Online Marketing for Small Town Businesses
Local marketing targets an audience based in the same town or region as your business. It is geared toward people who are within a certain radius of your physical location-generally based on a reasonable driving distance — who might realistically purchase your product or service at any time.
Mobile Responsive Websites:
Your business website must be mobile-friendly if you are marketing to people in small towns or rural areas. Search engines such as Google are cracking down on mobile responsiveness. The search engine results of websites that are not optimized for mobile devices like cell phones, tablets, and iPads will be lower than those that are mobile-friendly. If customers cannot access your business website online, they cannot learn about it. Mobile responsiveness is important for your business.
Online directories:
When you are marketing in less populated areas, registering with online directories like Google+, Yelp, and Yellow Pages is important. In some towns, people may not travel by your business every day, and may not even notice that a new business has opened until weeks or even months later. Registering your business with online directories makes it easier for potential customers who are looking for your type of business on Google or Yelp to find you.
Online directories are not only great for reaching local customers, but they will also help you reach those driving through your area. Opening a business near a transit route may draw in customers passing through.
Advertising online:
AdWords or Facebook advertising may be beneficial to marketing in a small town. Using Facebook Advertising, you can target your ad’s audience based on demographics or a geographic area. Ads can be run on desktops and mobile devices. Alternatively, you can target ads to people like specific Facebook pages, such as local Chambers of Commerce or farmers, by profession.
A small business using Google AdWords can get found on local geographic searches more often than other businesses in a small town or rural area. Google AdWords can give your business a boost as organic traffic to your website grows, whether your business is looking to build an online presence or are seasonal operations looking to make a splash.
Build trust and a good reputation:
Word of mouth referrals is a great way to promote your business in a small or rural town. You must first gain the trust of people before you can get them talking about your business. You shouldn’t barge into small towns claiming to be the best thing since sliced bread. Despite the fact that sliced bread is pretty tasty, people will simply not trust you. If you try to establish relationships with other business owners before establishing a rapport, they will think you’re trying to scam them.
It is essential to gain the trust and reputation of a rural community first. Helping others is the most vital aspect of selling your goods or service. Get to know the people in small towns and rural areas; not only will they come to trust you once you’ve proven your sincerity, but they’ll also open up to you about themselves. This will allow you to figure out how your company can assist them, which is an important aspect of your marketing message.
