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Every day, businesses of all types – from small startups to large corporations – use marketing and advertising to reach new customers. You might think that any serious advertising strategy comes with a high price tag, but many agencies leveraging quality listing management services can attest otherwise. In reality, free or low-cost approaches (such as business listings or social media) can put brands directly in front of their target audiences. Let’s explore how an effective online marketing strategy works.
Top Online Marketing Strategies for Businesses
Whether it’s increased reach, cost-effective customer acquisition, fast results or increased conversion rates, the benefits of online marketing are undeniable. While many strategies exist, the following methods offer a reliable and cost-effective approach for local businesses.
Google Business Profile Optimization
Any successful local marketing strategy must prioritize Google Business Profile (GBP). Agencies managing a client’s GBP will need to optimize every available section, including adding high-quality images, setting relevant categories and of course, ensuring that name, address and phone number are up-to-date and accurate.
- Create a keyword-rich description, including relevant location and industry terms.
Create GBP Posts
GBP Posts allow businesses to keep customers informed via quick updates. You can add images, engaging content and a call to action, with the post appearing in Google Search and Maps when a user clicks the business’ link.
- Aim to post new GBP Posts at least every month to maintain consistency.
Schedule GBP Event
Events are an essential marketing tool for a business, helping drive interest and build anticipation. GBP makes it easy to add an event, with options for start and end times, a written description, a photo and a call-to-action button.
- Create events based on local or seasonal trends to increase engagement.
Add Regular GBP Offers
Providing discounts, coupons and limited-time promotions is a well-established tactic for promoting a business. If the GBP Offer is compelling and demonstrates value to customers, it will almost certainly increase conversion rates.
- Create urgency or scarcity in an offer to encourage consumers to take immediate action.
Make Use of Bing Offers
Bing Places for Business is similar to GBP in that you have the opportunity to promote deals and discounts. While Bing Offers will not command the same audience as Google’s equivalent, Bing users are typically more affluent and often eager to buy.
- Experiment with offers like coupons, free shipping or new customer discounts.
Promote via Social Media
The volume of social media users means that there are always opportunities to reach an audience. While social media marketing is highly competitive, it’s an effective way to brand your company and engage directly with people.
- Repurpose blog articles and video content to create engaging social media posts.
Build Citations for Local Search Marketing
SEO remains the best free advertising method for reaching large audiences. Building citations is crucial to SEO for every local business, as citation building ensures that business data is accurately distributed to the relevant listing platforms. Of course, Advice Local offers support in every aspect of listing management, including our Enhanced GBP Tool for Agencies.
- Only work with curated networks that prioritize premium directories.
Leverage User-Generated Content
User-generated content is one of the best free online marketing methods for businesses. From reviews and testimonials to customers showcasing products, user-generated content creates social proof and increases brand awareness.
- Use tools to monitor and respond to reviews for increased customer satisfaction.
Partner With Us to Access Expert Online Marketing Strategies
Advice Local helps agencies increase local search visibility and secure new customers with proven online marketing strategies. To access listing management services and review monitoring, GBP tools and more, speak with our team today. Call (214) 310-1356 or request a demo now.