it’s your responsibility to spread the word about your company. Don’t shy away from asking for referrals – you can ask your clients or even casual acquaintances. If you do it right, you might end up with some interesting leads to follow.