Building your business in this day and age is usually done with some form of digital marketing.
Social media marketing, paid ads (Google Ads for example), email marketing, Local SEO, personal branding, video marketing… the list goes on.
Most savvy business owners now understand that once you GET a client, there is immense value in using email marketing to grow that customer relationship.
Getting that client onboard in the first instance though… not easy.
For local businesses, a combination of Local SEO and Email Marketing can yield significant results.
Local SEO means – standing out on Google or other search engines, in your local area.
For example – BW Gardens, a lawns and gardens business in Hamilton NZ.
They use local SEO (Google Business Profile, organic Google search locally, and even Local Facebook Group marketing) to get clients coming their way in the first instance.
From there, they develop the relationship, and even get referrals for new business, from their email marketing efforts – in this case just a simple monthly newsletter that goes out, talking about all things gardening etc that apply in that area.
Understanding Local SEO
Local SEO is a strategy designed to improve a business’s visibility in local search results, usually Google and Google Business Profile, but can also be expanded into local Facebook Groups and other places that local people are.
When a potential customer searches for “best hamburger in [your city],” you want your business to appear at the top of the search results. To achieve this, you need to:
- Optimise Your Google Business Profile Listing: Make sure your business information is accurate. Encourage customer reviews and respond to them quickly.
- Build Local Citations: List your business on local directories like Yellow Pages, Google Maps, and industry-specific directories.
- Optimise Your Website for Local Search: Use location-specific keywords, such as “Auckland plumber” or “Wellington dentist,” in your website content, meta descriptions, and title tags. You might even partner with local businesses to write guest posts for each other’s blogs, to help Google figure out exactly where you are.
Learn more about Local SEO in our recent article HERE.
The Power of Email Marketing
Email marketing is a direct and efficient way to reach your target audience.
By building an email list and sending regular emails, you can:
- Grow Relationships: Build strong relationships with your customers by providing valuable content and special deals.
- Drive Sales: Promote products, services, and special promotions directly to your subscribers’ inboxes.
- Increase Brand Awareness: Keep your brand top-of-mind with regular email communication.
- Track Performance: Use email marketing analytics to measure the effectiveness of your campaigns and make smart decisions.
If we look at another example, Budget Car Sales in Auckland.
In this case, their local SEO efforts bring customers in the local area to them. People see their cars on their Google Business Profile and Facebook page locally.
The email marketing that goes out later keeps existing customers updated for new deals, new releases, and this helps the business sell more to existing customers, and build referrals as customers send these to friends and family.
Combining Local SEO and Email Marketing for Maximum Impact
When combined, Local SEO and Email Marketing can create a powerful marketing strategy. Here’s how:
- Collect Email Addresses: Use your website, social media, and in-store promotions to collect email addresses from customers and potential customers.
- Segment Your Email List: Divide your email list into segments based on location, interests, or purchase history. This allows you to send targeted emails that are more likely to resonate with your audience.
- Leverage Local Events and Promotions: Send targeted email campaigns to promote local events, seasonal offers, or special promotions.
- Encourage Reviews: Use email marketing to encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews on Google.
- Track and Analyze: Use analytics tools to track the performance of your email campaigns and make adjustments as needed.
Checklist for Implementing a Local SEO and Email Marketing Strategy
- Claim and Optimise Your Google Business Profile Listing.
- Build Local Citations / local directory listings.
- Optimise Your Website for Local Search.
- Create High-Quality Content.
- Build an Email List.
- Write Engaging Email Content that gets opened, shared, and acted upon.
- Monitor Your Results so you can constantly improve.
By combining Local SEO and Email Marketing (we’d suggest you hire professionals for this, for example Spike), you can create a powerful marketing strategy that will help your local business thrive.
There are many ways to get new customers for your business – keeping them as a customer seems to be the best way to grow your business to its full potential, and email marketing is certainly a method that pays dividends when done well!
