If you’re well-versed in online marketing, you probably know that “local marketing” is different than general targeted marketing.
When you do normal targeted marketing, you are looking for your ideal client online. With local marketing, you’re looking for folks in a specific geographic neighborhood.
The good news is that social media makes local marketing easy – so you can combine it with your mailings for a localized one-two punch!
Finding the Neighborhood Online
How do you find people in your farm area or target market online?
Nextdoor is one site that allows you to connect with people from a specific neighborhood. It’s growing very quickly, and many areas are covered. While you may not have an address in the neighborhood, you create a local page for your business on the site. This allows you to see reviews that are shared with you, post your events in the Events calendar, and reply to folks looking for recommendations.
You can target locals with Facebook ads, and you can join Facebook groups focused on specific cities and residential areas. As long as you share useful information, you’ll be welcome there!
On Instagram, you can use local city names and neighborhoods in hashtags to gain attention. You can also search hashtags to find folks who are from the area you’re targeting. On Instagram, it’s perfectly normal to follow people you don’t know, so don’t be shy!
Gaining the Right Kind of Attention
We all knew a kid growing up who wanted attention and was bad in order to get it. Yes, that’s attention, but it’s the wrong kind.
Don’t be that person now on social media. Avoid common off-putting behavior, such as:
- Posting marketing messages repeatedly with no other content
- Ignoring the group or platform’s rules for promotion
- Sending unsolicited friend requests on Facebook
- Posting off-color or divisive content just to get noticed
Instead, think about the kind of neighbor you’d want, and be that way. Talk about things that are of interest to people in the community. Share posts from your blog or community events page. Answer questions – even those that have nothing to do with real estate.
When you can establish yourself as a good citizen and friend, people will be much more likely to listen to your marketing as well. Remember, they need to know, like, and trust you before they’ll buy from you!
Combine Local Online Marketing With Mailings
The ultimate one-two punch is to be visible in online communities related to your target market while also being visible in their physical mailbox. Combine your digital outreach with farming postcards, yard signs, and flyers.
The more people see you, the more active and successful they will think you are. So if they see your name and business information both online and offline, that’s a big win!
We’re happy to help you with your print campaigns and talk about how to match the marketing with digital options. Contact us any time!
How do you find your local market online? Share in the comments!
