Local Marketing Growth | Local Marketing Lab Podcast by Evocalize

Enhance your local marketing growth with these tips: June recap

July 26, 2024

Welcome to this recap from The Local Marketing Lab, where we summarize strategies and tips to drive local marketing growth for multi-location businesses. In June, our podcast featured four industry experts who shared their wealth of knowledge on community engagement, customer experience, content strategy, and authenticity.

These themes are essential for leaders at multi-location businesses seeking to enhance their local marketing efforts. Let’s dive into their invaluable insights and learn how to apply these expert strategies to achieve local marketing growth.

Meet the guests

In June, The Local Marketing Lab podcast hosted four remarkable guests, each bringing a unique perspective on local marketing growth. Here’s a brief introduction to our June lineup:

Tracie Schmidt: As a top-producing branch manager at Supreme Lending, Tracie has over 20 years of experience in the mortgage industry. She is passionate about integrating technology and marketing to build a strong brand presence in the local market. [View episode here]
Allison Rand: The VP of Marketing at YouFit Gyms, Allison has a wealth of experience in fitness marketing. She focuses on leveraging user-generated content and authentic experiences to drive engagement and growth. [View episode here]
Michael Ungaro: CEO of San Pedro Fish Market, Michael emphasizes the importance of storytelling and community involvement in building a loyal customer base. His strategies highlight the power of connecting with local audiences on a personal level. [View episode here]
Hamed Mazrouei: As the founder of Milagro, Hamed brings a deep understanding of customer experience and the use of technology to enhance business operations and customer satisfaction. [View episode here]

June 2024 Local Marketing Lab Podcast guests: Local Marketing Growth

These experts shared their strategies to help multi-location business leaders navigate the complexities of local marketing growth. Stay tuned as we explore their key insights on community engagement, customer experience, content strategy, and authenticity.

Community engagement

Engaging with the local community is a cornerstone of effective local marketing growth. It’s been repeated across every episode. Building strong relationships within the community can significantly boost brand visibility and loyalty. By being an active part of the community, businesses can create lasting connections that go beyond transactions.

Why community engagement matters

Community engagement helps businesses:

Establish a local presence
Build trust and loyalty
Foster a sense of belonging among customers

Here are some valuable tips from our June podcast episodes on how to effectively engage with your local community:

Partner with local businesses: Collaborate with local businesses for cross-promotional opportunities that benefit both parties. (Tracie Schmidt)
Highlight local customers: Feature stories and testimonials from local customers to build a sense of community and trust. (Tracie Schmidt)
Get involved in local events: Sponsor local events and sports teams to enhance your presence and build a loyal customer base. (Allison Rand)
Support local causes: Get involved in local charitable activities to show your commitment to the community. (Allison Rand)
Leverage local stories: Share community-specific narratives to make your brand resonate more deeply with local audiences. (Michael Ungaro)
Create community-focused content: Develop content that highlights local events, businesses, and stories to connect with your audience. (Michael Ungaro)
Be present in the community: Engage with community members by attending local events and being visible in the area. (Hamed Mazrouei)
Use digital platforms for local engagement: Utilize platforms like Google My Business to post updates and highlight community involvement. (Hamed Mazrouei)

Community engagement is a powerful tool for local marketing growth. By actively participating in local events, supporting community initiatives, and sharing authentic local stories, businesses can build strong, lasting relationships with their local audience. This not only enhances brand visibility but also fosters loyalty and trust, essential components for sustainable growth in local markets.

Customer experience

Enhancing customer experience is essential for driving local marketing growth. A positive customer experience fosters loyalty, encourages repeat business, and generates word-of-mouth referrals. By prioritizing customer satisfaction, businesses can create a strong foundation for sustainable growth.

Why customer experience matters

Improving customer experience helps businesses:

Increase customer retention
Build a positive reputation
Drive repeat business and referrals

Here are some valuable tips from our June podcast episodes on how to enhance customer experience effectively:

Develop a value proposition: Offer tangible, valuable resources like home buying guides or seminars. (Tracie Schmidt)
Build long-term relationships: Understand client needs and provide valuable expertise to foster lasting partnerships.. (Tracie Schmidt)
Mental health focus: Emphasize the mental health benefits of your services, which can resonate well with customers. (Allison Rand)
Authentic engagement: Engage authentically with customers by creating genuine connections and understanding their needs. (Allison Rand)
Storytelling: Use storytelling to create a memorable and engaging customer experience, making customers feel part of your brand’s journey. (Michael Ungaro)
Consistent quality: Ensure consistent quality in your products and services to build trust and reliability with your customers. (Michael Ungaro)
Automated follow-ups: Utilize automated systems to send personalized follow-ups and offers to customers, enhancing their overall experience. (Hamed Mazrouei)
Local listings accuracy: Keep local listings updated with accurate information to prevent customer frustration and ensure a smooth experience. (Hamed Mazrouei)
Basic communication: Send personalized emails or messages to customers to thank them for their visit, wish them happy birthday, or check in if they haven’t visited in a while. (Hamed Mazrouei)
VIP treatment: Recognize and reward frequent or high-spending customers with special treatment, such as shorter wait times or personalized service. (Hamed Mazrouei)
Feedback mechanism: Implement tools to gather and respond to customer feedback promptly, ensuring any issues are addressed quickly. (Hamed Mazrouei)

Enhancing customer experience is a crucial component of local marketing growth. By personalizing communication, actively seeking feedback, and ensuring consistent quality, businesses can build strong relationships with their customers. This not only improves customer satisfaction but also drives repeat business and positive word-of-mouth, which are vital for long-term success in local markets.

Content strategy

Creating an effective content strategy is crucial for driving local marketing growth. A well-crafted content strategy helps businesses connect with their audience, build brand awareness, and drive engagement. By tailoring content to meet the specific needs and interests of local customers, businesses can create a more meaningful and impactful connection with their audience.

Why content strategy matters

Developing a strong content strategy helps businesses:

Enhance audience engagement
Build brand awareness
Drive local marketing growth

Here are some valuable tips from our June podcast episodes on how to develop an effective content strategy:

Leverage video content: Using video content to engage with your audience and showcase your expertise and personality to build a strong connection with your local market. (Tracie Schmidt)
Be consistent and proactive: Regularly posting valuable content helps keep your brand top-of-mind for your audience. (Tracie Schmidt)
Incorporate humor and personal stories: Use relatable and funny stories to connect with your audience and make your content more engaging. (Tracie Schmidt)
Create user-generated content: Encouraging your customers to share their experiences can create authentic and engaging content that resonates with your audience. (Allison Rand)
Test various creatives: Regularly test different types of content to see what resonates best with your audience. Be flexible and ready to pivot based on performance data and feedback. (Allison Rand)
Optimize for customer experience: Ensure a seamless customer experience, such as using QR codes for easy ordering, to enhance satisfaction and repeat business. (Michael Ungaro)
Consistent storytelling: Continuously tell your brand’s story across all platforms to control the narrative and reinforce your identity. (Michael Ungaro)
Leverage your history: Share stories about your business’s history and milestones to build a deeper connection with your audience. (Michael Ungaro)
Automation utilization: Implement automation tools to streamline content management and distribution processes. (Hamed Mazrouei)
Retention over acquisition: Emphasize content strategies aimed at retaining existing customers rather than solely focusing on acquiring new ones. (Hamed Mazrouei)

Developing an effective content strategy is essential for local marketing growth. By leveraging video content, encouraging user-generated content, and using storytelling, businesses can create engaging and authentic content that resonates with their audience. Consistently posting valuable content and using digital tools to optimize your strategy will help drive engagement and build a strong local presence.

Authenticity

Authenticity is a critical component of local marketing growth. Authentic brands build trust, foster loyalty, and create meaningful connections with their audience. By being genuine and transparent, businesses can differentiate themselves in a crowded market and cultivate long-lasting relationships with their customers.

Authenticity helps businesses build trust with customers and enhance brand loyalty. Here are some valuable tips from our June podcast episodes on how to maintain authenticity in your marketing efforts:

Be yourself: Post personal photos and stories, like family moments or favorite meals, to show your genuine self. (Tracie Schmidt)
Be transparent: Openly share information about your business and personal life to build trust with your audience. Embrace and share your imperfections to appear more relatable and real. (Tracie Schmidt)
Show real experiences: Use content that captures genuine, first-person experiences of your customers. (Allison Rand)
Showcase your roots: Highlight your business’s origins and family involvement to create a genuine connection. (Michael Ungaro)
Tell real stories: Share true stories about your community involvement and customer experiences to resonate with your audience. (Michael Ungaro)
Highlight employee contributions: Feature stories about your employees’ efforts and achievements to humanize your brand. (Michael Ungaro)
Authentic communication: Communicate with customers genuinely and transparently, avoiding scripted or impersonal interactions. (Hamed Mazrouei)

By being genuine, engaging with the community, and leveraging user-generated content, businesses can build trust and create meaningful connections with their audience. Consistently promoting authentic experiences and personalizing customer interactions will help in cultivating a loyal customer base and driving long-term success.

Wrapping up strategies for local marketing growth

In this blog post, we explored four key themes from our June episodes of The Local Marketing Lab podcast: community engagement, customer experience, content strategy, and authenticity. Each of these themes plays a crucial role in driving local marketing growth for multi-location businesses.

By actively engaging with the community, businesses can build strong local connections and foster loyalty. Enhancing customer experience through personalized communication and consistent quality ensures that customers feel valued and appreciated. A well-crafted content strategy, leveraging video, user-generated content, and storytelling, can significantly boost engagement and brand awareness. Finally, maintaining authenticity by being genuine, transparent, and responsive to feedback helps in building trust and long-lasting relationships with customers.

To dive deeper into these insights and learn more from our expert guests, check out the full episodes of The Local Marketing Lab podcast. Subscribe on your preferred podcast platform to stay updated with our latest episodes and never miss out on valuable tips and strategies for local marketing growth.

Plus check out our other monthly recaps to see what industry experts are consistently talking about: