SMBs Ramp Up Local Marketing Tools for New Year Success

BY Rachel Cagle
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Both small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and consumers are feeling the dread of inflation. SMBs need to focus on local marketing tools to promote their offerings and sales to meet their sales goals. Here’s what you and your SMB client need to know going into 2025.

Local Marketing Tools are Critical for SMBs in 2025

The Competition Never Tires

A study by Valpak says that SMBs shouldn’t decrease their ad efforts because of inflation and higher cost of living. “Think of your competition as The Terminator; it never stops coming for you. Simply put, keeping the advertising lights on year-round drives growth, keeps your business top of mind, and increases brand exposure, which turns potential customers into profit.”

The problem is, many SMBs are getting tired. Valpak says that 80% of SMB owners are all alone when it comes to advertising responsibilities. They need help.

But many SMBs are concerned about:

  • The cost of seeking help with advertising/marketing: 58%
  • Understanding how their ads perform: 34%
  • Imagery, messaging, offers, audience targeting: 26%

You can help motivate them to seek it from you. Show them that local marketing tools and ads are investments, not expenses. You can help them create ads that perform well (with proof) and have great ROI.

Direct Mail

One of the best and most motivating ways to reach local consumers is direct mail. According to a previous SalesFuel blog based on data from Vericast, 72% of consumers regularly read direct mail ads. Plus, many consumers say that they plan some of their weekly routines around direct mail:

  • “54% of consumers read the mail they receive as a part of their daily rituals
  • 49% say that direct mail is a part of their shopping routine
  • 56% use it to plan their weekly grocery shopping trips (parents especially at 62%)”

And that’s not all. 51% of consumers not only notice these ads when they’re planning a purchase, they also start collecting them. 36% say that they have a specific place in their home dedicated to saving the print ads they find interesting.

Valpak is one of the great local marketing tools that can help your client get started with direct mail ads. If your client is still worried about ROI, share these tips on controlling direct mail ad costs with them.

Multichannel Marketing Campaigns

Of course, no business can rely on just one type of marketing to get the results they want. Your client needs to spread out their ad messages and how they’re received in order to not annoy consumers.

Valpak says many SMBs believe the Rule of 7: Consumers interact with a business seven times before making a purchase. That’s a good philosophy but imagine if it was the same ad via the same ad medium every time. That’s why ad diversity is so important.

According to Valpak, the top marketing channels businesses use include:

  • Social media ads
  • Email ads
  • Mobile ads
  • Display ads (such as billboards)
  • Postcards
  • Event marketing

But which ads your client should use depends entirely on who their target audience is. Want to know which ad media types should be included in your SMB client’s next ad campaign? AudienceSCAN on AdMall by SalesFuel is at the top of the perfect local marketing tools to use to find out.

Simply look up your client’s target audience’s profile. See which ad types influenced most of them to take action within the past year. That knowledge will give your client’s ad campaign the best chance of successfully achieving terrific ROI.

Don’t forget to take advantage of local marketing tools to make sure your SMB client’s 2025 is a huge success.

Photo by: Mimi Thian

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