These slides are the first in a series from seminars designed to teach business owners and operators how to market themselves online to local customers. This session is an overview of 7 or 8 candidate techniques that should be considered for this purpose. For each technique, we evaluate its strengths and weaknesses, and what business types might be more or less applicable for the technique.

1. |
Aha!Local
University
Session
One
The
Online
Marke8ng
Landscape
for
Local
Businesses
The
first
in
a
series
of
seminars
and
webinars
about
how
to
market
your
business
online
to
local
customers

2. |
Agenda
• Marke(ng
Channels
for
Local
Audiences
> Local
Lis(ngs
and
Local
Search
> Local
Paid
Adver(sements
> Social
Media
> Loca(on-­‐Based
Social
Networking
> Reviews
> Online
Coupons
> Mobile
• Preview
of
Upcoming
Sessions
• Final
Thoughts

3. |
Characteris8cs
to
be
Reviewed
• What
it
is
• Strengths
• Weaknesses
• Applicability
for
local
marke(ng
(strongest
and
weakest)

4. |
Which
Channels
May
Be
Right
for
You?
• What
are
your
goals?
> Finding
new
customers,
or
deepening
rela(onship
with
exis(ng
ones?
• Which
match
your
audience?
> What
is
their
online
behavior?
• Which
match
your
transac(on
type?
> Rela(onship-­‐based?
Casual?
Analy(cal?
• What
is
a
customer
worth?
> Life(me
value,
including
referral
value

5. |
Local
Lis8ngs
Are
Everywhere

6. |
Local
Lis8ngs
Are
Everywhere

7. |
Local
Lis8ngs
Are
Everywhere

8. |
Local
Lis8ngs
Are
Everywhere

9. |
Local
Lis8ngs
Are
Everywhere

10. |
Local
Lis8ngs:
Strengths
&
Weaknesses
Strengths
• Modern
replacement
to
printed
Yellow
Pages
• Key
tool
for
new
client
acquisi(on
> How
customers
now
find
local
businesses
• 86%
of
local
searchers
take
ac(on
(call
or
visit)
on
the
results
• Dominate
search
results
pages,
diminishing
the
importance
of
website
op(miza(on
Weaknesses
• Suscep(ble
to
hacking
• Limited
opportunity
to
present
your
business
the
way
you
want
• Limited
ability
to
monitor
performance
• Compe((ve
environment
for
top
placement

11. |
Local
Lis8ngs
Applicability
for
Local
Marke8ng
Stronger
Applicability
• Firms
relying
on
new
customers
or
with
high
churn
> Restaurants
> Retail
Weaker
Applicability
• Firms
relying
on
repeat
customers
‣ Membership
orgs
• Firms
servicing
areas
other
than
their
physical
loca(on
‣ Building
contractors
• High
density
segments
‣ Den(sts

12. |
Local
Pay-­‐Per-­‐Click
&
Pay-­‐Per-­‐
Call

13. |
Other
Local
Paid
Ads

14. |
Local
PPC:
Strengths
&
Weaknesses
Strengths
• Scalable
budget
-­‐
spend
only
what
you
can
afford
• Measurability!
• Good
geotarge(ng
or
demotarge(ng
(Facebook)
• Delivers
searcher
to
exact
page
you
want
> Landing
page
with
dedicated
messaging
and
offer
Weaknesses
• Clicks
are
sold
by
auc(on,
so
compe((on
can
drive
up
cost
• Requires
investment
in
well-­‐
op(mized
landing
page

15. |
Local
PPC
Applicability
for
Local
Marke8ng
Stronger
Applicability
• Broadly
applicable
• Firms
on
which
customers
want
to
do
research
before
approaching
Weaker
Applicability
• Businesses
that
are
likely
to
be
visited
immediately
> Restaurants
• Overcompe((ve
PPC
segments
> A[orneys

16. |
Social
Media
• Includes:
> Blogging
> Microblogging
> Video/music/photo
sharing
> Life
sharing
> Many
others
• More
closely
associated
with
public
rela(ons
than
promo(on
> Branding
strength,
versus
driving
sales
directly

17. |
Social
Media:
Blogging

18. |
Social
Media:
Microblogging

19. |
Social
Media:
Microblogging

20. |
Social
Media:
Microblogging

21. |
Social
Media:
Video
Sharing

22. |
Social
Media:
Video
Sharing

23. |
Social
Media:
Video
Sharing

24. |
Social
Media:
Video
Sharing

25. |
Social
Media:
Video
Sharing

26. |
Social
Media:
Facebook

27. |
Social
Media:
Facebook

28. |
Social
Media:
Facebook

29. |
Social
Media:
Strengths
&
Weaknesses
Strengths
• Good
PR
vehicle
> Messaging
delivered
directly
to
people
you
care
about
> You
(mostly)
control
the
message
Weaknesses
• Not
paid
media
–
you
need
to
build
an
audience
• Too
much
promo(on
can
be
viewed
as
a
nega(ve
• Indirect
(e
from
engagement
to
ac(on

30. |
Social
Media
Applicability
for
Local
Marke8ng
Stronger
Applicability
• Businesses
that
establish
strong
rela(onships
with
customers
and
community
• Event-­‐driven
businesses
> Food
truck
loca(on
> Changing
class
schedules
• Businesses
that
have
something
to
say
> E.g.:
Posi(on
themselves
as
experts
in
their
field
Weaker
Applicability
• Businesses
with
low-­‐
involvement
transac(ons
> Becomes
couponing
channel
only

31. |
Loca8on-­‐Based
Social
Networking

32. |
Loca8on-­‐Based
Social
Networking

33. |
Loca8on-­‐Based
Social
Networking

34. |
Loca8on
Based
Social
Media:
Strengths
&
Weaknesses
Strengths
• Instant
word-­‐of-­‐mouth
marke(ng
• Easy
way
to
establish
a
rewards
program
for
frequent
customers
• Serve
as
a
form
of
review
site
• Very
(ghtly
targeted
promo(on
> Can
draw
people
to
your
business
that
are
nearby
Weaknesses
• Everything
outside
of
hospitality
> Nobody
cares
if
you
check
in
at
your
car
dealer

35. |
Loca8on-­‐Based
Social
Media:
Applicability
for
Local
Marke8ng
Stronger
Applicability
• Entertainment
and
hospitality
> Places
where
friends
join
friends
Weaker
Applicability
• Professional
or
trade
services

36. |
Reviews

37. |
Reviews

38. |
Reviews

39. |
Reviews:
Strengths
&
Weaknesses
Strengths
• Provides
customers
with
‘unbiased’
third-­‐party
evalua(on
of
your
business
• One
of
the
strongest
influencers
toward
purchase
• Can
be
recruited
at
low
cost:
just
ask
happy
customers
for
them
Weaknesses
• Much
of
it
is
outside
your
control
> Very
limited
ability
to
directly
address
nega(ve
reviews
> We
have
discovered
‘serial
bashers’
and
had
their
reviews
removed
on
Google

40. |
Reviews
Applicability
for
Local
Marke8ng
Stronger
Applicability
• Business-­‐to-­‐consumer
• Hospitality
• Service
providers
Weaker
Applicability
• Business-­‐to-­‐business

41. |
Online
Couponing

42. |
Online
Couponing

43. |
Online
Couponing

44. |
Online
Couponing

45. |
Online
Coupons:
Strengths
&
Weaknesses
Strengths
• Drives
customer
ac(on
• Trackability!
> Know
which
channels
are
working
> Know
which
offers
are
working
Weaknesses
• Coupon-­‐cu[ers
are
not
your
best
customers
• Experienced
shoppers
seek
out
coupons
> Giving
money
to
someone
who
was
already
going
to
buy
• Customers
become
addicted
to
coupons
> The
Pizza
Hut
problem
> Long-­‐term
margin
erosion
• May
provide
nega(ve
impact
on
your
brand

46. |
Online
Couponing
Applicability
for
Local
Marke8ng
Stronger
Applicability
• Properly
defined,
they
are
broadly
applicable
> Trade
services
> Retail
> Hospitality
> Business-­‐to-­‐business
Weaker
Applicability
• Professional
services
> Do
you
want
to
use
an
a[orney
that
offers
a
coupon?

47. |
Mobile/SMS

48. |
Mobile/SMS:
Strengths
&
Weaknesses
Strengths
• Mobile
search:
> Ease
of
administra(on
• Mobile
display:
> High
level
of
engagement,
good
for
branding
• SMS:
> Over
90%
of
texts
are
opened
> Provides
one-­‐to-­‐one
dialog
with
customer
> High
clickthrough
rate
(14.1%)
and
conversion
rate
(8.2%)
Weaknesses
• Mobile
search:
> Op(miza(on
required
for
good
ROI
> Op(mized
landing
pages
required
• Mobile
display
> Ads
expensive
to
create
compared
to
placement
opportuni(es
• SMS:
> Require
opt-­‐in
phone
numbers

49. |
Mobile/SMS
Applicability
for
Local
Marke8ng
Stronger
Applicability
• Mobile
search:
> Broadly
applicable
• Mobile
display:
> Businesses
trying
to
establish
strong
brand
images
• SMS:
> Businesses
relying
on
repeat
customers
(e.g.
spas)
Weaker
Applicability
• Mobile
display:
> Promo(ons
requiring
specific
calls
to
ac(on
(promo(ons,
sales)
• SMS:
> Businesses
with
high
churn,
targe(ng
new
customers

50. |
Your
Assignment:
Which
Channels
may
be
Right
for
Me?
• What
are
your
goals?
> Finding
new
customers,
or
deepening
rela(onship
with
exis(ng
ones?
• Which
match
your
audience?
> What
is
their
online
behavior?
• Which
match
your
transac(on
type?
> Rela(onship-­‐based?
Casual?
Analy(cal?
• What
is
a
customer
worth?
> Life(me
value,
including
referral
value

51. |
Planned
Curriculum
• Local
Lis(ngs
and
Local
Search
• Local
Paid
Adver(sements
• Social
Media
• Reviews
• Online
Coupons
• Loca(on-­‐Based
Social
Networking
• Mobile

52. |
Final
Thoughts
• Slides
will
be
posted
online
> Link
will
be
sent
to
meetup.com
group
and
to
Twi[er
followers
• Please
sign
in
to
make
sure
we
have
your
complete
contact
info
• Please
provide
feedback
on
the
meetup.com
group
site
• Referral
gil:
Bring
another
next
(me
and
get
a
gil!
• Follow
us
on
Twi[er
@parallelpath