In the past, all shops and service providers were local whizzes. They had a presence in their small town, were experts in their specialty, and knew their customers.
With big chain stores, e-commerce, and smart phones, that localized feeling has diminished. Big brands believe it’s impossible and expensive to localize. So, they choose to forego the extra effort to connect with local audiences.
With the ever-changing technological environment comes challenges even for the biggest brands. Thanks to Google, consumers want and expect local now more than ever.
So, what can you do?
Let’s use an example to explore. Think back to your old local hardware store. He knew the ins and outs of their store and could always point to anything you needed for any task. He was knowledgeable, valuable, and most of all, local.
What do you do if you’re a scaled brand and want to go back to that level of local expertise?
Whether you have locations, are e-commerce based, or a mix of both, you can be local anywhere that matters.
Here’s an example of how that could work:
Imagine a multi-location hardware store. They run digital ads about preparing for winter in some local town in Connecticut. They offer advice and resources that are relevant to that specific area. When someone clicks on the ad, they land on a local page with suggestions for tools or materials they may need.
They may also see results for local building codes, town dump hours, and content about seasonally-relevant projects. The content should be town specific, expert, and relevant to customers in the area.
The purpose of these pages is to convey empathy for the projects a local audience will contend with and make the connection to the local store as the expert for all their needs. This makes it easy for them to buy and pick up the necessary items at their local store on Main St. or order online in one click.
This type of contextual marketing makes the brand the local resource for customers and keeps them coming back time and time again, driving lifetime value.
At Longitude73, we help brands of any scale create, maintain, and profit from location-based digital efforts. We do this for any and every location they need. Reach out to learn more about brand localization.