5 essential tips for multi-location marketers to reach local consumers

In today’s digital age, consumers rely heavily on search engines, social media, and local directories to gather information about local businesses. As a result, purchase decisions have become more complex. However, the common thread in most decision-making processes, whether it’s choosing where to have lunch or finding a reliable plumber, is that consumers begin their journey online.

To secure your business’s share in the local market, it’s crucial to connect with consumers online. Developing a robust digital marketing strategy for each of your business locations is not only beneficial but essential. Here are five valuable tips to kick-start or enhance your local digital marketing strategy, tailored specifically for marketing managers and directors purchasing advertising for national brands:

1. Claim and Update Your Business Listings

Maintaining accurate and up-to-date business information is the most crucial step in improving your digital presence. Your business listings often appear as the first search results when consumers are looking for products or services. Consumers expect these listings to provide current details about your hours, address, and contact information. Failing to do so can result in losing potential customers.

Since most search engines and directories allow anyone to create or edit a listing, it’s important to claim your listings to prevent unauthorized changes and ensure your information remains current. This task can be daunting for multi-location businesses. If you’re just getting started, try Yext’s business scan, which is a free tool to see how your business listings appear on different search engines and directories, or work with one of Yelp’s Knowledge Partners for more hands-on support. Prioritize the largest and most relevant channels by referring to a list of directories.

2. Harness the Power of Local SEO

While search engine optimization (SEO) may seem complex and challenging to control, it is too important to ignore. The good news is, if you’ve claimed and updated your listings, you’re already on the right track. Establishing a presence on trusted review sites and directories can drive a significant amount of traffic to your business. To further enhance discoverability online, consider these additional steps:

Utilize social media: Although merely being present on social media may not directly impact search rankings, it can support your overall SEO efforts. Sharing relevant content with your audience on social platforms can increase traffic to your website through sharing, generating backlinks and brand mentions. Additionally, social profiles rank well in search results, ensuring your online visibility.
Encourage online discussions: Aim to create positive buzz about your business online and encourage others to link back to your website. Set up Google Alerts to receive notifications whenever your brand is mentioned online. If you come across a mention without a link, contact the publisher and kindly request them to include a backlink, which establishes search engine credibility for your site. Seek earned media opportunities and leverage event marketing or sponsorship by ensuring their websites link to your business.

3. Optimize for Mobile Users

According to eMarketer, over 90% of smartphone users will conduct searches on their mobile devices this year. Smartphones have transformed how people search for local businesses and the kind of results they expect. Consequently, search engines now prioritize mobile-friendly websites in their search results.

Apart from being critical for local SEO performance, research shows that having a mobile-friendly or responsive web design can significantly impact your business. As the percentage of local searches conducted on mobile continues to rise, now is the ideal time to ensure your website is mobile-friendly. To get started, use Google’s mobile-friendly tool to assess your site. Consider the following key areas:

Enhance user experience: Design your website with mobile users in mind. Prioritize the most common information and tasks customers are likely to perform, ensuring easy access without excessive scrolling. Display less important information through menus or lower on the page.
Keep content concise: With smaller screens, optimize your content by keeping it brief and to the point. Avoid large blocks of text, which can be difficult to read on mobile devices.
Maximize convenience: Cater to on-the-go mobile users by implementing click-to-call links, eliminating the need for them to leave their browser to make a call. Simplify forms, including only necessary fields, and pre-fill information whenever possible. Minimize taps required for consumers to navigate your site.

4. Localize Your Digital Content

To maximize effectiveness, it’s crucial to ensure that your content is locally targeted, even for national and regional businesses that typically adopt a one-size-fits-all approach. Delivering localized experiences that meet consumers’ expectations, regardless of your business’s size, is key. Consider the following strategies:

Location-specific landing pages: Create mobile-friendly landing pages for each location, especially if your hours, services, or inventory vary.
Tailor website content: Make your website content or location landing pages as relevant as possible to your target consumers. Incorporate location-specific terms, feature local storefront photos or the store manager’s picture. Link to review sites or provide additional location-specific information.
Leverage social media: Depending on the number and locations of your businesses, consider creating or claiming local business pages on social media platforms. This enables you to share location-specific content, announce changes in hours, new products or services, special promotions, and more, without overwhelming all of your followers.

5. Proactively Manage Reviews

Reviews play a crucial role in a consumer’s decision-making process when searching for local businesses. Ignoring reviews, whether positive or negative, can have detrimental effects on your business. Follow these best practices to incorporate reviews into your digital marketing strategy:

Monitor reviews: Enable notifications on review sites and set up Google alerts to stay informed whenever your business is mentioned online.
Respond to every review: Responding to reviews showcases your commitment to customer service, setting clear expectations for potential customers. It publicly demonstrates your care for customers’ opinions. If this is a daunting task for your larger business, set up a decentralized review response strategy where regional directors or location managers respond to reviews.
Leverage reviews: Utilize positive reviews to build trust with potential customers. Highlight them on your website, social media, and other marketing materials. Additionally, cross-promote links between your website, social media, and third-party review sites to increase online visibility and encourage consumers to explore all your platforms.

Since your next customer could come from anywhere, make your brand easily discoverable on various digital channels consumers use. Simultaneously, localize your content to drive brand awareness, engagement, and sales for each of your locations. Remember, achieving significant results takes time, but focusing on small steps every day can make a significant impact over time.