If you run a local business and it is heavily focused on generating customers locally, then paying attention to social media for local business is a must. And while it is true that a number of social media tools offer any business the opportunity to connect with the global market, they also appear to be an effective medium for driving digital marketing for local business. This is especially true when it is utilized in a targeted fashion. Look, if your customers and prospects are using social media tools, then it just stands to reason that if you can find ways to meet them where and when they choose to interact, you will most likely get more chances to be their go-to provider.
Social CRM
social media for local business
If you have a list of local customers that contains email addresses, then your first local, social play is to update those records with public social media data. As you can see, this local marketing strategy is a great way to measure how active your customers are, discover some of the most active and influential for referral purposes, and learn much more about what makes them tick – all great ways to learn how to become even more important to them.
Start a Group
In case you did not know, most social networks allow you to start groups. Smart local businesses should look for ways to create a local group around a topic that is not about their business, but related somehow. A camera shop could start a local photography hobby group. An insurance salesperson could start a local small business networking group. A chiropractor could run a local group focused on people who want to learn more about wellness and alternative health practices. The key is to create a group that can build, network and share based on a common interest and not to set up something that is blatantly about promoting your business.
Social Landing
On final way to enhance social media for local business is to build landing pages that are specific to a social network. In other words, create a
social media for local business
Facebook page, LinkedIn page, Google+ page and Twitter page on your own website and link to them from your profile on the respective network. The key here is to make this your “local” social media page, and make sure that there is a connection to both the platform and your local presence. The power behind this tactic is two-fold. First, you enhance the connection to the social network – if someone visits your LinkedIn profile and clicks on your website link, they are taken to your LinkedIn landing page first. This personalization can help create engagement.
