If you’ve noticed a trend of more people preferring to support a local business over big box stores and nationwide chains, you’re not alone. As a local business, you may be wondering how you can use the “buy local” momentum to your advantage. From the corner coffee shop that fuels up Birminghamians to the HVAC company that keeps the Alabama heat at bay, local businesses are the driving force behind our communities. They help us serve our neighbors, build relationships, and power the local economy.
In this guide, we’re exploring how to promote your business locally, what qualifies as a local business, and why local business listings are so important. Whether you’re new in town or looking to expand your customer base, these strategies can help you build trust, reach more people, and get your name buzzing around town.
Understanding Local Businesses
What Is a Local Business?
So, what is a local business exactly? A loose definition would be any company that provides goods or services within a specific geographic area. They typically provide a specific product or service and directly serve the people in their community. However, they can also be split into two categories:
- Brick-and-Mortar Locations: These kinds of businesses have storefronts that customers visit. Think of salons, restaurants, or retail shops.
- Service Area Businesses: These kinds of businesses travel to customers within a defined region to provide a service. Examples include plumbers, landscapers, HVAC technicians, and more.
What really sets local businesses apart is the personal touch they provide with their services. You’re not dealing with a company with a distant corporate office; you’re working with someone who might be your neighbor or go to the same PTA meetings.
The Importance of Local Businesses In the Community
Local businesses don’t just help build the local economy. They also help build community by creating jobs, supporting schools and charities, and keeping dollars circulating locally. This is one of the main reasons that the buy local movement has taken off. When you spend money at a local shop or hire a neighborhood service provider, more of that money stays in your community, helping everyone thrive.
What Is a Local Business Listing?
You can think of a local business listing as your digital storefront across the web. It generally includes the name of your business, the address, phone number, hours of operation, and, sometimes, reviews and photos, depending on the platform. Your local business listing shows up on search engines, maps, and directories to help potential customers find you and build trust based on reviews and your interaction with customers.
Why Do Local Listings Matter?
Accurate local listings help improve your online visibility and Local SEO (If you don’t know what Local SEO is, check out our beginner’s guide). Without it, you’re missing out on a lot of potential customers. Approximately 86 percent of people use Google Maps to look up a business location. If Google knows where you are and what you do, it can show your business when local customers search for your services.
That’s why creating a business profile on Google and other popular business platforms is so crucial. If you haven’t already, here are some of the most popular platforms to list your business on:
Claiming/creating your profile on these platforms gives potential customers another way to find what you have to offer besides your website.
How Can You Promote Your Business Locally?
If you thought we would tell you to print flyers or let word-of-mouth work its magic, think again. Although you definitely want people to tell their friends and others about how awesome your business is, online promotion can take your business much further. Here are some smarter, more scalable ways to put your business on the local map—quite literally.
Optimize Your Online Presence
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Claim your Google Business Profile.
There’s a reason ‘Google’ is a verb. It’s the most widely used search engine on the internet. Make sure you claim your Google Business Profile, provide all relevant information, and update it regularly. Additionally, adding photos, responding to reviews (respectfully), and keeping your hours current tells Google and customers that you’re legit and active.
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Use Local SEO strategies.
Using location-specific keywords across your website helps search engines know what users to suggest your services to. For example, instead of simply saying “landscaping services,” you can add “in Birmingham, AL,” to signal where you’re located.
Engage on Social Media
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Go where your audience is.
Whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, create profiles where your target customers spend their time. Share updates, behind-the-scenes content, local events or promotions, and customer shoutouts. The more you interact with your audience, the more you build trust and brand loyalty.
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Keep it local.
Go beyond generic content by celebrating local holidays, spotlighting local sports teams, and giving a shout-out to other local businesses you’re a fan of. Promoting local content shows you’re not only a part of the community but that you care about what’s going on in it, too.
Participate In Community Events
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Sponsor or attend events.
Whether it’s having a booth at the farmers market, sponsoring a Little League team, or being a vendor at a local festival, participating in local events is a great way to gain face-to-face exposure. It can also work wonders as an alternative means of introducing your business to new customers, hopefully encouraging them to visit you in person or use your services at a later time.
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Collaborate with other local businesses.
Is there another local business you admire? Consider cross-promotions, bundled offers, or shared events to help you tap into each other’s market and build goodwill.
Leverage Local Directories
While having a listing on the platforms we mentioned earlier is key, having your business listed in local directories is also a plus. Google and other search engines often use these directories to verify information and cross-match local services. In fact, being listed in these local directories can even help you rank higher on Google, as being on a trusted platform helps build your credibility. For Birmingham-area businesses, the following directories can be a goldmine for visibility and credibility:
- Shelby County Chamber Directory
- Hoover Chamber Directory
- Birmingham Business Alliance Member Directory
- Bham Now’s Local Business Guide
Encourage Customer Reviews
Don’t be afraid to ask customers to leave you a review on Google, Yelp, Facebook, Thumbtack, or other platforms. With online reviews influencing 67 percent of customers, they can make the difference between whether or not a potential customer decides to become a patron.
How Can You Advertise Your Business Locally?
“You have to spend money to make money.” In the world of advertising and marketing, truer words have never been spoken. However, when done right, local advertising provides a solid ROI.
Digital Advertising Strategies
At Uptick, we offer a tailored digital marketing strategy to our clients that often includes the following:
Using platforms like Facebook and Instagram to run ads targeted by location, interests, or behavior allows us to hone in on your target audience, which is those who are more likely to be interested in or are already looking for your products or services. We can even retarget individuals who have already visited your website or interacted with a post.
Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising
Platforms like Google Ads and Meta Ads Manager allow you to create ads, bid on keywords (like “Birmingham plumbers with the best prices”), and only pay when a person clicks on your ad. PPC ads are one of the most cost-efficient ways to get quick wins for our clients who need to increase sales fast.
Local SEO helps your business show up when people in your area search for the products or services you offer. At Uptick, we optimize your Google Business Profile, build accurate local listings across the web, and create content that connects with people right in your community. Whether someone is looking for a “roofing company near me” or directions to your storefront, Local SEO puts you in the spotlight—literally on the map—so you can reach more local customers and drive foot traffic, phone calls, and leads where they matter most.
Real Wins for Uptick Marketing Clients
We know, we know—we’ve talked the Local SEO talk, but what does it look like to walk the Local SEO walk and see real results? Just ask a few of our clients who’ve experienced measurable wins with our partnership.
Take a regional hospital we’ve worked with, for example. With five locations across Alabama, their long-term collaboration with us has led to year-over-year growth in Google Business Profile (GBP) metrics across the board. One location saw a 39 percent increase in Google Search views and a 17 percent rise in website clicks. Likewise, another location saw an 18 percent increase in website traffic and a 22 percent jump in search views. Even listings with a more targeted audience continue to see consistent growth thanks to targeted GBP optimization, accurate listings, and regular posting.
For a local community bank client of ours, the results speak just as clearly. Since onboarding in 2022, this financial institution has seen a 28 percent increase in website clicks at one of its branches and a steady uptick (pun intended) across other locations. What started as a few listings has expanded to include three additional branches, which we take as a testament to their satisfaction and ongoing growth.
Even a multi-location retail client has reaped the benefits. One location in Georgia saw a 20 percent boost in Google Search views, while a location in Tennessee experienced a 100 percent surge across several key GBP metrics after teaming up with our Local SEO experts.
From hospitals to banks and more, these local businesses trusted Uptick Marketing to help them get found online, and it’s paying off! With customized strategies that include citation building, review management, listing accuracy checks, and spam suppression, we don’t just boost visibility: We help businesses make meaningful local connections that turn into real results.
Improve Your Local Presence with Uptick Marketing
Not only is promoting your business locally smart—it’s essential. From the mom and pop shop to growing service providers, there’s no shortage of competition. Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with the people right outside your door.
Here’s the bottom line when it comes to how to promote your business locally:
- Claim your business on major platforms, ensuring your information is accurate.
- Be social and stay active in your community.
- Don’t be afraid to invest in advertising; just be smart about how and where you spend.
Your customers are out there. They just need a little help finding you! At Uptick Marketing, we specialize in helping local businesses like yours build their local presence with Local SEO services and other digital advertising strategies.
If you’re having trouble setting up your Google Business Profile or other local listing, we would love to help! Get in touch with us today to increase your visibility—online and around town.
