Despite this being the age of globalization, enterprises continue to stress the importance of localized marketing. For many years, local searches have been part of the Google search engine. Among the recent trends, the “Neighborhood Vibe” feature in Google Maps depicts the vibes in any local neighborhood with uploaded photos from its users.
As an integral part of digital marketing, localized marketing enables marketing teams to:
- Launch localized marketing campaigns in a selected market or region
- Deploy native content based on the local market demands
- Launch globalized campaigns that also cater to local customers
As consumer markets continue to grow, brands are adopting both localization and globalization. In effect, localized marketing is not simply about localizing digital content for the local market. It’s also about how brands can communicate their message to a local customer base – all within a global strategy.
In this blog, let’s talk about how enterprises can leverage digital channels to connect with their local customers.
How Companies Can Connect with Local Customers Through Digital Channels
Why is localized marketing important? Here are some interesting statistics about how consumers use digital channels to locate local businesses:
- 92% of them rely on word-of-mouth referrals from friends
- 98% rely on online reviews posted for local businesses
- 21% perform online searches for local businesses daily.
Here are 5 ways in which companies can connect with local customers using digital marketing channels:
1. Geotargeting
Using digital advertising and campaigns, companies can now target a consumer base in a particular geographical location. This is referred to as geotargeting. As these consumers live (or work) close to the point of sale or brand outlet, they are more likely to visit the location. Besides optimizing marketing budgets, geotargeting also leads to a better in-store customer experience.
Companies perform geotargeting through local (or social) ads delivered through:
- Social media platforms like Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, etc.
- Search engines like Google
- Programmatic displays like Xandr
- GPS map tools like Waze
- Websites with location-based displays
2. Localized SEO
Localized SEO is another popular mode of improving business visibility on search engines. Based on one (or more) search keywords, brands can list themselves for local searches through their website content. For instance, locality-based keywords like “Indian restaurants in San Francisco” or “hospitals near me.”
Consider this; “near me” searches grew 150% in 2021, while 72% of users that perform a local search are likely to visit a local store within 5 miles. Free tools like Google Business Profile enable local brands to get listed on Google along with valuable information such as the company’s address, contact numbers, website link, and working hours.
3. Local Marketing
Be it local or global, companies can fall short when marketing to a local audience or customer base. Effectively, product branding must incorporate local tastes and culture. This includes factors such as their demographics, spoken language, local culture, and their aspirations.
Brands can hire a local team of marketing experts who have lived and experienced the local culture. Every country or region also has dissimilarities and hence cannot be treated as a single unit. For instance, the United States has varying demographics and accents, while India has over 120 local languages. Hence, brands must localize their marketing campaigns according to the local cultural flavors.
4. Performance Tracking
Localized marketing is a continuous process and not a one-time activity. It requires brands to measure the impact of their local marketing campaigns – and think of innovative ways of connecting with local customers.
Brands can track their performance by speaking directly to potential customers. Here are some of the effective ways:
- Requesting customers’ immediate feedback after a product purchase or brand interaction
- Through online polls posted on social media pages
- Exploring what customers think of the latest marketing campaign
5. Content Marketing
Content marketing is also effective for increasing local web traffic and generating leads for local businesses. Within the realm of content marketing, a local email marketing strategy enables local businesses to build a healthy sales pipeline through:
- Online subscriptions and newsletters
- Special discount coupons, promotional offers, and local event invites
- Marketing activities that encourage more foot traffic to their local store or business location
Besides this, social media marketing is also effective for connecting with local customers. Some innovative ideas include:
- Tagging the location in each social media post
- Using local hashtags in Facebook and Instagram posts
- Sharing online conversations on local events
- Integrating local customs and festivals in social media posts
Conclusion
In a globalized economy, localized marketing continues to drive business value for companies leveraging digital marketing channels. In addition to the innovative methods outlined in this article, companies can also deploy tools like point-of-sale marketing and Digital-Out-of-Home (DOOH) advertising to reach their prospective customers.
At Aroscop, we enable companies to leverage the power of data science and programmatic advertising to improve their marketing campaigns. Our smart solutions allow brands to fold in a range of considerations, including locational data and geotargeting options to make intelligent decisions. This can help improve your local marketing strategy over the available digital channels.
Looking for the right partner to deliver a customer-centric marketing solution? Let us help. Contact us today!
