Best Local Advertising for Small Businesses

90% of Americans want to see more locally-owned businesses open in their area, with two out of every three Americans shopping locally over large retail chains. It’s a win-win to support a neighbor, and for money to stay in the local community. 

But for people to spend at your small business over big-box stores, they have to know you exist. Which is why local advertising is crucial for small businesses. Local advertising is a cost-efficient way to engage your specific community (aka, the people who want to support you most). 

Here are 10 of the best local advertising opportunities for small businesses. 

#1: Leverage Local SEO 

The easiest way for someone to find your local business, aside from opening next door to them, is to set up a Google Business Profile. On your GBP you can list:

• Exact address
• Service area
• Business category
• Hours
• Photos and videos
• A short, keyword-rich business description

When someone searches for your service or product, Google will serve your business as a result on its map. 

Amplify your efforts by asking friends, family members, and happy customers to leave a review. Then, thank people for their review, and address any concerns someone brings up online professionally. 

These efforts can help push you to the top of ‘near me’ searches!

#2: List in Local Directories & Niche Listings

Google isn’t the only way to connect with your community. You can also set up a business listing on Yelp, Bing Places, Apple Maps, and other niche directories your ideal customers use. For example, home cleaners might want to list their services on Angi. 

To make sure information is consistent across all listings, make a master spreadsheet with:

• Business name
• Address
• Phone number
• Hours of operation
• Website URL
• Short description of your business
• A few photos

You can use this information to fill in any new directories you join. It’s very important to have consistent information about your business across the web. It helps your SEO and you’ll save customers time and frustration. 

Once your listing is live, request reviews from customers to continue to build credibility online. 

#3: Geo-Targeted Website Ads

While you can connect with almost anyone in the world via Google, you can also select who you connect with when it comes to Google Ads. This is a budget friendly way to find more customers wherever you are.

When setting up the ads, you’ll set a radius around your address or select specific ZIP codes/cities, excluding the areas you don’t serve. 

Use ‘search ads’ for high-intent queries, like custom furniture near me. Use display ads to stay visible on sites your audience visits. 

There is a bit of a science around finding the best places to host your ads, and when to spend. Don’t be afraid to test and then refine your efforts. 

#4: Use Local Print Media

Print marketing is not dead! You can grow your customer base by advertising in newspapers, community newsletters, and local magazines. Who tends to read print media? It depends on the publication, but some of the audiences include:

• Homeowners
• Older adults (35-65+)
• Parents active in school or HOA communities
• Suburban families
• Small-town readers

Add a unique QR code or promo code to measure which neighborhoods perform best and refine your print mix over time.

#5: Host Pop-Up Workshops 

People love an event. Hosting a hands-on demo day at your workshop gives you the opportunity to showcase your expertise, products, and meet people in your community. 

For example, if you sell jewelry, you could do a bracelet making workshop, selling the items needed to make the jewelry to those participating in the event. If you are a part of a co-warehouse, you could also collaborate with neighboring tenants to expand the reach. 

#6: Expand Your Community with a Co-Warehousing Space

There comes a time for many business owners when operating out of your home or a personal storage unit is no longer feasible. While it may feel intimidating to invest in a formal warehousing space, co-warehousing is an affordable way to scale your business. 

While the biggest perk of a co-warehouse may be all the money you save splitting rent between multiple tenants, a bonus perk is that co-warehousing builds your community. 

Co-warehouses are ideal for ecommerce sellers, makers, small manufacturers, nonprofits, labs, and more. Given that some of these businesses will serve a similar market to you, there are ample opportunities for all parties to expand their business. 

Whether you partner on an event, set up a referral program, or take out print ads with another organization, co-warehousing provides plenty of opportunities for collaboration. 

#7: Create a Referral Agreements

Like we mentioned above, a referral agreement can be a symbiotic relationship between two businesses. You’ll get new customers, and so will they. For example, a refurbished hardware shop could partner with someone who sharpens tools. 

Create a joining offer, like 10% off, to entice customers to take a chance on someone new. Word of mouth marketing may go much further than you think! 

#8: Participate in Community Events 

One way to get in front of your neighbors is to partake in community events. Giving back can help you create a positive reputation because it shows you care about the people around you. Schools, charities, and other organizations are often looking for time or monetary donations. Some examples include: 

• Sponsor a highway
• Donate to a local cause
• Volunteer
• Host a local meetup

You could also sign up for a local fair, festival, or farmers market. For example, if you make custom key chains, a craft fair would be an ideal place to meet customers. 

Sponsoring maker groups, small-business mixers, or other events gives you the opportunity to showcase your logo. You’ll also likely get a shoutout during the event. 

#9: Set Up Collaborative Promotions

You don’t have to market alone. Instead, work with other popular businesses in your community. 

For example, a baker may want to partner with a local coffee shop that doesn’t have food on Friday mornings. The baker will bring more people to the coffee shop with their delicious baked goods, and the coffee shop traffic will likely buy some of the baked items too. 

It’s a win-win for all involved. When you approach a business, make sure you showcase how you’ll be able to help them, too. 

#10: Create Localized Content Marketing

Everyone knows that you can find ideal customers on social media. Between LinkedIn, TikTok, Reddit, and beyond, your ideal audience is somewhere online. One way to build trust with your ideal clients is to create localized content. 

For example, if you own a home repair service, you could create videos about what people in your area should be doing each month to keep their homes in tip-top shape. When posting, mention the location in the title or caption, and include a location tag and neighborhood hashtags. 

You don’t need to have a huge following to win over customers. You just need to be helpful so ideal clients can get excited about your content, products, and services.  

Measuring ROI & Continuous Optimization

Once you’ve tried out a couple of marketing strategies, figure out what’s working, and double down on your efforts. It’s essential to track key metrics, and gather customer feedback. 

Monitor foot traffic, promo-code redemptions, and click-through rates by channel. Pause or tweak underperforming strategies. Or, determine when it’s time to jump ship and try out a new channel. You can use UTM parameters on digital links to attribute web traffic accurately. 

It also never hurts to ask customers how they heard of you. Consider striking up a conversation in person, or sending out a survey or follow-up email post-purchase. 

Your Ideal Customer Wants to Hear From You

Marketing often gets a bad rap, but it’s essential for scaling your business. Remember, you don’t have to implement all of these. Instead, pick a handful of ways you could reach your ideal client, track the success rate, and increase your investment on what’s working. 

You may want to try and balance your online listings, physical presence, and community engagement to cast a wide net. Remember, your ideal customer wants to hear about you, but it’s up to you to make sure they do. 

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