How to Implement a Local Social Media Strategy

When running a social media account for a small business, or even for your own freelance work, you need to think about the two types of followings - local and global. Whilst a global following is most marketer's dream, smaller businesses might find it more beneficial to improve their local following. This means a following containing people who live in specifically targeted geo-locations. This could include the area which the business supplies, the location of a physical store or areas which speak the same language that your content is posted in. Here's a quick guide to implementing a local social media strategy!

Why Should You Have a Local Social Presence?

Local social media strategy is all about getting the right content to the right people. It's great that people in other cities, or even countries, are loving your content, but if they aren't in the right area to take advantage of your business then it won't lead to a lot of conversions.

Knowing your local social media following also means that you can post relevant content at the right time, which ultimately increases engagement across your social media accounts. This, in turn, increases your reach and general exposure for your brand.

Choosing Your Local Social Networks

Choosing your social network is the most important step in implementing a local social media strategy. You can find the most common social networks on websites such as Statista. This will give you some ideas as to which platforms to use. Make sure you really think about which platforms work for your services - look beyond the popular networks. You can find an extensive list of social networks here.

What Networks are Your Competitors Using?

This will take some time, but search through your competitor's social platforms and see which social networks they are utilising. You can also find most social media profiles for a brand here.

Other useful tools include:

Ubersuggest: search for your (or your competitor's) domain and “top pages” to see which pages have the most social media shares.

Mention: enter your (or your competitor's) name to see mentions from blogs, videos and social media networks.

BuzzSumo: enter your (or your competitor’s) domain or an industry keyword to find the most shared content for your entered keyword.

How To Gain a Local Following

Now that you've got your perfect networks, you need to increase your following! There are many ways to do this, but the main focus of your content should be awareness and engagement.

Some ideas for gaining a local following include:

• Run a competition for locals - offer prizes specific to the location e.g. a food company asking for the best recipe and the winner is sold in the shop.
• Ask questions specifically to your location - what's the best place to get breakfast in Bristol? etc.
• Ask locals for content - share a photo of you and your favourite place in the area etc.
• If you have a website, link to socials and encourage to follow.

Paid Ads are also a great way to increase your reach online. Target your ads to people in specific areas to reach your target demographic.

Don't forget to show some personality! The best thing about small businesses is the community feeling. Share videos of behind the scenes, show the face behind your brand and get to know your audience to keep your customers coming back!

Simple First Steps

There are a few simple changes you can make in a matter of minutes. These will make your followers aware of where you are. These include:

1. Add Your Location to Your Bio

This is an easy way to express your location, as it's right there when users click on your profile. You can add a specific location e.g. your exact address if you have a physical store, or simply your city/country.

2. Use Geotags

This is more useful in platforms such as Instagram, where you can easily add your location to each post. You can also use geotags in your stories, which increases your reach more.

3. Use Local Hashtags

Use hashtags that relate to both your business and your location. For example #SmallBusinessLeicester or #LondonRestaurant. If users follow these hashtags, they will see your business and they will also appear to other users relating to that area.

Implement Local SEO

SEO and social media go hand in hand, so you'll want to improve your local strategy to keep up with your snazzy new social networks. Read our blog to learn more about local SEO strategies.

Written by Suzie Letts