Demystifying Hyperlocal

Hyperlocal Marketing Strategies you need to know, to grow

In this day and age, the consumer is becoming highly technologically savvy and mobile centric. They depend on the precision of the data given by the organizations online prior to visiting the store/outlet location, which plays a significant role in their convenience. Post COVID-19, the world has been divided into pre and post pandemic eras, which has encouraged brands to not only focus on converting the user visiting the store but also in creating their online presence across the digital ecosystem and drive engagement and commerce for each location of the business.

Hyperlocal marketing methods have altered dramatically, just like the many other changes we've all experienced over the previous two years. Nonetheless, it remains the most effective strategy to optimize earnings at each location for a multi-location brand. It provides a great end-to-end logistic and branding platform, and a perfect opportunity to gain a new consumer base and engage with them – all without the chaos of having to roll each strategy out separately. The hyperlocal services industry is expected to grow to $3,634.3 billion by 2027, from a pre-pandemic market size of $1,324.2 billion in 2019.

According to a recent study by Google, it has been discovered that 93.2% consumers transact with businesses located within 20 minutes from their location, 88% consumers after making a search, call or visit the store and 78% of local searches lead to a purchase. Hence, it has become crucial for brands to have accurate data & information, contact details, and other such particulars available for the buyer intending to shop or transact with them. Accordingly, ensuring that they are always present at the right place and at the right time.

Today, a significant challenge that is being faced by various brands across the globe, is how to stand out from their competitors and choices available to the customers. Not only having a strong online presence is a must, but additionally designing hyperlocal techniques that harnesses the precedence of the digital space, and addresses the needs of the local customer is of utmost importance. Proximity to at least one target audience, accurate and customized records, comfort, and accessibility, all at the click of a button, is what businesses are searching for and consequently, it is what manufacturers want to focus on to ensure higher client attainment and experience.

As hyperlocal marketing strategies pave the way for the future of global marketing techniques, a few essential aspects are critical to its success that can be used by businesses to grow their consumer base:

Building frictionless O2O customer journey

The present consumers are more sophisticated with access to both online and offline resources. For brands with various locations and multi-channel consumer touchpoints, a consistent and integrated local marketing approach is a must. While these strategies cover a large number of essential points, they all begin with the basic requirement of maintaining NAP (Name, Address, and Phone) consistency across all physical locations in order to stay current in the digital ecosystem. Customers today move seamlessly between online and offline modes, and they choose physical stores which can make these transitions as seamless as possible. They need consistency and accuracy in their complete buying journey whether transferring from online to in-store. A recent example for this is a study by ThinkwithGoogle which states that 61% of customers lose trust in a brand if the information provided online is incorrect.

Accurate and reliable data across the digital ecosystem fosters confidence and gives a strong signal to search engines about a company's data's validity, resulting in a higher quality score, higher rankings & impressions, and therefore more visibility.

Create strong, location level presence for your brand

The ability to be found online by potential consumers is important for a successful outcome for any business. Most customer journeys begin with a simple search, and on the off chance that your business areas don't have a presence on search, you're passing up a critical potential to secure new clients. When your brand is optimized at the local level to be discovered in the times that matter, you will see an increase in business. It's critical that when someone searches for your services or products, they can simply locate your local location and make a purchase.

Manage brand’s reputation management for higher conversion

42% of internet users list ‘reviews from other customers’ as a feature that would most increase their likelihood of buying that product.* When it comes to a customer's decision to choose one business over another, reviews and ratings play an important role. Prior to purchasing or visiting a business today, consumers look for their reviews online. As a result, brands can't afford to disregard their feedback on their local listings. Data from thousands of locations shows that businesses with more reviews, higher ratings, and quick responses to consumers score considerably better in local search than those without these attributes.

Get discovered by users across platform

The "Near Me" experience is no longer limited to a certain geographic place. Consumers today have the world of digital at their fingertips when searching for brands near them, it's more important than ever to deliver an effortless 'Near me' brand experience across all touchpoints, whether it's through search engines, maps, apps, local web directories, social media platforms, or voice assistants. Customers won't be able to transact with you if they can't find you.

When it comes to hyperlocal marketing, you need to think about the full customer journey, from discovery to transaction. Because the consumer experience will always be at the forefront of marketing, you'll need to go outside the box to figure out how to improve it with digital strategies. Overall, once applied, hyperlocal strategies can assist brands in identifying the ideal clients and prospects to propel them to the next level. As a result, hyperlocal marketing appears to be the way of the future for many businesses. Those that recognise its potential early on will be able to stay ahead of the game.