Despite global economic recovery moving steadily these past few months, many local businesses are still going through a rough patch and have been struggling to regain their bearings. And while many believe that consumer confidence and spending are also improving with the future offering an optimistic outlook, there’s no guarantee that all small businesses and enterprises will be able to hold out until the Covid-19 pandemic smoke clears out for them to stand firm once again.
Luckily enough, given the current circumstances and conditions surrounding the market, local businesses might be able to leverage their position and come out better than expected with the help of modern marketing strategies to boost their overall performance and work efficiency. And so, to lay down the roadmap and give local businesses a general overview on how they should approach marketing in the new normal, we’ll be going over the various facets available to them and their associated advantages.
Table of Contents
Content-Driven Approach Toward Digital Marketing
Nowadays, with nearly every business across all industries advertising their products and services online, pursuing a digital marketing strategy has become a non-negotiable in the new normal. However, instead of taking the standard and obvious route of setting up a website and simply providing contact details, one way of setting yourself apart from your competitors is through a content-driven approach that values providing substance and information over simple gimmicks.
Establish Your Social Media Presence:
When creating video, blogs, and any related content for your local business, there’s no better place to advertise and consolidate them other than on social media. And with the growing popularity of Facebook for business and many other platforms like TikTok, you will find all the tools necessary for creating your brand and building a following in a span of a few clicks.
Low Cost & High Returns:
Although there are ways of investing and allocating a larger budget for content-driven digital marketing strategies, we strongly recommend that local businesses utilize a low-cost and high returns mindset. You see, a lot of the content you can offer can be done by yourself, and while you could hire professional services, it’s best to start your brand message with your own hands.
Think Local And Target Your Audience Better
There’s no denying the sheer impact of e-commerce and online stores on the business world, but let’s not forget that we’re talking within the context of a local business, and that means going digital shouldn’t be your only channel for marketing. With easing restrictions and people craving to go outside, you’ll want to capitalize on the fact that more people from your locale will be itching to get out and wanting to distance themselves from any screen use as much as possible.
Don’t Underestimate Traditional Marketing:
We’re big fans of businesses making digital transformations, but we’re also not ones to underestimate the effectiveness of traditional marketing. Physical adverts can still convert locals into paying customers, and with a well-placed billboard ad or custom signage, you can bet that you’ll catch the eye and interest of everyone who passes by. Just don’t forget that these also come with extra maintenance expenses.
Remarket To Previous Clients And Get Referrals:
With the world opening up bit by bit, now’s your best chance to reconnect and remarket to previous clients you haven’t heard from for quite some time due to the pandemic. And even if there’s no guarantee you can get them back as clients, we recommend that you get referrals through them because people will trust connections more than advertising could ever achieve.
Consider B2B Marketing To Expand Your Reach
Last but not least, we suggest that local businesses try to get in touch with other businesses within their industry to consider the opportunity of B2B marketing. There’s only so much one firm can do alone. The barrier to entry becomes even more challenging when we put it into the context of a local company that doesn’t have the same financial strength as a larger corporation. B2B marketing will let you connect with other firms and create partnerships to expand your reach.
Long-Term Scalability:
We understand that the novelty behind a local business is its uniqueness to the location, but given the increasing efforts of competition, we firmly believe that even smaller companies should consider long-term scalability. B2B marketing lets you tap into a larger market and helps you reach more customers in the process, maximizing revenue and minimizing the costs.
Small Local Businesses Need To Adapt
Overall, given the creativity and ingenuity driving every new startup as of late, it’s time that existing local businesses also learn to adapt and be flexible with the new normal. And because putting down a large amount of capital for big changes isn’t much of an option just yet, rethinking your marketing efforts is the best you can do right now to turn things around.
