While they may not be familiar with the term hyperlocal marketing, successful local businesses have learned it is essential to their continued prosperity.
Hyperlocal suggests serving a narrowly defined niche – one that is largely defined by proximity.
However, location is just one piece of the hyperlocal marketing puzzle.
This weekend I worked with local retailers from across the United States – many from small communities that do not appear on most maps.
Yet, despite the current economic conditions their retail businesses are doing quite well.
These are the 3 reasons why.
#1 – Understand Your Customer
Just because a business is local does not mean it understands the local community. For example, national chains may have brick and mortar locations in our communities, but their staff has limited historical experience with its members.
This creates opportunities for local businesses that have that information – what many refer to as local knowledge.
Golfers use the term local knowledge quite frequently, because they know how valuable it can be.
A member of a local golf club understands how greens respond to a put, how the prevailing winds will shape a shot, and how all of these factors subtly affect the game on a particular day.
True local businesses have local knowledge – they understand the subtle nuances that affect the buying behaviors of their customers.
Local knowledge can be the difference between a sale or a prospect walking out the door – possibly forever.
#2 – Care About Your Customer
Customers quickly gravitate towards businesses that they perceive care about them. And the easiest way to create that perception is to put the customer first.
Caring about your customer is placing their needs ahead of yours, something that is counter to traditional selling.
Creating a favorable buying environment is essential for communicating that you care about your customer. It acknowledges the simple fact that you understand them.
Thus, successful hyperlocal marketing is a sequential process.
It starts with understanding your customer, and then caring enough about them to help solve their problems.
#3 – Provide Relevant Hyperlocal Solutions
Traditional marketing focuses on the needs and wants of customers. What drives needs and wants are problems.
Nobody likes to admit they have problems, but the truth is we all do. We may not be getting quality sleep because we need a better mattress. Or we may not entertain as much as we would like because we are embarrassed about our outdoor environment.
Call it what you wish, just recognize that the needs and wants of your future customers are the result of real or perceived problems.
Problems require solutions, and businesses that can effectively and appropriately respond to them will earn the business.
Your local business is ideally positioned to do exactly that. It’s the crux of hyperlocal marketing.
How do you accomplish this – with content marketing that provides relevant solutions for your local community.
It’s one thing to be local. It’s another to be important to just a few people – your local community.
That’s what your hyperlocal content marketing is all about.
Content marketing is what drives your social media marketing.
How is your business capitalizing on hyperlocal – with or without content marketing?
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Until next time, Jeff
