In an era when you can get almost anything in the world delivered straight to your door at the click of a button, starting and growing a local business can be a daunting task.

Small business owners working to increase brand awareness and exposure must use the full potential of local advertising platforms as they build their marketing strategy. Beyond local newspapers, which are also important, these platforms offer a variety of small business advertising opportunities to connect with target audiences effectively.

Let’s explore some of the most effective small business marketing platforms and the advertising strategies that will help you maximize your local or small business's visibility.

The Benefits of Local Advertising Platforms

Local advertising platforms serve as the bridge between businesses and their local customers.

Leveraging these platforms increases brand visibility and drives traffic, conversions, and ultimately, revenue. When planning your overall marketing strategy, it’s important to remember the benefits that local advertising and marketing tools can provide across your business.

1. Targeted Marketing

Local ad platforms allow businesses to precisely target their audience based on location. This level of precision is invaluable for small businesses looking to reach potential new customers in their immediate vicinity.

With the ability to set specific geographic parameters, businesses can ensure their marketing efforts reach people who are most likely to become their customers and generate new business. This helps optimize ad spend while eliminating the “waste” often associated with broader marketing campaigns.

2. Increased Visibility

Online search is the dominant method for finding products and services, and a strong online presence is non-negotiable for a business of any size. Local advertising platforms help businesses improve their visibility in search results, online maps, and local directories.

When someone in your area searches for a product or service you offer, local advertising can help ensure that your business appears prominently, increasing the likelihood of attracting local customers.

3. Cost-Effective Marketing

For small businesses operating on tight budgets, cost-effective marketing solutions are a top priority. Local advertising platforms often offer affordable advertising options and make operating successful ad campaigns accessible for businesses with limited resources.

The ability to set a daily or monthly budget allows businesses to control their spending and measure the return on investment effectively.

4. Enhanced Engagement

Local advertising platforms typically include interactive features for business listings, like click-to-call buttons, directions, and customer reviews. These elements encourage potential customers to take action and provide an avenue for direct engagement.

Responding to customer inquiries and managing online reviews can help build trust and credibility within the local community, thus making your ads feel more click-worthy.

5. Valuable Analytics

Most local advertising platforms provide detailed analytics and reporting tools. These insights help businesses understand the performance of their campaigns, including metrics like impressions, clicks, conversions, and return on investment. These results can also help drill down on who your target demographic actually should be.

Small businesses should use this data to refine their marketing strategies and allocate resources more effectively.

6. Mobile-Friendly Solutions

The prevalence of mobile devices has transformed the way consumers search for local products and services. Local advertising platforms often offer mobile-friendly solutions that cater to the continually growing mobile user base.

Ensuring that your business is accessible and user-friendly on smartphones is crucial for capturing the mobile market. Robust digital marketing for mobile increases the likelihood of referrals and word-of-mouth promotion across platforms like SMS and direct messaging on social media platforms.

7. Community Building

Local advertising platforms help promote businesses while fostering a sense of community. By participating in local directories, maps, and platforms, small businesses become part of an area’s online ecosystem. This helps in attracting local customers and strengthens the business's connection with the community.

The Best Ad Platforms for Local Business Marketing Strategies

Understanding the importance of leveraging local advertising platforms is one thing, but let's dive into the top platforms and how to make the most of them. 

1. Google Ads for Local Businesses

Google Ads remains a dominant force in the world of online advertising. For local businesses, the platform offers highly effective tools and features to target local audiences and keep your brand top of mind. Here's how to make the most of Google Ads:

Set Up Google Ads for Local Campaigns

Start by claiming your Google My Business profile and creating a Google Business Profile account. Select the "Local" campaign type. Define your campaign goals, budget, and targeting options to ensure your ads are tailored to your local audience.

Use Location Extensions

Location extensions display your business address, phone number, and a map marker with your ads. This provides essential contact information to users and encourages them to visit your physical location or reach out to make sure you have what they’re looking for.

Run Effective Local Search Ads

Craft ad copy that incorporates local keywords and highlights your unique selling points. Use ad extensions like callout extensions to showcase your local services or offers.

Budgeting and Optimization

Regularly monitor your ad performance, adjust your budget, and optimize your campaigns based on data and insights. Google Ads provides various metrics to help you measure your success.

2. Social Media Advertising

Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram offer robust advertising avenues with extensive targeting options, making them ideal for reaching local audiences. A note to consider: If you run a local business focused on the B2B sector, LinkedIn can be a great social media marketing platform to explore as well.

Here's how to get the most out of your business’s social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram:

Create Geo-Targeted Ads

Both Facebook ads and Instagram allow you to target users based on their location. Craft ads that target local customers with specific appeals to events, content, and messaging that your community appreciates.

Leverage Facebook's Local Awareness Ads

Facebook's Local Awareness ads are specifically designed to increase foot traffic to physical stores. By implementing this feature, Facebook is helping small businesses like yours bring more people through your doors.

Use these ads to promote in-store events and incentives, pricing discounts, or new arrivals.

Use Instagram's Local Features

Instagram's location tags and hashtags can help local users and tourists alike discover your business. Encourage customers to tag your location when visiting your store or attending local events you host.

Our favorite way to become an Instagram location hotspot? A fun photo opportunity or a unique shopping experience that influencers will love to talk about.

A/B Testing and Ad Performance Measurement

When it comes to using Instagram and Facebook to connect with your local market, experiment with different ad creatives, headlines, and calls to action to determine which ones resonate best with your local audience. Trying new, creative appeals keeps folks engaged and promotes return visits.

Use Facebook's Ad Manager to track campaign performance and make data-driven decisions.

3. Local SEO and Organic Search

Paid advertising can deliver quick and effective results, but local Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a long-term, and very cost-effective (aka free advertising) strategy that significantly impacts your local visibility and helps you move up in the Bing and Google Search rankings.

Local SEO ensures your business page is discoverable through organic search results. It complements your paid advertising efforts by providing a strong foundation for your online presence.

Here's how to make the most of local SEO:

Optimize for Local Keywords

In-depth keyword research is the first step to success here. Identify relevant local keywords that your potential customer base will likely use in search queries.

It also never hurts to familiarize yourself with regionally unique phrases and words that community members use in everyday conversations. Familiarity and comfortability breed customer loyalty.

Local Link-Building Strategies

Acquire high-quality backlinks from sources like local business directories, local newspapers, bloggers, and community organizations like the Chamber of Commerce. These local listings signal to search engines that your business is a trusted entity and get your brand in front of more eyes in the long run.

Content Marketing for Local Audiences

Create SEO-focused and general marketing content that speaks directly to your local audience. This can include blog posts about local events, news, and stories that resonate with your community and incentivize them to visit your landing pages.

Get Local With It

Local advertising platforms play a crucial role in maximizing your business’s exposure. By effectively utilizing platforms like Google Ads, Facebook, and Instagram, and investing in local SEO, you can boost your online visibility, attract more local customers, and ultimately drive business growth.