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Innovative Digital Marketing Strategies for Local Business Growth

08/26/2024 by scmarketing

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, local businesses must adapt to stay relevant and competitive. Digital marketing has undergone significant transformation, especially for smaller businesses looking to attract and retain local customers.

The rise of mobile internet usage, social media engagement, and shifts in consumer behaviour have all contributed to the need for local businesses to enhance their online presence.

Current Trends and Shifts in Consumer Behaviour

Consumers increasingly rely on online access to discover, research, and engage with local businesses. This shift underscores the importance of a robust digital marketing strategy tailored to the unique needs of a local business.

From optimising for local searches to leveraging social media for community building, local businesses have numerous opportunities to grow and thrive in this digital era.

Importance of an Online Presence and Effective SEO Strategies

Why a Robust Online Presence is Crucial

A strong online presence is vital for local businesses to attract and engage customers. An optimised website can serve as the foundation for your digital marketing efforts, ensuring that potential customers find you when they perform local searches.

Tips on Optimising Your Website for Better Search Engine Rankings

Use Location-Based Keywords: Incorporate keywords related to your location and services in your content and meta descriptions for example, “Accountant Croydon”; “Web Design Croydon”.
Mobile Optimisation: Ensure your website is mobile-friendly, as many local searches are conducted on mobile devices.
Fast Loading Speeds: A fast-loading website improves user experience and can positively impact your search engine rankings.
Quality Content: Publish high-quality, relevant content that addresses the needs and interests of your local audience.

Local SEO Best Practices

Optimising your online presence is key for local SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) success which in turn will help to attract more business from relevant local searches. Best practices include:

Google My Business: Ensure you have your Google My Business listing set up. Regularly update your business information so it is current, post engaging content, and encourage customer reviews.
Local Listings: Ensure your business is listed on local online directories and review websites. Consistent and accurate information across these platforms can boost your local search rankings.
Local Keywords: Use local keywords in your website content, meta descriptions, and blog posts to enhance your visibility in local search results.

Leveraging Social Media for Community Engagement

Social media platforms play a crucial role in connecting local businesses with their community. They provide an avenue for real-time interaction, customer feedback, and community building. Strategies for using social channels effectively include:

Facebook: Create a business page, post regular updates, and engage with your followers through comments and messages. An ad campaign can also help you to reach more potential customers in your local area.
Instagram: Share visually appealing content that showcases your products or services. Use local hashtags to increase your visibility and connect with local influencers.
LinkedIn: Use LinkedIn to network with other local businesses and professionals. Share industry insights, company updates, and participate in local business groups.

The Role of Email Marketing in Nurturing Local Customer Relationships

Email marketing remains a powerful tool for local businesses to nurture relationships with customers. It allows for direct communication, personalised content, and timely updates. Some tips on creating engaging email campaigns include:

Personalisation: Use customer data to personalise your emails, addressing recipients by their names and tailoring content to their interests.
Compelling Subject Lines: Write compelling subject lines that grab attention and encourage opens.
Relevant Content: Provide valuable content, such as exclusive offers, upcoming events, and useful tips related to your products or services.

Segmenting your email list allows you to send more relevant and targeted content to different groups of subscribers. Consider segmenting based on factors such as:

Location: Send location-specific offers and updates to subscribers in different areas.
Purchase History: Tailor content based on previous purchases to promote related products or services.
Engagement Level: Send re-engagement campaigns to inactive subscribers and reward loyal customers with exclusive deals.

Key Takeaways & Actionable Tips

Optimise Your Website for Local Search: Include location-based keywords in your content and meta descriptions to improve your local search rankings.
Utilise Google My Business: Regularly update your business information, post engaging content, and encourage customer reviews to enhance your online presence.
Leverage Social Media Platforms: Engage with your local community, share updates, and run targeted advertising campaigns on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Implement a Local SEO Strategy: Create and optimise your local listings on online directories and review sites to boost your visibility.
Partner with Local Influencers or Businesses: Collaborate with local influencers or businesses to expand your reach within the community and drive more foot traffic to your store.

Digital Marketing for Croydon Business

Local businesses can significantly benefit from a well-rounded digital marketing strategy that encompasses a strong online presence, effective SEO practices, social media content, and targeted email marketing. By implementing innovative marketing strategies, local businesses can not only attract and retain more customers but also foster a loyal community around their brand.

Book a time with our digital marketing team today and let’s start growing your business together!

How to choose your keywords

08/19/202210/15/2021 by scmarketing

Using keywords and phrases on your website is an important part of search engine optimisation (SEO). Keywords form part of the strategy to help your website be found in search engine results pages (SERPs). So, how do you choose what keywords are right for your business?
Here, we look at a few ways you can brainstorm for keywords that will help with your online marketing campaign.

Search online and take a look at competitors and get a feel for what they are talking about. Look at blogs and news pages to find out about new product launches or services, how they are promoted and talked about.
Check your competitor’s social media feeds to see what snippets they are sharing with their followers and get a feel for what is popular by the amount of shares or likes their posts receive. The types of hashtags being used can help with your keyword research too.
Use Google Trends and see what people are searching for right now.
Check affiliate networks such as Clickbank then check the products and find the relevant keywords that are usually written in descriptions of any product.
Look for long tail keywords. Head keywords are considered to be the most popular searched item, such as “accountant”. This however only takes up a small percentage of total searches the majority being long tail and specific searches such as “find an accountant for self-assessment in Croydon”. So note specific long tail keywords as part of your research.
Membership associations. If you’re an accounting firm and you are part of an association such as ICAEW then check their website for what events and webinars they are hosting as the titles of talks and presentations will give an indication of what’s a topical theme for discussion.
Check industry publications that you know your audience are interested in. See what’s being discussed and trending to help brainstorm ideas for keywords.
Use a tool such as Semrush to help improve online visibility and get further insight into keyword volume and difficulty.

Once you’ve found your keywords you can use these as the basis of your online marketing campaigns however do not use keywords unnecessarily. This is known as keyword stuffing and search engines such as Google will penalise accordingly. In a nutshell, don’t overuse words, if your content feels uncomfortable to read lacking a natural flow because of keywords and it’s perhaps sounding too salesy and irrelevant then it’s best not to use it.

Most importantly focus on writing good quality content to engage with you target audience.

Keywords are just one of many ways you can help to optimise your website.

Digital marketing agency Croydon

It’s important that you understand why optimising your website is key when it comes to the growth of your business. So, if you need a helping hand with your digital marketing strategy, get in touch with us at Smart Cow Digital Marketing for expert advice.

Services we offer include web design and development, SEO, Pay Per Click (PPC), social media management through to CRM and marketing automation.

Digital Marketing-stylish-christmas-ornaments-and-decorations

Christmas digital marketing

08/19/202210/08/2021 by scmarketing

Starting your marketing for the Christmas period as early as possible is essential this year more than ever. With supply chain issues causing concern, many people will be starting to think about their festive plans sooner rather than later. From gift purchases through to holiday plans or party bookings (to make up for the lack of anything last year!). So, here’s a few tips for your digital marketing to help extend reach.

Keeping your customers informed

With more people opting for the ease of online ordering, an upsurge could impact deliveries so, regular communication with your customers and prospects is essential.
At a very basic level, make sure that your communication encourages people to shop or book early to beat the rush and avoid any disappointment.

Seasonal content marketing

Communicate across all the platforms available to you from social media through to email marketing, if you have a database.

Also ensure that your website is up to date with any offers and promotions. Give people the ability to make bookings online as well as ensuring opening times and seasonal menus are updated. People will be looking for deals and comparing the marketing offers and discounts that are available. So, if your details aren’t up to date then you could potentially miss a sale or booking.

Remember to also update your Google My Business page with any offers or change to opening times.

Tailor images so that it entices people to read your seasonal offers and share on social media.

Create fun videos to really showcase any products and deals that you have to encourage click throughs to your website so that you can get good, qualified leads.

Support local

Make the most of 2021 festive period to make up for the very different Christmas of 2020. Help your local hospitality venues by booking meals close to home to help your high street thrive this Christmas.

Email marketing agency Croydon

If you need a helping hand building an email marketing strategy, get in touch with us at Smart Cow Digital Marketing for expert advice on how to conduct an effective digital marketing campaign! Digital marketing tactics we offer include web design and development, SEO services, Pay Per Click (PPC), social media management through to CRM and marketing automation.

Improving email marketing open rates

08/19/202210/04/2021 by scmarketing

With 4 billion daily email users, is it time you considered email marketing as part of your overall strategy to get new clients and engage with prospects?

Here we look at a few tips that can help your email open rate. What’s important to remember is to make your emails personal with engaging and relevant content.

Email content to encourage open rates

Over 8 out of 10 people will open a welcome email, generating 4x as many opens and 10x as many clicks as other email types (GetResponse, 2020)
60% of retail, e-commerce, and consumer goods and services companies are personalising emails based on past purchases (Litmus, 2020)
99% of email users check their inbox every day – some check it 20 times a day (OptinMonster, 2020)

Once you take on board some of these email marketing stats, you can begin to get a picture of just how much your prospects and customers use email. So, with usage high, is now the time for your business to tap into this potential market?

If you’re ready to take the plunge, here’s a few tips for your content.

Keep content relevant, original and regular.
People are less inclined to read lots of content so nice imagery with bold calls to action can really help the reader navigate and engage well with your content.
Add video content into your emails.
Make sure your emails are mobile responsive and all devices considered when you create your email template.
With many emails received by people daily – what’s the purpose of yours and why should your recipient read it? Remember to be clear in your subject line about the point of your email and don’t forget personalisation is key. Be clear about what you want your readers to do, for example download a report or claim a special offer.
Try and make sure that any email you distribute points back to your website blog, offer or download. In fact, you can save time by re-purposing your blog content.

The best time to send an email

Once you’ve got the email set up, send it at an optimal time. According to Hubspot the highest click-to-open rates for an email are 10am midweek. For B2B clients, we would also suggest Tuesday and Thursday mornings as a good option.

Database

Before you can set up any of this you need a n email database. Wherever you have the opportunity to capture email addresses, legitimately, then do so. Build your list and segment it into groups. You must follow GDPR rules and regulations, so always be transparent when you capture an email address, if it’s for your e-newsletter then that’s what you say it’s for. A pop-up box on your website asking for people to sign-up to your e-newsletter is a good way to encourage people.

Email marketing agency Croydon

If you need a helping hand building an email marketing strategy, get in touch with us at Smart Cow Digital Marketing for expert advice on how to conduct an effective digital marketing campaign! As email marketing experts in Croydon, we can create your initial email template, write content and distribute to your database.

Other digital marketing tactics we offer include web design and development, SEO services, Pay Per Click (PPC), social media management through to CRM and marketing automation.