How to become locally relevant?
- Thread starter gilly0643
- Start date
We opened our first shop 2 years ago, we decided from the outset that we would donate 20% of profits to charity, we used this as the platform to launch, partnering with a local children's hospice.
We were making a profit after six weeks and finished year 1 with £30K net profit and ended the year donating over £10K to the charity, and we opened our 2nd shop.
Our major focus on marketing is facebook ( a page for each shop and a group) and leaflets (20,000 A5 Leaflets cost less than £300).
If things continue, we hope to open another 2 shops in the next year.
We were making a profit after six weeks and finished year 1 with £30K net profit and ended the year donating over £10K to the charity, and we opened our 2nd shop.
Our major focus on marketing is facebook ( a page for each shop and a group) and leaflets (20,000 A5 Leaflets cost less than £300).
If things continue, we hope to open another 2 shops in the next year.
Upvote
0
Hi @gilly0643 - welcome to UKBF.
As you said yourself, Gillian, you need to get in the community. Find out what local events are happening, especially charity events and see if you can sponsor a prize, and - more importantly - be there to hand over the prize to the winners. Then you can use that in press releases to the local media.
My Rotary Club has an annual Skittles tournament, and this year Pavilion Office Products sponsored the prize for the winning Ladies team, with a photo of me handing over the cheque - as you can see below (being surrounded or hugged by six women was difficult, but I managed to keep smiling).,
As you said yourself, Gillian, you need to get in the community. Find out what local events are happening, especially charity events and see if you can sponsor a prize, and - more importantly - be there to hand over the prize to the winners. Then you can use that in press releases to the local media.
My Rotary Club has an annual Skittles tournament, and this year Pavilion Office Products sponsored the prize for the winning Ladies team, with a photo of me handing over the cheque - as you can see below (being surrounded or hugged by six women was difficult, but I managed to keep smiling).,
Last edited:
Upvote
0
Gilly - who do you want to become 'locally relevant' to in your community? And what do you mean by 'locally relevant'. Define this first and then it will be much easier to define activities/marketing channels you can use.
Ashley nice pic - next time get a giant cheque ordered for your photo shoot/wear branded company merchandise - that way you get your company brand in the photo too.
Ashley nice pic - next time get a giant cheque ordered for your photo shoot/wear branded company merchandise - that way you get your company brand in the photo too.
Upvote
0
Hi @gilly0643 - welcome to UKBF.
As you said yourself, Gillian, you need to get in the community. Find out what local events are happening, especially charity events and see if you can sponsor a prize, and - more importantly - be there to hand over the prize to the winners. Then you can use that in press releases to the local media.
My Rotary Club has an annual Skittles tournament, and this year Pavilion Office Products sponsored the prize for the winning Ladies team, with a photo of me handing over the cheque - as you can see below (being surrounded or hugged by six women was difficult, but I managed to keep smiling).,
Ashley, get some exercise man, you look like a heart attack waiting to happen.
Upvote
0
I walk for an hour a day, five days a week (to and from work) and going home is up hill most of the way (Lewes is built on a hill - so you are either going up or down most of the time). I don't drive, so I have to walk everywhere (or get public transport if it's raining hard).
I am big, yes, but I say I may not be fit, but I am healthy, my blood pressure and cholesterol are both fine.
I have my own views on size and fitness and it works for me.
Upvote
0
That was rather rude and unnecessary ....and you work in .....marketing
It wasn't intended to be rude, and you'll notice that Ashley seems to have taken my comment in the spirit it was written, and replied in a gracious manner.
Upvote
0
Well, if I am honest, I was a little taken aback when I first read the comment - especially on a business forum.
However, I am my own critic and I know what I look like. I know most women think I look like an Adonis, but really, I am 5ft 6in and overweight.
I never put my size down to water retention, as in truth, it's due to cake retention.
I've stopped lying on the beach now because, when I do, bloody Greenpeace try and push me back into the sea.
I tried weighing myself on one of those "Speak your Weight" machines - it just laughed at me.
Last edited:
Upvote
0
Sorry to write not about the question of the thread, but I got very resent after reading the conversation above. Never could understand those people who believe that their words about a possibility of a heart attack (even with the most positive intentions) are something new to the plus size person. Why do people need to say it out loud? A plus size person knows everything by himself/herself, and your words won't change anything apart from hurting for very sensitive ones. A size of a person is a very personal thing, and I believe nobody has the right to judge as nobody is perfect. Ashley, if you feel yourself right and healthy enough, keep doing what you do
Upvote
0
Coming back to the question, I would say that advises here about the participation in charity and local events are completely relevant. I would like just to add that it can be also a good idea not only to contribute to local events, but to organise something new. It depends on what is your business all about. Let's say, you have a flower shop - you could organise Roses festival inviting local gardeners to show the roses they grow + some music arrangement + some local snack providers = a very useful local event. I hope this example describes what I want to say - just create an event you think local people could find useful and necessary.
Upvote
0
Hi everyone,
Firstly - just wanted to also say I was a little horrified at what was said above. I hadn't even noticed you were at all overweight and I just wanted to let you know, it's not the first thing that popped to mind when reading your post. I'm also really surprised to see that kind of thing on a business forum. I hope you're doing well - with that amount of walking, I'm guessing you're far healthier than me!
Also, just to add to Gillian's original question - I wrote up an article on local SEO if it would be helpful?
I can't link to it here yet but I'll try and summarise as best I can:
1. Feature Local Keywords on Your Website
The first thing to consider with any online strategy is where you want to focus.
What is your aim? What do you want to rank well in Google for?
When it comes to ranking well locally, it’s vital that you consider the keywords you’re using on your website.
2. Get Into More & Better Directories
Directories are a great place for your website to appear online; backlinks are extremely important when it comes to ranking well in search engines.
While directories may not always give you a big link boost, it’s highly beneficial for local SEO to make sure you’re listed in some good ones.
3. Build a Better Google+ Business Page
Google+ for business is incredibly important if you want to promote your website locally on Google.
I recommend filling out your listing with as much detail as you can. 400+ words in your description, along with photos, opening times etc.
The truth is, Google is getting smarter and recognising local terms more and more. So if someone searches for ‘Plumber Dundee’ for example, you’ll notice the top results are Google+ Business results (usually around 3 results appear). It’s simply because Google has learned that people are looking for local services when they search particular combinations of terms that include an geographical area name.
4. Work on Getting More Reviews on Google+
Some directory sites ban you from asking your customers for reviews – but Google actively encourages it!
Reviews give people evidence of how good your business is and they make any directory more useful (as long as they’re genuine!). The more good reviews you can get on your Google+ page, the more likely your business listing is likely to rank well locally. If you have 5 or more, you’ll even get little orange stars in your listing which encourages more clicks to your website.
If you get a lot of poor reviews, it can of course go the other way and your business may disappear into the ether as they say – so I’d only work on this once you’re happy with your product or service!
Here are some methods you can use to encourage reviews:
Google is getting smarter; and listing a local phone number (rather than an 0800 or mobile number) is now an indication Google will take to note your business location.
It knows the local area phone numbers so it will give you a slight boost in their rankings locally if you have a local listed phone number on your website and directory listings. This is also true if you have multiple locations; make sure you have a local telephone number for each one.
6. Write More Useful, Relevant Local Blog Posts
Like any content marketing, better content will drive better traffic to your website.
So when you’re trying to attract more customers from your local area, a great idea is to write more relevant blog posts that include local issues.
If you get more links and shares from local news websites, it’s another indication to Google that your business is from that area – which is a big thumbs up.
7. Keep Your Listings Consistent
A consistent ‘NAP’ can really help boost your local rankings. Your ‘NAP’ is your name, address and phone number. Keeping these consistent throughout different directories and on your own website has been proven to boost your local rankings.
Google likes to give it’s users clear and valid information – so multiple slight variations can confuse it and make it unsure of which information is correct. Go back and review your directory entries and listed NAPs on your website and try to make them all as consistent as possible.
8. Get into ‘Best of’ and Review Posts
If you can get into some local ‘best of’ posts about your business services in your local area, it can be a huge boost for your local reputations and for local SEO.
Simply search a term such as ‘best marketing consultant UK’ (obviously you would change the service and location to match your business), then get in touch with the writer of the article to ask if they wouldn’t mind considering your service as an addition to the list. If the article is from a competitor agency I may approach with caution – but if they’re open to adding you, it’s always worth asking!
9. Write a Local Guide
Writing a local guide, especially if you are in a hospitality or travel business, can seriously help you promote your website locally on Google.
Not only does it give you the opportunity to mention relevant local keywords frequently without your content reading strangely, but it also can be really helpful and shareable information if you work hard on making it quality, useful stuff.
Check out what your competitors have done and take it up a notch; you could even add a pdf download version as an incentive for people to join a email list!
If you’re not in a business where it makes sense to give a local guide, you can always write up a guide on how to get to your offices from different locations, mentioning things Google maps and sat navs might leave out such as where the busiest roads are that you might want to avoid or where clients might enjoy stopping for a great lunch or coffee on their way.
10. Get More Local Links
Getting local links should be a huge priority when you’re trying to rank well for local search terms.
Here’s some effective tactics you can use to gain more quality local backlinks:
Firstly - just wanted to also say I was a little horrified at what was said above. I hadn't even noticed you were at all overweight and I just wanted to let you know, it's not the first thing that popped to mind when reading your post. I'm also really surprised to see that kind of thing on a business forum. I hope you're doing well - with that amount of walking, I'm guessing you're far healthier than me!
Also, just to add to Gillian's original question - I wrote up an article on local SEO if it would be helpful?
I can't link to it here yet but I'll try and summarise as best I can:
1. Feature Local Keywords on Your Website
The first thing to consider with any online strategy is where you want to focus.
What is your aim? What do you want to rank well in Google for?
When it comes to ranking well locally, it’s vital that you consider the keywords you’re using on your website.
2. Get Into More & Better Directories
Directories are a great place for your website to appear online; backlinks are extremely important when it comes to ranking well in search engines.
While directories may not always give you a big link boost, it’s highly beneficial for local SEO to make sure you’re listed in some good ones.
3. Build a Better Google+ Business Page
Google+ for business is incredibly important if you want to promote your website locally on Google.
I recommend filling out your listing with as much detail as you can. 400+ words in your description, along with photos, opening times etc.
The truth is, Google is getting smarter and recognising local terms more and more. So if someone searches for ‘Plumber Dundee’ for example, you’ll notice the top results are Google+ Business results (usually around 3 results appear). It’s simply because Google has learned that people are looking for local services when they search particular combinations of terms that include an geographical area name.
4. Work on Getting More Reviews on Google+
Some directory sites ban you from asking your customers for reviews – but Google actively encourages it!
Reviews give people evidence of how good your business is and they make any directory more useful (as long as they’re genuine!). The more good reviews you can get on your Google+ page, the more likely your business listing is likely to rank well locally. If you have 5 or more, you’ll even get little orange stars in your listing which encourages more clicks to your website.
If you get a lot of poor reviews, it can of course go the other way and your business may disappear into the ether as they say – so I’d only work on this once you’re happy with your product or service!
Here are some methods you can use to encourage reviews:
- Email customers after they receive their product or service and simply remind them Google+ reviews are really helpful (or maybe even incentivise them with a coupon off their next purchase)
- Add a quick reminder to your email signature
- Remind users on your website that they can check out and leave reviews on your Google+ page
- Remind users on your social media channels that they can check out and leave reviews on your Google+ page
- Send customers the direct link to your Google+ review window
- Leave other businesses you work with reviews and let them know; they’ll be more likely to reciprocate
Google is getting smarter; and listing a local phone number (rather than an 0800 or mobile number) is now an indication Google will take to note your business location.
It knows the local area phone numbers so it will give you a slight boost in their rankings locally if you have a local listed phone number on your website and directory listings. This is also true if you have multiple locations; make sure you have a local telephone number for each one.
6. Write More Useful, Relevant Local Blog Posts
Like any content marketing, better content will drive better traffic to your website.
So when you’re trying to attract more customers from your local area, a great idea is to write more relevant blog posts that include local issues.
If you get more links and shares from local news websites, it’s another indication to Google that your business is from that area – which is a big thumbs up.
7. Keep Your Listings Consistent
A consistent ‘NAP’ can really help boost your local rankings. Your ‘NAP’ is your name, address and phone number. Keeping these consistent throughout different directories and on your own website has been proven to boost your local rankings.
Google likes to give it’s users clear and valid information – so multiple slight variations can confuse it and make it unsure of which information is correct. Go back and review your directory entries and listed NAPs on your website and try to make them all as consistent as possible.
8. Get into ‘Best of’ and Review Posts
If you can get into some local ‘best of’ posts about your business services in your local area, it can be a huge boost for your local reputations and for local SEO.
Simply search a term such as ‘best marketing consultant UK’ (obviously you would change the service and location to match your business), then get in touch with the writer of the article to ask if they wouldn’t mind considering your service as an addition to the list. If the article is from a competitor agency I may approach with caution – but if they’re open to adding you, it’s always worth asking!
9. Write a Local Guide
Writing a local guide, especially if you are in a hospitality or travel business, can seriously help you promote your website locally on Google.
Not only does it give you the opportunity to mention relevant local keywords frequently without your content reading strangely, but it also can be really helpful and shareable information if you work hard on making it quality, useful stuff.
Check out what your competitors have done and take it up a notch; you could even add a pdf download version as an incentive for people to join a email list!
If you’re not in a business where it makes sense to give a local guide, you can always write up a guide on how to get to your offices from different locations, mentioning things Google maps and sat navs might leave out such as where the busiest roads are that you might want to avoid or where clients might enjoy stopping for a great lunch or coffee on their way.
10. Get More Local Links
Getting local links should be a huge priority when you’re trying to rank well for local search terms.
Here’s some effective tactics you can use to gain more quality local backlinks:
- Write local reviews or testimonials for your local suppliers & request a link back for featuring your review on their website
- Get involved with your local business authorities and offer to be interviewed for any PR work/offer a service review
- Use tip 2 and make sure you enter as many good local directories as possible (ensuring your NAP is consistent)
- Follow your local newspaper journalists on Twitter and reach out to them if they need help on a story you have information on. You can simply use twitter search to search for the newspaper name and usually a whole load of journalists will pop up. Add them to a separate private list and check daily to keep it separate from your current twitter feed.
- Sponsor local events. If you have a bit of cash behind you, sponsoring a local event could be a great way to not only get your brand in front of new people in your area, but also gain you some great links from local websites.
- Check your local councils/governing bodies for advertising or PR opportunities. For example, Dundee City Council is currently offering advertising opportunities; with a domain authority of 96, a good link from someone like that could be seriously valuable!
Upvote
0
What about local schools? can you sponsor fete/events/school team kit etc...you could possibly get press interest on that. I can't give more precise suggestions without knowing what you do.
I work for a large company and they do a massive amount of charity work. They match fund any money we raise for charity and we can and they do organise volunteering events.
AllUpHere that's a crap windmill.
I work for a large company and they do a massive amount of charity work. They match fund any money we raise for charity and we can and they do organise volunteering events.
AllUpHere that's a crap windmill.
Last edited:
Upvote
0
Get networking locally.
Talk to followers, fans and clients about local charities and speak to community groups about what you can for them.
My company organises a careers awareness day in our local prison, we always so Macmillan Coffee Morning and marshall at local charity events too. We also helped the council on a project for free - everything is blogged about and on social media to show we are making an impact in the community.
Talk to followers, fans and clients about local charities and speak to community groups about what you can for them.
My company organises a careers awareness day in our local prison, we always so Macmillan Coffee Morning and marshall at local charity events too. We also helped the council on a project for free - everything is blogged about and on social media to show we are making an impact in the community.
Upvote
0
Latest Articles
-
Andy Burnham's Manifesto for Small Business, and How It Stacks Up Against Count BinfaceIf all goes to plan (or rather, to Labour's timetable), Andy Burnham...- Ozzy
- Updated:
-
SEO in the Age of AI: What UK Small Businesses Actually Need to KnowTL;DR Search has shifted from "ten blue links" to answer engines, and...
- Ozzy
- Updated:
-
What Carphone Warehouse, Microsoft and Uber Have in Common: They Started in a DownturnThere's a comforting myth that you need a booming economy to start...
- Ozzy
- Updated:
-
What Makes a Small Business Actually Sellable?There's a question that a lot of small business owners never think to...
- Ozzy
- Updated:
-
Why Your Team Keeps Asking the Same Questions (And What to Actually Do About It)Every small business owner knows the moment. You're halfway through...
- Ozzy
- Updated:
