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The internet is a fantastic tool for business. It allows your company to reach a global audience, so even small, family-owned Oregon operations could be shipping to far-flung parts of the world. However, it does have its downsides. When a business goes online, it can soon become a small fish in a big pond. Major global corporations reap the rewards and unless you take up a full-time position managing your websites and social media, your organization can soon vanish without a trace.
One tactic is to think globally but start locally. Below, we discuss how your business can benefit from concentrating on getting local trade from online spaces.
Work on Local SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of getting your website to the top of search engine requests. For example, if you are a sneaker store, when someone types in “Red Nike Sneakers” you have a higher chance of getting clicked on if you are at the top. Good SEO pulls you further up these search tables.
The problem is that smaller businesses can never compete online with major companies like Walmart, Target, and so forth. This is where local SEO comes into play. Driven by location services enabled on people’s devices, it puts you at the top of search results for businesses in the area. For example, when someone types in “Red Nike Sneakers” you may appear on the map as a sneaker store in the vicinity. This drives both web traffic and footfall.
Use Promotions
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Promotions have to be done carefully. Pitch them wrong and you can come across as cheap and gimmick-laden. Yet get them right, and you can increase both leads and sales. Not only this, but they can boost your brand awareness if people begin sharing the competitions and giveaways on social media.
One industry using this tactic for some time has been the iGaming sector. Bonusfinder US is a site that ranks online casinos based on security, and their range of games and services. Every week they find the best offers that online casinos have put on for local residents. These offers provide a unique proposition for casinos that are looking to increase sales in particular areas or venture into new regions.
Partner With Other Local Businesses
Oregon is full of local and big businesses that need promotion. By partnering with them in the right marketing campaigns, you can reap a wide range of benefits.
Crucially, by partnering up you get to piggyback the audience of the other company. Imagine you are a local beauty salon, which works with a cosmetics company. You then become exposed to their audience, increasing your reach.
You may even find local influencers who can help promote you. The trick is not to look for those who have vast numbers of followers, but for people who have an engaged local audience. It is better if they advertise to one hundred people that trust them and visit your store, than one million that do not interact at all.
With these tips, you should gradually become the go-to business for your niche in the local area. After this, you can start to reach out, going further afield and creating a sustainable customer base.
