7 Ways to Use Video to Market Locally

Local marketing is the most valuable type of marketing. Though a global reach may help expand your audience, it may not have a direct return on your income — especially if it’s expanding your audience beyond the reach of your actual products and services. As the most engaging type of marketing media, video marketing is one of the best ways to reach out to your local audience. Here are a few ways you can use video to connect to your local markets.

 

1. Connect With Your Audience through Social Media

Social media sharing is one of the easiest ways to distribute videos, whether they are ads or testimonials. Social media is an easy way to get a video to go “viral”; creating compelling, shareable content gives your media a boost without having to pay for more expensive distribution channels. Maintaining active, interesting social media accounts is essential to being able to quickly propagate these videos to your audience. Online videos can be uploaded directly to the social media platforms and should then be tagged and shared appropriately; from there, it’s in the hands of your audience.

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2. Get Testimonials from Locals Regarding Your Products and Services

When dealing with local marketing, you need to first give your audience something to relate to. An excellent way to do this is to get testimonials from your local customers. Testimonials will answer questions about your products and services and make your organization feel more trustworthy in general. Consider approaching your previously satisfied customers and asking if they are willing to write or even act out a testimonial on your behalf; many of them will find it an enjoyable experience.

 

3. Cover Local Events and Local Places

Your video content doesn’t necessarily have to be about your business. Building up content that is related to local events and places is a great way to build your local audience in general. Once you’ve obtained this audience, you can then begin targeting them with more specific messaging. Create video content that’s about the things that interest those who live in your area: new restaurants, events, and even products related to yours. You can ultimately establish yourself as an authority related to your local space, and build up your trustworthiness. Your local event videos and media can all link back to your products, services, and promotional accounts, thereby making it easier to maintain your marketing campaigns.

 

4. Cross-Promote With Related Businesses in Your Area

There are likely many businesses in your area that are also seeking to promote themselves. By cross-promoting, you can increase your audience and returns without potentially infringing upon your own sales. By working with another business, you’ll also be able to network and establish more of a presence within your community. You can find business that you can cross-promote with at trade shows and at other related events. You can also consider cross-promotions between other local businesses which aren’t necessarily related; simple proximity can easily mean that you have similar audience demographics and buyer personas. Always think about businesses in relation to whether your clients would consider doing business with them. If your audiences have similar demographics, cross-promotion can be worthwhile.

 

5. Connect With Reporters in Your Town

There are often reporters who are looking for information and quotes from business owners within the community. You can connect with these reporters through services that are designed to give them a direct line to those within your area. When there are reports going on regarding the neighborhood and your industry, you can then receive press by giving out interviews on video media. Offering to be interviewed and giving insightful commentary on your local area will both help reporters and also give your business exposure. Many news articles today are broadcasted through television services as well as being published on the Internet, through social media platforms, and transcribed for websites. The easiest way to connect to reporters is to connect with your local newspaper directly to offer your information and expertise. There are also third-party websites like Muck Rack that consolidate reporter requests for specifically this purpose.

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6. Offer Local Promotions through Your Videos

Everyone is always looking for a deal. Videos are a fantastic way to offer local promotions on a personal level. By offering local promotions — either through commercials or online — you can create a sense of urgency regarding your products and services. Timed deals will push customers to engage faster than they might otherwise, improving your bottom line. Local promotions can also be extremely shareable; consider raffles or discounts that require a customer to share the company’s information with a certain amount of other individuals. By having these types of promotions, you can put your audience to work for you. They will willingly share your marketing for a chance at a discount or prize.

 

7. Reach Out to the Influencers in Your Community

Digital marketing is swiftly turning towards influencers; individuals in markets and demographics who are listened to by a wide audience. Locate the influencers who exist in your community and reach out to them. Send them products to review and information about your services; you’ll be able to easily reach their audience through them. Influencers can often dramatically impact the exposure of a business because they are considered to be both trustworthy and knowledgeable. Likewise, information that comes from someone unassociated with a business will often be considered more valid. Today, more customers are savvy about marketing and are hesitant to believe it.

 

The above strategies are only a few ways in which video can improve your local marketing campaigns. Video remains one of the most effective ways to reach out to customers on a personal level, both engaging them and entertaining them. By tailoring videos for local marketing campaigns, you can grow your returns and make time strategy more worthwhile. For more information about the improvements that video can make to your local marketing campaign, contact us today!

 

Article by Joe Forte, co-owner and producer at D-Mak Productions, a professional video production company based in Arizona.