It’s not easy marketing a local business in 2016. We live in a hyper-competitive environment. Petrol stations sell groceries, and grocery stores sell petrol.
For many local businesses, there is competition on every side. Specialty stores have been run out of town by supermarkets and big box stores. Many other small local businesses are being crushed by big online players. It’s tough out there.
Marketing has also changed. We exist in this new digital, mobile-driven environment. Prospects can now research purchases and service providers like never before. I can have an idea, Google it and get an answer — all in moments.
With all of this change and with all of this competition, it’s not surprising that many of those responsible for the marketing of small businesses have lost sight of basic marketing principles. We have forgotten that offline is still important. There is so much we can do offline to drive prospects to digital storefronts.
In this article, I will take a look at how the real world connects with the new digital marketing environment, and how local businesses can embrace this to get a drop on the competition.
The situation
Local businesses serve local customers — real people that exist in a given geography. Individuals with wants and needs are all around you.
One of the biggest steps you can make in your marketing journey is to realize that most people don’t even know you exist and start to address that.
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