4 themes and 21+ tips for local marketing from industry experts

The Local Marketing Lab podcast from Evocalize interviews industry experts each week to uncover tips for local marketing and tactics that drive business growth.

After reviewing four insightful October episodes, some key themes emerged for successfully engaging customers locally. While national marketing relies heavily on polished messaging and sweeping brand image, targeting locality demands authenticity, consistency, and community integration.

This article will explore the core themes that emerged across multiple Local Marketing Lab episodes and provide actionable tips for local marketing you can implement to boost your results.

Meet the guests

The October episodes featured insights from both the restaurant and mortgage industry experts on effective tips for local marketing strategies and tactics.

• Betsy Hamm, CEO of Duck Donuts [Using local partnerships to fuel restaurant growth]
• Wade Allen, EVP Strategic Growth at Costa Vida [5 impactful community engagement tips]
• James Duncan, Director of Marketing Engagement at Thrive Mortgage [Social media video: Why authenticity wins]
• Rev Ciancio, Co-Founder of Handcraft Burgers and Brews [5 must-do local marketing tips to drive growth]

Theme 1: Authenticity

The first tip for local marketing is authenticity. Being genuine in your messaging and sharing real, transparent stories connects brands with consumers on a deeper level. Lean into showcasing your company’s values, personality, and behind-the-scenes moments through video and social media. Let people get to know the human side of your business.

Tips:

• Share the process of your product or service. Gives glimpses into your brand rather than perfectly curated images. Be real and resonate with your audience. (Betsy Hamm)
• Reshare great user-generated content like customers enjoying your product. It promotes authenticity. (Betsy Hamm)
• Today’s consumers don’t trust overly polished, staged advertising. Capture and share authentic moments of giving back or delighting customers. (Wade Allen)
• Tell real stories of how you’ve helped people rather than generic congratulations posts. (James Duncan)
• Consumers connect with people, not logos. Show your brand’s human side. (James Duncan)
• Understand your brand and your audience – their journey and what they care about. Use that to apply creativity. (Rev Ciancio)

Theme 2: Hyperlocal outreach

Building loyalty and sales requires going beyond broad targeting to make deep connections in surrounding communities. Sponsor local events, partner with neighborhood businesses, and get your brand in front of nearby audiences.

Tips:

• Support local schools, PTAs, little leagues. Donate product and build community relationships. (Betsy Hamm)
• Partner with complementary businesses like car dealerships to do cross-promotions. (Betsy Hamm)
• Divide national ad budgets and empower local owners to plug into community events. (Wade Allen)
• Show up at high school football games, rodeos, etc. and hand out product samples to make an impression. (Wade Allen)

Theme 3: Quality video content

Video allows brands to convey a lot of information and personality in a short format that resonates across platforms. Get comfortable on camera and consistently publish helpful, engaging video.

Tips:

• Practice daily on video to improve delivery and confidence. Don’t over-script. (James Duncan)
• Keep videos focused on one topic and break up complex messages. (James Duncan)
• Use smartphones to easily capture authentic events and customer reactions. (Wade Allen)
• Repurpose user-generated video content like customers enjoying your product. (Betsy Hamm)

Theme 4: Data-driven optimization

The last of our tips for local marketing is data-driven optimization. Constantly measure marketing performance and double down on what works. Pay attention to engagement, conversions, and other metrics to refine your local strategy.

Tips:

• Experiment with different platforms and content types to see what your audience responds to best. (James Duncan)
• Accelerate learning by testing new formats and pushing out more content. (Rev Ciancio)
• Track what posts and events drive the most sales to focus local marketing efforts. (Betsy Hamm)
• Make sure your business is consistent across Google, Yelp, Yahoo, TripAdvisor, Alexa, etc. Check out Marqii to keep your information up to date. (Rev Ciancio)
• Good marketing is all about consistency. It’s about incremental improvements over time. If you want to get there, make sure you’re managing your listings and you’re capturing your guest emails. (Rev Ciancio)

October tips for local marketing

Local marketing comes with its own opportunities and challenges compared to broad national campaigns. As explored in these key themes and tips for local marketing, taking an authentic, community-focused approach is critical for resonating with nearby audiences.

For more actionable tips straight from industry experts, be sure to check out the Local Marketing Lab podcast episodes. Subscribe on your preferred podcast platform to stay up-to-date on the latest real-world marketing insights to drive local growth.

Tune in weekly to learn more ways to authentically connect with your audience and maximize your marketing dollars where it matters most.