3 Marketing Mistakes Local Businesses Often Make (Plus Tips for Getting it Right)

1. Not Using Digital Marketing

When business owners and consumers alike think of local marketing, traditional advertising tends to come to mind. While there’s nothing wrong with traditional marketing, many businesses miss out on major opportunities by not taking advantage of digital marketing and its unique targeting capabilities. 

A common misconception about digital marketing is that it’s more expensive than traditional marketing or that it’s too complicated to get started with. In actuality, digital marketing can provide a great return on investment and can be highly customized to reach targeted audiences for maximum impact. 

How to Make the Most of Local Digital Marketing for your Small Business 

Digital marketing encompasses a wide range of online mediums. When marketing digitally at a local level, there are several important questions to keep in mind: 

• Who is your target audience? 
• Which digital platforms are preferred among your target audience? 
• Which creative messaging and tactics are best for reaching consumers in your area? 

First and foremost, your target audience will play a big role in determining which services you use. For instance, older audiences may be best reached via email through email marketing, whereas younger audiences may be better suited for a social media or YouTube strategy where they spend more of their time online. 

Either way, as a result of digital transformation and the pandemic, there are several platforms that are a perfect fit for local businesses among a wide range of audiences. Check out our recommendations you can’t go wrong with below!



Why Use Search Engine Marketing?

Search engine marketing has emerged as a key player amid the pandemic since, let’s face it, we’re all taking to the internet to answer all of our questions ranging from what’s for dinner to how much longer this quarantine is going to last. 

This method is also increasingly popular as a long term strategy since a sustained search engine marketing plan can help your business’ name and information rise to the top of the search engine results pages (also known as SERPs). Users are increasingly adding “near me” to their searches, making a localized online presence in your geographical area crucial. 

Keep in mind that keywords and search engines change over time according to the latest algorithms, and know that major growth is unlikely to happen overnight -- good things take time. However, if you’re planning ahead for your business’ future success, a search engine marketing strategy is a great way to ensure you’re prepared. 

Search plays a significant role in ecommerce too, which has soared to new heights in 2020. For instance, eMarketer estimates that 72.2% of ecommerce channel ad spending this year falls into the search category. Want to learn more about using search engine marketing to grow your small business? Check out our article for the full scoop. 

Why Use Email Marketing? 

While email marketing may not be the flashiest digital marketing method that comes to mind, it’s one of the most reliable and provides one of the highest returns on investment. Believe it or not, email generates a whopping $38 for every $1 spent, giving it a 3,800% ROI. Evidently, if you’re looking to stretch your marketing dollars, email is an excellent option. 

From sending out weekly or monthly newsletters to potential clients, to alerting consumers in your area to your business’ latest sales offers, email marketing is an easy and effective way to increase awareness and leads for your business, and can allow you to customize your messaging to connect meaningfully with recipients. 

The Covid-19 pandemic has given email marketing an added boost, with email open rates skyrocketing in the third quarter of 2020 as consumers continued to do more of their shopping online. According to a recent study, promotional emails generated 10.18% in the third quarter, which is a 22.12% increase compared to the same period last year. Additionally, automated messages received a 34.08% average open rate -- a 10% jump compared to the third-quarter of 2019. That being said, the trick is to automate and personalize your email marketing campaigns to build strong relationships with consumers that will motivate them to take next steps. 

Why Advertise on Connected TV/OTT? 

Connected TV/OTT advertising has had quite a spectacular year. To be fair, it was expected to continue performing well as it had in previous years, however, the scale of this platform’s growth has been astronomical. From a pandemic perspective, this makes perfect sense. More people at home binge watching their favorite shows and movies on streaming platforms = more people watching ads on said platforms and taking action. 

A recent eMarketer projection found that: 

• In 2020, US CTV ad spending will total $8.11 billion and will increase to $11.36 billion in 2021. 
• By 2024, it’s expected to reach $18.29 billion -- more than double the amount spent this year. 
• Of all CTV ad revenues, roughly half are spent on YouTube, Hulu, and Roku. 

With CTV/OTT becoming more popular, it’s no longer just young audiences who are tuning in. For instance, across age groups within the U.S., 45.7 million viewers are Gen Z, 56.5 million are millennials, 48.5 million are Gen X, and 32.8 million are baby boomers. From your grandma to your teenage kids, everyone is hopping on the video streaming bandwagon. If these words sound like a bunch of gibberish to you or if you’d simply like to learn more about what they mean, read our article for the top terms you need to know. Plus, learn more about the topic of online streaming.

2. Not Reaching a Wide Enough Audience by Failing to Include a Multicultural Marketing Strategy

Local audiences aren’t all the same, and assuming that they are is another major mistake. Many small businesses miss out on potential loyal customers by failing to reach audiences of all backgrounds. For instance, many areas across the U.S. are diverse, yet brands and businesses only aim to reach the “general market,” which is quickly becoming smaller as multicultural audiences grow in numbers. 

After a string of social justice events on global, national, and local levels this year, both brands and marketers everywhere are placing an emphasis on reaching multicultural consumers. Read more about this in our 2020 recap, along with our top tips for running successful digital marketing campaigns in the upcoming year. 

Recently, market research firm ThinkNow released a report highlighting the impact that culture has on multicultural consumer identity, along with how cultural values and identity can play a part in the purchase process. For instance, preferences and behaviors can fluctuate depending on who is addressing multicultural groups (work settings, advertisements from media companies, friends, family, etc.) as well as how individuals choose to identify. 

Since 2020 was a year that brought race, ethnicity, and identity in all of its forms to the forefront, multicultural consumers have developed higher standards when it comes to which brands and businesses they support. Make sure your business is doing its part to reach them authentically and meaningfully, or else you’re missing out on their business both now and in years to come. 

For more on this topic, check out the stats below, and don’t forget to read our posts about the importance of multicultural marketing and the most common misconceptions brands make about U.S. Latinos.

3. Not Getting Help from Experts 

Save the DIY attitude for later! A comprehensive marketing plan cannot be done in a “set it and forget it” way, and unfortunately, many small businesses end up losing money by attempting to do their marketing themselves than if they would’ve hired professionals in the first place. 

Marketing your business can be daunting, but it shouldn’t have to be. With the help of expert digital marketing consultants, your business can reach the right people in your area at the right time to ensure better results. Plus, an expert's entire job is to help your business grow and gain clients, so you can focus on what you do best and run your business. 

You don’t have to spend a ton to get a ton of value. As you run your initial digital campaigns, your marketing agency of choice can track what’s working well and what isn’t so that you can optimize for the future. Not sure how to pick a local marketing agency near you? Read our top tips on making your choice here.

Aside from marketing help, there are plenty of organizations and companies that are looking to lend small businesses a hand during this time. Running your own business is no joke -- and you should take advantage of the free tools, grants, and resources if you can. Major companies such as the UPS Store, Vistaprint, American Express, and more are providing resources for small businesses. Want more info? Our small business resources article provides an in-depth overview of available resources.

How to Get Started with Digital Marketing

Curious about getting started with digital marketing or have questions about the process? We’ve got you covered. 

Feel free to contact one of our expert digital marketing consultants or find a location near you today for more information. 

We look forward to hearing from you!