Your digital clients can reap huge benefits by using their digital marketing to reach out to local customers, but do they even know where to start? If not, Annie Pilon has some helpful tips for localizing a digital strategy, which she recently shared on SmallBizTrends. “Creating a digital marketing strategy for a local business is quite different than creating one for an online-​only business,” she explains. “Your local digital marketing strategy should specifically target and appeal to potential customers in your geographic area.”

Read on to access a few of the extensive number of tips (31!), which you can pass along to your own clients:

• Optimize websites for local search. If your clients want to be found easily, they need to make sure their website includes their address, what they offer and other relevant keywords. Encourage them to think of words that directly relate to their geographic area.
• Include address and hours. These bits of information are two of the most common things customers seek on a local business’s website, so it should be found easily and clearly stated.
• Offer multiple contact points. Customers will want to get in touch in a variety of ways, so your clients should include phone numbers, email addresses and social media accounts.
• Leverage locally-​targeted ads. “Whether you’re advertising on Facebook, Google or other online platforms, targeting is essential,” Pilon writes. “Always target customers in your city or community and use other relevant factors as well.”
• Claim and optimize local listings. Your clients need to claim the listings for their businesses on directory websites, like Yelp and Google. Also, they should be monitoring any reviews on these sites and responding when appropriate.
• Promote online presence with signage. Clients can drive traffic to their website and social media profiles by putting contact info on in-​store/​in-​office signage, pamphlets and other print marketing.
• Target hyper-​local customers with apps. “Mobile apps now offer unique opportunities to target customers who are in very close proximity to a business,” Pilon writes, so your clients have the opportunity to attract customers by offering mobile location-​based offers and alerts.

There are so many opportunities for your digital clients to reach out to local customers, establish relationships and encourage sales. Share Pilon’s tips to not only help your clients’ digital strategies but also add value to your relationship.