The Enlightened Way to Marketing

Buying and selling local will increasingly become a rule-of-thumb for entrepreneurs (long used to internet marketing as well as historic traveling salesmen). Nevertheless, the current zeitgeist means that both producers and consumers will be clamoring for local sourcing and local commerce. 

Local Market Meditations

The Buy Local Movement. The Big Box stores may hate it. Your lazy neighbor may not like it, but Buy Local is a reality that marketers and entrepreneurs cannot ignore. South Park may have famously mocked the idea, but local communities, both in America, and around the world, depend on local entrepreneurship for a healthy market and equitable commerce. Now more than ever do Mom & Pop Shops need to be supported.

“Local marketing –– also known as “location-based marketing” and “neighborhood marketing” –– is the process of optimizing your website and online advertising to help drive foot traffic and awareness in localized regions.” [1]

Local marketing is generally focused on a city or even a neighborhood. [3] By modifying messaging or even the offering to suit specific needs or themes, the hyper-picky consumer might find the USPs appealing enough to try you out.

It is said that there are 7 ways to localize your brand [1]:

1. Rethink Values
2. Keyword Site Optimization
3. Google Auto-suggestion
4. Value Add Terminology
5. Connect with Locals
6. Local Testimonials
7. Localized Advertising

The last one might seem obvious, but how you go about it makes a difference. Rather than simply shell out large sums for print ads, a cold-call, a hand-shake, and a business card can go a long way. Look for opportunities by cross-promoting with local merchants. [2]

It is also critical to have local knowledge. Get a local employee to either lead marketing in the area, or to be the SME that advises the lead marketer. Induce trial through sampling and discounting efforts. Use your own product to make impressions on potential customers. [2] Community involvement is a sizable aspect of this practice.

Local marketing is, in turn, sub-divided into micro-marketing. This involves concentrating attention on a specific market micro-segment based on interest, income, or even job title. Highly refined product offerings tailored to needs or even aspirations are the crux of this method. While this is more commonly used by large MNCs with thinly refined market segmentation, it is an ideal m.o. for small businesses that have a dearth of resources, but a glut of time. Unlike mass marketing, there is a higher RoI and lower budget commitment. What is important is to really know your brief and study your target customer down to the individual level. This will give you an in to a conversation, and you might just make a sale, or at least hit it off for a future business proposition. By staying in touch now, opportunities may open up later—so think beyond the moment.

Community

People now, more than ever, want to see and understand how their food and products are being produced, and whether they are examples of ethical entrepreneurs. Above all is a growing feeling that one should invest money back into local communities by prioritizing business in one's own community. In contrast to xenophobia of the past, this feeling transcends parochial loyalties and is a matter of giving business (when possible) to one's own neighbors.

Regional

It is common knowledge that different regions tend to have more in common than they do with larger political entities. Regional compacts and regional attitudes mean that regional commerce will feature more and more over centralized logistical systems. If the local community does afford much of a market for you, maybe you need to start looking beyond your immediate surroundings, while still staying relatively close to home. 

Regional marketing approaches provide an understanding to serving the wider American market better. In this section, entrepreneurs can (over time) gain insight into efficient business practices or effective market offerings to serve distinct groups of counties or states better. While no example can be all encompassing, some trends are hard to miss, especially regional trends, y'all.

Gender & Ethnic 

It's no secret that each generation has progressively become, well, more progressive. While many entrepreneurs prefer to remain apolitical (including this one), businesses of all stripes realize there is serious money in serving customers of all political, ethnic, and gender stripes. Each market or market segment may not be for you, but there just might be something for everyone.

Marketing to specific genders (including new ones) may be the solution to your business or marketing problem. Sometimes the best advice is not to exit your geography, but to exit your demographic and find one that you can serve better. If some guy or gal is simply doing the job better, then maybe find a market that they're not serving. Grow your pie rather than just fight over a slice. Learning how to do so may be your ticket to personal profitability as well as widening horizons. 

Sources:

1. https://www.bigcommerce.com/blog/local-marketing/
2. https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/223917
3. https://simplicable.com/new/local-marketing