Looking as far back into the history of internet marketing as one can, optimizing for the search engines has been the main point of focus for businesses and marketers. The reason is quite apparent as well, with search engines like Google driving most of the traffic on the internet, it is obvious businesses would want to be found on them.

Organic traffic from Google is an excellent source of leads, and eventual sales for many businesses, especially for those that operate online.

However, when the scenario of a local business is considered, things become a little more complicated. Local brands, unlike their globally present counterparts, face a unique set of challenges, while also enjoying a unique set of privileges or advantages. Sure, optimizing for local search is an important aspect of marketing. After all, 50% of customers that conduct a local search visit the store within 24 hours. However, only focussing on SEO in Frederick, MD, simply isn’t enough.

If you have focused all your efforts on becoming “search engine popular” in the past, try combining them with these below-listed local marketing strategies to supercharge the pace of your results.

Introductory Offers

This strategy works beautifully if you are a new and upcoming business, or have a new product that you have just introduced to the market. The idea is to give out “free” samples or a “free” session of your service to potential customers in your area.

You can promote the same through your website and demonstrate first hand, the advantage of using your product or service to relevant audiences (that is, people in your geographical area).

Harness The Power Of Social Media

The operating idea behind traditional marketing tactics, such as billboard advertisements and radio adverts, is to be present where your consumers will notice you. A radio advert, for instance, that is aired during the rush hour, is sure to get your business noticed by hundreds of potential prospects.

Similarly, while your website is the online headquarter of your business, being present where your audience is present is extremely crucial. To put this in even simpler words, since your audiences are present and active on social media, limiting yourself to search engines and websites is not a progressive marketing approach.

Combining the presence of your website and SEO efforts with a robust social media presence is a great way to enhance brand recognition and build a loyal customer base. Social media is a great and engaging way to showcase your products, services, and offers (such as the one in the previous section) while building customer relationships that last.

Local Events

Skillfully executed local events can have an extremely positive impact on your business, the benefits of which may be lifelong. Local competitions, events targeted at customer appreciation, can all help you personally connect with your audiences and forge customer relationships that last a lifetime. Some other benefits of putting together a local event are:

• Improved brand recognition
• More footfall to your physical store

Offer Coupons

One of the oldest marketing techniques, “coupons” can be used to immense advantage when coupled with digital tools. The idea behind a coupon is similar to an introductory offer- to forge a customer relationship based on a great initial deal.

Even if the “initial deal” offered through the coupon does not convert a visitor into a customer, coupons can be used as lead magnets to attract leads that can then be sent down a comprehensive conversion funnel. Surveys show that despite privacy concerns, consumers will share personal data if it saves money.

The biggest advantage of using coupons is that it is extremely easy to track the ROI of this strategy. Moreover, coupons can be made available through your website, social media channels, and even though local newspaper advertisements. This means, even the prospects that decide not to claim such tickets will also become aware of your brand.

With SEO

As repeatedly mentioned before, the importance of SEO cannot be emphasized enough. Sure, these strategies work great as stand-alone ideas to bring traffic and business to your website, but you cannot fully realize your online potential without SEO. In fact, each one of the strategies we just discussed can be made exponentially more productive with the help of the best Maryland SEO company.

For instance, if you are hosting an event in your area, talk about it on different forums related to your niche. This way, you will be able to ensure more footfall to your event, make your brand visible even to those that don’t attend the event and earn some great backlinks to your website.

Similarly, coupons can be used as a great way of driving business through affiliates while also driving natural backlinks to your product pages. Moreover, the general exposure you gain online with the help of such tickets offers results in a more positive brand image. If you regularly advertise them on your website, you may even start ranking for a whole new set of keywords!