Running a small business serving a local customer base is rarely easy, but 2020 has seriously upped the ante.
Fortunately, both new and growing companies have been able to take advantage of online marketing to connect with their communities. And that includes leveraging all the advertising opportunities available to maximize your reach.
A local PPC campaign can help you attract the right customers to your business, whether you’re still welcoming in-person visits or taking online orders only. And here are some simple tips for building better campaigns.
Use sitelinks to highlight key services
A sitelink will take users directly to a specific area of your site, saving them the time and potential frustration of finding it themselves. Including sitelinks in your PPC ads is a simple way to add relevance and reveal some of the pages prospects can expect to see if they click through.
For example, you could include a sitelink to a page featuring information on your holiday delivery dates or a food collection service. When used wisely, sitelinks can add to an ad’s appeal and help motivate prospects to click through.
Embrace local events or language
Boost your ads’ relevance to local customers and show that you’re part of their community by referencing recognizable events or terms.
For example, if you run a bookshop and your city holds a literature festival each year, you can make an obvious link to promote your business. Mention discounts, store-wide sales, even author signings — there’s lots you can try to grab customers’ attention.
You can also add local slang to headlines and extensions to highlight your locality, but only when appropriate!
Localize each landing page connected to your ads
Every PPC ad you run should direct prospects to a dedicated landing page. Localize these to reflect the branch/venue/set in the area targeted.
So, this could include:
- listings of local awards you may have won or been nominated for
- links to positive coverage in the local press
- images or videos of your local team at work
- local contact details, phone numbers, and business hours
In short: make it easy for customers to trust you and find you.
Experiment with different advertising channels
Don’t just stick to advertising on Google Ads if your budget allows you to branch out a little.
Try running ads on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or even TikTok (which has become a huge marketing platform for many brands in 2020). Images and videos are crucial for engaging audiences on social media, though, so take the time to create quality content. It doesn’t have to look like a Hollywood movie, but it does need to be exciting enough to stand out from your competitors’ ads.
Follow these tips to help your business reach local customers online. If you’re new to the prospect of PPC and online marketing in general, or you want to improve your current strategy, our Orange County digital marketing specialists are here to help! Get in touch now to find out what we can do to boost your local business’s visibility!
