10 Best Ways to Get Local Customers - [Guide]

According to Fundera, about 99% of employers operate local businesses in the U.S. Small-medium businesses in the U.S provide employment opportunities to over 58.9 million

people. About 25% of local companies in the U.S close their doors due to fewer local

customers, leading to decreased sales and declined return on investments (R.O.I.s).

The 2020 Covid-19 pandemic has hit hard local businesses in the U.S because many consumers opt for online shopping.

Research shows that over 50% of local businesses closed worldwide due to decreased sales. That's why local businesses need to employ effective strategies to get customers, increase sales, and survive during the pandemic.

A recent report highlights that over 82% of consumers say they would support local businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic by purchasing their products or services.

According to Small Biz Trends, about 5% of consumers purchased products from local

companies in 2020, which is not a good sign for local companies.

Knowing your customers is crucial for your business endeavor. When you understand your customers' needs, you can produce a better product-market fit and attract more local customers, leading to trust, increased sales, and boosted R.O.I.s.

The question now becomes: how do you get more local customers?

In today's article, we will give ten practical ways every business can bring in new local customers.

1. Customer service is #1

Customer service is essential to your local business. Not only does reliable customer service retains your existing customers, but it also attracts potential buyers, allowing for more leads, conversions, and sales.

When you provide excellent customer service, you can recoup your customer acquisition

costs and improve your business following. Remember, customer service is a top-notch

way to retain customers, encouraging them to do word-of-mouth marketing for your local business or company.

Research shows that over 73% of customers stay loyal to businesses because of the

excellent customer service. Besides, when your customers are satisfied and happy, they

will spread positivity about your band to family, friends, and coworkers. That way, you can

attract more local customers.

A recent report on customer experience states that 72% of customers share a positive

brand experience with their family members and friends when they are happier with the

customer service.

Here are a few practical ways to improve your customer service:

•  Define your local business mission

•  Develop S.M.A.R.T goals and objectives

•  Implement strategies to get feedback from your customers

•  Employ tools to respond quickly to your customers (use social media)

•  Provide education and valuable content to your customers via blogs/social media

•  Create a referral program and offer incentives to your local customers

•  Provide training to your front-line staff

2. Have a Great Offer

Everyone likes free stuff and offers. When you provide free products to consumers, they will know more about your brand, and you can show them your products' quality, leading to boosted loyalty and future customers' acquisition.

For instance, when you start a new restaurant in your local area, you want something

compelling to kick start your business. In that case, you can offer free burgers or wine to

the first 60 people who will visit your restaurant.

After eating the burger or drinking the wine, people will return to your restaurant or bar if

they found it delicious, tastier, and fresh than other restaurants in your locality. As a result,

these people will share this fantastic experience with their family members, friends, and

colleagues' in-person and on social media, allowing you to get more local customers.

Moreover, you can also create discounts and deals to attract customers to your local business. It is an excellent and cost-effective way to drive more customers to your business.

Everyone gets excited when they see a 50% discount on their favorite products or services. As a result, they won't resist purchasing your products.

3. Verify your business on Yelp & Google

Yelp is a popular online business review platform that enables local customers to connect with businesses. When you claim and verify your business on Yelp, it helps you respond to customers' reviews quickly and solve their problems.

Similarly, Yelp has over 130 million visitors every month, meaning when you update your

business information on the platform, more and more people will know about your

business. According to Marketing Charts, about 44% of Yelp users visit a local company,

business, or shop after viewing their page on the platform.

Not only is Yelp an excellent platform for local businesses, but it also streamlines searches

across Google, Yahoo, and other search engines with local business listings and reviews.

Therefore, it is crucial to verify your business on Yelp.

According to Chat Meter's research study, 46% of users use Google for local searches to

find products and services. Bear in mind that people who perform local intent searches are

more likely to purchase products, leading to increased conversion rates for local

businesses.

Because Google is the most popular search engine with over one billion active users, you

must verify and edit your local business listing in Google. Besides, Google offers "Google

My Business," a sophisticated platform for local businesses to update their info and enables

local customers to search for the information they need effectively, conveniently, and

quickly.

4. Give back to those who give you

Giving back to your community is an excellent way to support people who helped your

business. Although nonprofit organizations and volunteer groups make substantial efforts

to invest in local communities, you must also do the same to streamline your business

operations.

That way, you can promote your business and let your potential customers know about

your products or services. Besides, when you give enough to your local community, you

will use the charitable deduction on the income tax.

Therefore, it is wise to attend and support charity events in your local community to

increase your network. Not only does this helps you attract more customers, but you will

also meet other business owners and build relationships.

Here are a few ways to give back to those who give you:

•  Sponsor a sports team of young individuals

•  Decorate the town at Holidays, Christmas, Easter, etc.

•  Make arrangements for a local function or donate a delivery vehicle

•  Offer your services at a local event without charging money

•  Donate to a blood bank and food distribution companies

•  Sell tickets for a charitable event at your local area

•  Donate a portion of your business sales to a local church

5. Create Valuable Content Writing Blogs

Content marketing is a sophisticated method to know about your customers and provide them with compelling and relevant information about your products or service. The

purpose is to grow your business by streamlining your funnel and increasing your sales.

Blogging is a core component of your overall digital marketing strategy. According to Bill

Gates, content is king! It means well-produced, compelling, and engaging content makes

a positive impression on your potential customers.

Bear in mind that a minor reader today can be the best customer tomorrow. Therefore, it

is crucial to create a significant impact on your potential customers through engaging

content. According to Hubspot, about 40% of businesses in the U.S use blogs for marketing

their products and services. Local B2C companies get 88% more leads per month with

blogging.

Here are a few tips on how to create effective blogs:

Frequency Matters

The frequency of publishing articles on your local business website matters a lot.

Businesses that post 15-20 blog posts per month drive 2x more traffic than companies that

publish 4-5 blogs per month.

The Keyword Post

Choosing the right keywords is essential for your blog. Make sure you select keywords that

perfectly align with your local business, products, or services. What is the most important

keyword that you have not used yet? Take that keyword and write a compelling article

about it. Blogging is an excellent way to drive organic traffic from Google and other search

engines, meaning you should take advantage of it.

Optimize Your Posts

If you want to drive more traffic through Google, you need to optimize your blog posts. For

instance, you will have to use keywords in the titles, Meta description, content, alt-tags,

H2/H3/H4 headings to ensure search engines recognize the content and rank your articles.

Solve Problems

Analyze the most significant problems your existing customers face. Write a detailed, in-

depth, and solution-based blog post to provide your customers with practical information.

Remember, solving your local customers' problems with content retain trust and loyalty.

Earn People's Trust

According to Hubspot, about 71% of customers say that blog posts and social media

significantly affect their buying decisions. Use your blog to showcase your expertise on a

specific subject to build thought leadership. We recommend injecting your knowledge of

the business niche into your articles, leading to a clear difference between your company

and local competitors.

Focus on Call-to-Actions (C.T.A.s)

Place call-to-actions (C.T.A.s) within each blog post, particularly at the beginning, middle,

or end of the post. Make sure you create contextual C.T.A.s by hyperlinking keywords to

your products or services.

6. Loyalty Program- Reward Your Customers

Does a loyalty program work? The answer is, "Yes." Customers will continue to return to your business when you gift them for their loyalty. Your local customers will remain loyal if you offer rewarding or creative ways to garner their visits.

A satisfied customer always patron your business and serve as your brand ambassadors. After they show commitment to your loyalty program and analyze its benefits, they will spread the word and let their friends, family, and colleagues know about your business.

Here are a few examples of loyalty programs:

Hair Salon: Do your customers love professional hairstyling? If yes,

reward them with a free haircut after five visits.

Nail Salon: Offer one free nail service, such as manicure or pedicure, on

the 7th visit to your salon

Eye Clinic: Reward your local customers with 40% off sunglasses or R.X.

glasses

Skincare Clinic: 15% off on any skincare treatment on their 5th visit

Yoga Studio: Offer a free yoga session or class for every seven classes

purchased

Tips for Winning your Local Customers' Loyalty:

• Make sure your marketing materials are visible in your store or establishment.

• Install or place some posters and tent card in high traffic areas of your store

• Set up a blog or newsletters to communicate with your loyal customers

• Highlight new products and special offers in the newsletter

• Use social media networking sites, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to boost engagement

• Make sure you include a link to your website on Twitter, Google+, Facebook, etc.

• Change up your rewards to let your local customers know about seasonal products

• Keep an eye on customers likes, comments, and shares on social media

7. Promote on Social Media

Social media tactics from a marketing perspective can help extend your marketing reach, increase brand awareness in your locality, drive more traffic to your website, and personalize your customer service.

Having a sophisticated social media strategy can make a huge difference, leading to your

business's marketing success. Remember, your plan will evolve and change according to

the circumstances as you learn what works best for your local business.

Here's how to create a good social media strategy:

1.  Conduct your research

2.  Define your goals and metrics

3.  Develop a strategic message and method

4.  Focus on budget and proper training/policies

5.  Learn how social media tools work

6.  Always respond professionally even if you receive negative comments

7.  Always stay authentic, consistent, and transparent in your communication

8.  Create a content posting schedule to streamline your marketing efforts

9.  Create high-quality content and remain consistent with your brand message on all social networking platforms

10.  Avoid spamming and refrain from blatant business promotions and product selling

11.  Avoid reacting emotionally to negative comments about your local business or products

8. Go Mobile with a Mobile App

According to Statista, over 4.28 billion people use smartphones to browse the internet and look for small businesses in local areas. It means around 90% of people worldwide use mobile devices to use the internet.

If you want to avoid losing your business impact on local customers, consider creating a mobile application. It is an excellent way to engage customers with your brand, leading to

increased retention and widen market reach.

Make sure you provide a personalized experience to your customers through your mobile app. With a smartphone app for your local business, you can engage your customers in real-time, leading to stronger relationships with your customers.

For instance, you can remind your customers about your products or service through push

notifications. Besides, easy access to your products or services is an excellent way to

improve customer loyalty and retention rates. It also helps you make connections with

potential customers.

A mobile app is a reliable and cost-effective way to offer your customers rewards through

your loyalty program. Many research studies have proven the efficacy of this promotional

strategy, especially when a local business offer coupons or cash-back to customers who use

mobile apps for a long time.

9. Create an Email List

Proper email list creation and management are essential for your overall digital marketing success. When you build digital relationships with local customers through email marketing, you can grow lists to reach more local customers, achieve marketing goals, and improve program participation. The purpose is to boost customer satisfaction.

Here's how to create a good Email Marketing strategy:

1.  Establish clear goals and objectives for list growth

2.  Follow opt-in and opt-out rules and best practices

3.  Add new local customers, especially those who want to hear from you

4.  Keep it short and avoid self-promotional content

5.  Link to your website when sending emails to local customers

6.  Grab customers' attention with great subject lines

7.  Keep content timely and relevant

8.  Make it easy for your customers to subscribe and unsubscribe

9.  Only ask for an email address from your local customers

10.  Place a "Subscribe" Box on your business website's homepage

10. Attract Local Influencers

Local influencers play a crucial role in promoting your brand awareness on social media because they have many followers and use innovative ways to increase engagement cost-

effectively. Not only can local influencers create fresh content, but they can also reinforce customers' loyalty. In short, by having an influencer promote your business, you already gain that person's followers trust.

Local influencers who use social media can persuade or encourage their followers to

support your business. Their influence on social media stems from establishing positive

relationships with their followers, demonstrating knowledge about a specific product/service, and creating authority.

Here are a few tips for finding local influencers:

•  Find people you will follow online

•  Review and prioritize your list

•  Research your influencers

•  Make the most of the investment

•  Give them valuable content

•  Manage expectations and disregard surprises

•  Always follow up to streamline your marketing strategy

*Bonus* 11. Local SEO

Search engine optimization is a long-term investment with stable ROIs. Local SEO is a cost-effective method to land your local business in organic search results and beat your

competitors to rank higher on Google and other search engines.

Local SEO is an essential part of your overall digital marketing strategy, allowing you to

increase Google traffic based on map placement for geographic keywords. Get immediate

visibility by verifying your business on Yelp, Bing Local, Google+ local, and Yahoo local.

Do it yourself local SEO tips:

•  Add and update business content

•  Build manual citations every month based on competitor analysis

•  Email your local customers and request them for reviews

•  Keep an eye on social media pages to monitor negative content

•  Launch mobile-optimized and responsive websites

•  Incorporate relatable keywords in your website

Final Words

Local businesses play a crucial role in strengthening the local economy, creating more jobs, lowering taxes, reducing environmental impact, and improving the overall business

climate. But in many areas with high competition like in Brooklyn, New York, many small business owners may struggle to attract local customers at first.

Having the right guide and tips to follow can greatly impact your future businesses success.

Therefore, it is essential to focus on the most innovative and practical tips and tricks given

above to attract more local customers, increase engagement, and boost overall ROIs.

If needed, you can also hire a digital marketing agency like us, who helps small business owners like you improve their digital presence, and most of all achieve their business goals.

You may also schedule a free 15 minute consultation here to learn more about our digital marketing services and how we can help you attract more local customers.