To start a local marketing business, you should:
- Conduct effective local market research.
- Decide on your local marketing niche.
- Create a local marketing business plan.
- Setup legal and financial for your local marketing business.
- Build a professional local marketing website.
- Pick the best channel to connect with your ideal local client.
- Use local SEO tactics to rank your local marketing business website.
- Attend local events and be active in your community
You can start a local marketing business if you can find a niche or subfield to monetize. But you need to show to business owners how you can build brand awareness, drive sales and increase revenue. So connect with markets that don't have a ton of competition but have a high potential for profitability. Identify a viable market and have a strategy to target the right people. For example, Who is your ideal client? How can you help serve them?
This article will show you the eight steps of how to start local marketing business. Also, it features five long-term strategy to promote your local marketing business. You can also learn why ranking high organically is better for your business. Additionally, this article listed three insider tips to achieve success in your local marketing business. At the end, we will introduce you the best online business you can try in 2024.
How To Start A Local Marketing Business? (8 Ultimate Steps)
1. Conduct Effective Local Market Research
To do effective local market research, gather and analyze data about the local market, competitors, and target audience. This helps you make informed marketing decisions and spot opportunities. According to Business Insider, 72% of small businesses prioritize increasing revenue. Market research gives key insights into competitors, target customers, and market opportunities. By analyzing competitors, you can find their strengths and weaknesses. Then, you can position your offerings to stand out. You must understand the target audience. This includes their demographics, preferences, and behaviors. It allows you to tailor marketing to engage well with potential customers.
Local market research also helps identify unmet needs and emerging trends. It uncovers opportunities for innovative products or services that give a competitive edge. Staying informed about competitors' strategies enables businesses to adapt and stay competitive. In addition, local market research informs marketing decisions. It ensures businesses choose the best channels, messages, and tactics.
2. Decide on Your Local Marketing Niche
Deciding on your local marketing niche is identifying a specific market segment to focus your marketing efforts on. It ensures your business can stand out and effectively meet the needs of that particular group. By focusing on a specific market segment, you can effectively differentiate your business and stand out in a crowded industry. Key benefits include less competition. You face fewer competitors from generalist businesses. Also, it helps you build a reputation as an expert and so increase credibility. Also, targeting a niche allows for more efficient marketing. This leads to higher conversion rates and better returns on investment.
For example, Dan Koe says in his video "The Most Profitable Niche is You (Create Your Niche of One)" that you should pick a niche that matches your interests and expertise. This applies to local marketing businesses. Select a niche, like local restaurants, real estate agents, or small retail businesses. Your genuine interest and excitement will turn into real and effective marketing efforts. This alignment sustains your motivation. It also builds trust and credibility with clients. This leads to long-term success. Koe’s advice is to find a niche that is both personally meaningful and profitable. It ensures your passion drives your business forward.
3. Create a Local Marketing Business Plan
Creating a local marketing business plan is making a detailed roadmap. It outlines your business goals. It covers market analysis, competition, marketing, operations, and finances. The plan guides your business toward success. According to Burke, Fraser, and Greene (2010), businesses with plans grow 30 percent faster. This is compared to those without plans. Upton, Teal, and Felan (2001) found the same. They found that 71 percent of fast-growing companies have business plans. These are companies with over 92 percent sales growth. They typically include budgets, sales goals, and documented marketing and sales strategies. They show that a well-crafted plan is crucial for fast growth and long-term success.
To make a local marketing business plan, start by defining your business objectives, mission, and values. Also, define the products or services you offer. Conduct a market analysis to understand local industry dynamics, competitors, and target customers. Perform a competitive analysis to identify competitors’ strengths and weaknesses. Segment your target customers to tailor your marketing efforts effectively. Develop a marketing strategy outlining your tactics and required assets. Plan logistics and operations for efficient execution. Prepare a cash flow projection to manage finances. Regularly review and update your plan to adapt to changes. For example, if targeting local restaurants, detail how you’ll attract clients. You'll also explain how you'll manage campaigns and ensure financial stability.
4. Setup Legal and Financial for Your Local Marketing Business
You must set up the legal and financial parts of your local marketing business. This means creating the right legal structure. It also means getting needed licenses and permits. And, it means making a solid financial plan to ensure compliance and growth. This involves choosing a legal structure, such as a sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, or corporation. Each structure has its own implications for personal liability, taxes, and paperwork. For example, an LLC has limited liability. It also has pass-through taxation. This makes it a popular choice for small businesses. Register your business with your state, get necessary licenses and permits, and get a tax ID number. Proper legal setup ensures your business complies with rules. It also protects you from liability.
Financial planning is equally important for managing cash flow and achieving long-term growth. Start by estimating sales through forecasting. Plan for expenses and do a break-even analysis. This will help determine pricing and sales targets. According to Small Business Trends, 80% of small businesses fail because of poor financial planning. This includes bad budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting. It shows the critical need for sound finance in business success. Prepare financial statements. These include income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements. You use them to monitor your business’s financial health.
5. Build a Professional Local Marketing Website
To make a professional local marketing website, you need to create a well-designed online presence. It should be informative and SEO-optimized. It will showcase your services, establish credibility, and attract local clients. This website is the hub for your marketing. It provides a platform to showcase your services, build credibility, and attract clients. According to RioSEO, local reviews sway 63% of customers' purchase decisions. This shows the need to include reviews and testimonials on your site. Also, Fit Small Business reports that 62% of customers ignore businesses without a website. This underscores the need for a professional website to show that you are credible and legitimate to your audience.
To make a professional local marketing website, start by designing a user-friendly layout. It should also look good. The layout should reflect your brand. Include essential information about your services, target areas, and marketing strategies. Highlight customer reviews. Also, show testimonials and case studies. This will build trust and show your expertise. Make sure your website is optimized for local SEO. Do this by adding relevant keywords and location-specific content. Update your website often. Add new content, like blog posts or industry news. This will keep it engaging and boost search rankings. For example, if you offer marketing services to local restaurants, your website should show the campaigns you've run. It should have reviews from restaurant owners. And, it should have content tailored to the needs of the restaurant industry.
6. Pick the Best Channel To Connect With Your Ideal Local client
The best channel connects with your ideal client. It uses the most effective platforms and strategies. They reach and engage your local audience.. In this step, you identify the best platforms and strategies. They will help you reach and engage your target audience. Choosing the right channels ensures targeted reach. It saves time and resources and optimizes your budget. This leads to higher conversion rates and better ROI. For example, using Facebook to target local restaurant owners. This ensures your marketing is focused. It puts them on a platform where your audience is most active and engaged.
Pick the best channel by defining your ideal client. Consider their interests, needs, demographics, and online behavior. Study the platforms they use most and the content they engage with. Assess different local marketing channels. These include social media (e.g., Facebook, Instagram), email, content, local SEO, and local online directories (e.g., Google My Business). Test different channels. Measure their effectiveness using engagement and conversion rates. Adjust your strategy based on the data. For instance, if you target local retailers, you might find that it's Instagram and Google My Business gives the best results. They let you refine your efforts and maximize impact.
7. Use Local SEO Tactics To Rank Your Local Marketing Business Website
You must use local SEO tactics to rank your local marketing business website. Doing so is vital. It increases visibility, attracts targeted traffic, and builds a strong local presence. Backlinko says 86% of people find local businesses through maps. This underscores the importance of local SEO. Optimize your website for local search results. This will ensure that your business appears prominently. It will happen when potential customers search for services in your area. It will drive more website traffic and enhance brand exposure.
To do local SEO well, start by improving your Google My Business profile. Use accurate information, high-quality images, and regular updates. Use local keywords in your website content, meta descriptions, and tags. This will boost your search engine rankings. Encourage happy customers to leave good reviews. Engage with them promptly. This will build trust and credibility. Additionally, ensure your website is mobile-friendly and optimized for voice search to capture users on the go. For example, if your target market is local restaurants, use keywords like "restaurant marketing in [City]." Tailor your content to address the needs and challenges of local restaurant owners. This will improve your chances of getting relevant traffic and turning leads into clients.
8. Attend Local Events and Be Active in Your Community
Attending local events and being active in your community allows you to build relationships. It also helps you to increase visibility and establish your business as a trusted part of the local area. By joining local events, you can show your products. You can also give out promotional materials and talk to potential customers. This will increase how many people see you. You will network with other business owners and community leaders at these events. This can lead to valuable partnerships, collaborations, and referrals. It will further boost your business.
To make the most of local events, start by identifying key ones. These include Chamber of Commerce meetings, charity events, street fairs, and industry seminars. Bring promotional materials like business cards and brochures to distribute. Be friendly. Ask questions and listen to attendees. Provide them with valuable info about your services. Follow up with new contacts after events to nurture relationships and explore opportunities.
For example, if you attend a local Chamber of Commerce meeting, use it to connect with fellow business owners. Discuss potential collaborations. And, position your marketing services as vital for their growth. Consistently taking part in local events will help you build recognition and credibility for your business.
5 Long-Term Strategy To Promote Your Local Marketing Business
1. Employ Social Media Marketing Strategies
Employ social media marketing to connect with your target audience. For example, you can create a Facebook Business Page, post regularly on Instagram, or start a YouTube channel. The goal is to share valuable content and build a following. Promote engagement and increase brand awareness to drive traffic to your website or funnel.
2. Leverage Email Marketing Campaigns
Email marketing is an ideal way to promote an offer or share tips with local business owners on how to get more online traffic. The secret is to lead with value. Offer a free service (like a site audit) to build trust and create social proof.
3. Use Local SEO Methods To Get More Organic Traffic
Use local SEO and optimize your website and GMB with relevant backlinks, high-quality content, and fast load speeds to get online traffic. SEO drives 1,000%+ more traffic than organic social media. And if you can get your website to the top of the SERPs. Then you demonstrate that you're an expert.
4. Invest In Paid Advertising
You can invest in paid ads with platforms like a Google ad campaign, Facebook ads, banner ads, or press releases. But pay attention to your metrics to ensure you're getting the best possible ROAS.
5. Network & Make Local Connections
Network and be active in your community to make connections and generate referrals. For example, you can be involved in local business groups and BNIs. You can opt to volunteer or sponsor a sports team. Or offer to be a guest speaker at a local event, etc.
Of course, you need to figure out where your potential clients spend time online. You can find out where your best customers spend their time by checking out their websites. Are they active on Instagram or LinkedIn? What's their preferred method of contact? You can also look at local Facebook groups, charities, and local organizations to see if they are sponsors or active on those channels.
Another option is to connect with your local BNI or Chamber Of Commerce Chapter to network and make local connections. Once you determine who your best clients are and where they spend their time online, you need to consider things like:
- Does the client have a specific goal?
- Will you be able to deliver?
Focus on a strategy that works and converts for your niche. Don't do local business marketing for the sake of marketing. Instead, learn as much as possible about your niche so your effort counts.
Then develop an offer that's easy to sell. (Your offer forms the core of every service you do as a local marketer). Customers buy when they feel understood, so get experience, have tangible results, and do good work.
You can start a marketing business with no money by finding investors or partnering with other marketing agencies. You can also build a solid social media presence for free. Another option is to build rank and rent websites. The premise of the business model is simple.
First, build a generic website in your ideal niche and rank it at the top of Google. Then, when your site starts producing leads, you sell them to a local contractor for money. Then not only do you lead with value. But you can show local business owners that you're worth your salt and know how to leverage the search engines to drive online traffic and get them more leads.
Why Ranking High Organically Is A Better Long-Term Strategy for Local Marketing Business?
Ranking high organically is a better long-term strategy for local marketing business because that's where you'll get the most traffic and the highest quality leads. You can leverage a few local marketing ideas to drive organic traffic to your website and your clients. But organic traffic is free. And when you're at the top of the SERPs results in high-quality leads. This means more leads, sales, and revenue for your small business owner.
How To Dominate Your Niche As A Local Marketing Business Owner?
To dominate your niche as a local marketing business owner, you need to get hyper-local. Target each area you serve as an independent entity. A relevant search influences 39% of purchasers. So if you want to get noticed in your local market, you need influence and a solid online presence. A few ways to dominate your niche include the following:
You need to test and experiment with a couple of different strategies to see what works well and what doesn't. Reverse engineer the process. Take the time to make sure your customer understands your product or service. Know what they want and how you can meet that demand. Consider things like:
- What's your goal?
- Where do your clients consume their content online?
- How can you set yourself apart from the competition?
"81% of consumers need to trust a brand to consider buying." (Harvard Business Review)
Be relevant with your keyword and local SEO strategies. The goal is to develop a recognizable brand. Then you will be viewed as an authority. Be active on the right online channels and share personalized and unique content that educates, entertains, or solves a problem.
How To Do Local Marketing?
The best way to do local marketing is to utilize omnichannel marketing techniques, including on and offline strategies. Local marketing is about targeting local customers in a specific area. Your goal is to promote engagement with your target audience.
That can be through your website, social media platforms, networking, or community events. But, of course, the fastest way to broaden your reach and get in front of a ton of eyeballs is on the internet. So you need to employ online marketing ideas. Start with a mobile-friendly website. One that's easy to navigate and effortless to book an appointment. 61% of all Google searches happen on a mobile device.
Get local testimonials and reviews. (81% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses). Then leverage local SEO tactics like:
Be where your customers are looking and offer something that makes you rise above the noise. For example, create an email campaign and offer a deal or discount/promotion for existing customers. Or design a referral program to attract new clients. Again, the more you know about your ideal small business target market, the better you can position yourself in the channels that count.
An example of local marketing would be launching a social media advertising campaign on Google or Facebook. Paid ads will get you noticed by Google. But you pay for them. So you need to develop a keyword strategy that produces the best results for the lowest CPC and puts you at the top for the right local keyword searches.
The fastest way to get noticed on Google search is with an optimized and up-to-date Google Business Profile.
"More than 50% of GBP interactions result in a visit to your website." (The Media Captain)
To fully optimize your GBP incorporate the following:
NAP: Your name, address, and phone number are how people find you in a Google local search query. Google likes consistency, so be sure that wherever your business is listed online, your NAP is the same (and correct).
Links & signals: This is how you build relevance and show Google you're an authority in the market.
Reviews: Google hosts 73% of all online business reviews, and 63% of customers read them before visiting a business location. So make sure you get as many 5-star reviews for your Google My Business profile as possible to build trust and present as a credible and authoritative agency.
Q&As: This section allows you to drop a pin in specific locations in Google Maps, which can help you rank faster and get you noticed by Google and a local audience.
Images: High-quality pictures are a way to showcase yourself and your brand. Images in GBP have increased revenue per visitor by 17%.
You should also add your site to Google Search Console, Google Analytics, and Google Maps.
Where Is The Best Place To Advertise Your Local Marketing Business?
The best place to advertise your local marketing business is where your potential customer spends their time. Are they active online? Are they a member of a group or association? You can also leverage local online marketing channels like community Facebook groups, local Chamber of Commerce, or LinkedIn.
In addition, platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter don't cost anything. So create a channel or a business page and build the number of followers you connect with. Then provoke conversation and build trust with your ideal business owner. Finally, you can contact your local media and pay for advertising or offer to do an article.
Of course, getting your website to the top of Google search engine and generating local traffic is the ultimate way to win as an agency. (SEO leads have a 14.6% close rate. Not to mention that 4.3 billion people use Google). You can advertise locally for free on sites like Craigslist and Locanto.
Or list your local marketing services in online directories. Email and SMS marketing are also free and a chance to engage with a business owner on a more personal level. Lead generation is another way to advertise for free. And it's the best way to generate organic traffic.
Lead gen is a proven concept. And what we teach over 7000 students in our lead gen coaching program. Of course, free traffic takes time to build. But once your sites produce, you hold the ticket to a passive income.
3 Insider Tips To Succeed Local Marketing Business
To sell yourself as a marketer, business owners need to perceive you as an expert. First, decide on your niche and then dial down. Find a sub-niche that you are skilled at or have a ton of information and experience with. You want to set your small business marketing services apart from what's already on offer.
But you need to build trust. You have to show local area business owners why you're the ideal fit to get them the best ROIs. That's why starting a lead generation company is the best tool to lead with value and generate high-quality leads for potential clients. When your lead generation website sits at the top of Google, you're producing the best leads on the internet in your niche.
Now, if the business owner you're doing a specific marketing tactic for is in the second spot, they're getting all the best local area leads. Even better is that you're getting organic traffic. So your client can't fire you for ad campaigns that don't produce.
(If they fire you when you get them to the top, you can take your leads and sell them to the competition). You have a skill that is in high demand and can make a ton of money if you find the right niche in the right city. The type of marketing that is most profitable is any business that provides a product or service that people are actively searching for online.
Of course, certain markets will procure higher ROIs with digital marketing tactics like fashion, law, food, and the auto industry. But if you can find a gap in the market and have the skills to increase revenue for local contractors. You can make money with a local marketing business in 2024.
Types of businesses that benefit from local marketing are businesses with a physical presence in a local area that offer a product or service like, a restaurant, clothing boutique, or home appliance store. Traditionally these types of business owners relied on word of mouth and referrals.
But in a digital world, retaining a digital marketing agency or local marketing business has become increasingly vital to extend their reach and attract more customers. The goal is to get in front of as many people as possible. But you need to generate interest (and leads) from a specific market audience.
Local businesses get clients by being front and center where their ideal consumer is looking. For example, Are they active on a particular social media platform? Do they prefer ads in the local paper? A few ways to get more clients for a local business include things like:
The more people know about the business. The better the customer experience. The more clients local companies will get. So develop a small business marketing strategy to drive traffic to their store or website. And your services will be in constant demand.
Local marketing is more important than ever because business owners need to stand out if they want to stay in business. With the aftermath of COVID, supply chain issues, and a looming recession, people are reevaluating how they spend their money, and there's less disposable income.
As a result, business owners need to invest in a number of strategies to stay relevant and broaden their reach. Connect with existing customers and generate a stream of new leads. So as a local marketing business, you need to devise a plan to leverage as many avenues as possible to secure leads that convert for your clientele.
Of course, you can invest in paid ads like James Bonadies, and Jason McKim teach in their Local Marketing Vault training program. But they, too, were once students of Dan Klein, so they know the value of organic traffic. And the biggest issue with paid traffic (aside from the price tag) is that it's a gamble.
You can't predict how successful your campaign will be. Or how much your total ad cost will set you back to get the results you want. But to create a business marketing strategy, you need a mix of traffic channels like:
- Content marketing
- Videos & reels
- Social media posts
Yes, you can leverage paid ads. But you need to complement those efforts with other forms of marketing if you want to produce quality leads at scale for your customers.
Why Local Lead Generation Is The Best Online Business In 2024?
Local lead generation is the best online business model in 2024. Lead gen is a learned skill set. There's not a level of competition like other online business models. Not to mention that natural barriers like location and population minimize market saturation.
Once you have the skills to build and rank websites that reach the top of Google, you have a ticket to a passive income. You can make as many lead gen sites as you want. And you can build more than one at a time to scale fast. Take this site below, for example. I created this site in about 10-15 hours for a total cost of around $500.
Then it took me 6 months to get to the top. But this site has been making me $2000/month for over 7 years. (It's only one of over 80 I own). The local lead gen model has no ceiling on the income potential. You own the site, the tracking number, and the leads, so you own valuable digital real estate. And that's the best way to make money online in 2024.
You can start a local marketing business and make money if you can build trust and prove that you're worth your salt. First, take the time to find your ideal niche and the best clients. Then learn as much as you can about their industry.
Create social proof and make connections. Then consider adding lead generation skills as your secret marketing tactic to lead with value and over-deliver. But if you can build a reputation as an expert in your local area. You will get a steady stream of clients and be successful as a local marketer.
