How to Promote a Local Business

Local businesses depend on customers who live, work, or spend time nearby. We explain how to attract an audience in your area.

Why it's necessary: People trust bloggers from their own city because they often know them personally or through friends. For local businesses, such advertising is an opportunity to expand their audience and attract not only clients from their own area but also those who are nearby periodically.

What to do: Search for local bloggers on social networks, including event hosts, actors, athletes, models. Local celebrities may agree to a barter: your products or services in exchange for advertising.

What to pay attention to: Don't focus solely on the number of followers — audience engagement is more important. Before collaborating, ask for profile statistics or simply assess the number of likes and comments on the blogger's page.

Suggest that the blogger include a promo code for a discount for their followers in their post. This way, you can earn the loyalty of new clients and assess the effectiveness of local promotion.

Why it's necessary: People look for places and professionals closer to their home or work. One of the main tools for this is online maps.

What to do: Create a company profile on the Google website. Fill in all the fields: name, address, business hours, contacts, links to the website and social networks, price list, and photographs.

What to pay attention to: Don’t forget to update the information on all maps if there are changes in business hours or the phone number for inquiries.

Why it's necessary: Online advertising helps stand out among competitors and attract the attention of customers who live or work nearby.

What to do: Launch targeted advertising in social networks and contextual ads.

Targeted advertising in social networks: This method of promotion allows you to show ads to users who meet specific criteria. You can also choose geography and display schedule to attract residents of the desired area during your working hours.

What to pay attention to: For setting up targeted advertising in social networks or ads, it's preferable to have relevant experience, or even better, to use an advertising agency. This is because you will need to analyze the results of campaigns and change settings to use the budget as effectively as possible.

Why it's necessary: Coupon websites are platforms where businesses post promotional codes, and people look for discounted services. Users can sort offers not only by categories and prices but also by location. For local businesses, this is a simple way to spread the word about their promotions and attract more customers.

What to pay attention to: Describe the conditions of the promotion in detail: who can participate, and if there are any restrictions. For example, if you are offering a discount on hair coloring, specify for which hair length it is valid. This will help avoid problems with customers and the coupon website.

Why it's necessary: Many people attend workshops, garage sales, and fairs. A significant portion of them are residents of the area where the event is held. If they like your products or services, these people can become your potential clients.

What to do: Join local chats and public groups — announcements about such events are often posted there. Or organize an event yourself. For example, a makeup artist can conduct a masterclass on evening makeup, and a bakery can host a tasting or a home-baked goods fair.

What to pay attention to: Prepare business cards or flyers with your address and contact details, so interested people can reach out to you again.

Why it's necessary: To increase sales and attract people who might be interested in your product.

What to do: Find a business with a similar target audience. If you sell flowers, a potential partner could be a confectionery in the same shopping center as your workshop. If you do makeup, a hairdresser from across the street. Think about how to combine your products and services. For example, you could create baskets with flowers and pastries for holidays or offer brides a complete look before their wedding. You can also exchange business cards and place them at the entrance.

What to pay attention to: Where possible, choose a professional or organization so that your businesses complement each other rather than compete. For example, a bride needs both a makeup artist and a hairdresser – it’s convenient for her to receive all services at once. And a person looking for a gift might save by choosing just the pastries instead of a combined basket with flowers.