The first step you should take before starting your local marketing agency is to conduct research and start building your brand.
You are going to be up against many top notch agencies that already have a strong foot hold in your local market.
So it would be wise for you to know who the competition is and what audience they are targeting so that you can find a your own target market.
This is your opportunity to figure out what services you are going to offer and what type of businesses need your services.
Learning how to start a local marketing company is not as easy as people think. You got to learn new skills and have patience building your brand.
In addition, you need to understand that you cannot just jump in without building up your credibility, trust, and having your brand recognized.
Trust Starts By Building Your Brand
In order for you to start building that trust factor in your community you need to help out the local business community.
This is not the time to offer your services.
Get on Facebook or Instagram and start following the businesses you want to target. You got to get active and offer value.
Find out what their problems are acquiring new customers.
Are they even using the free service, Google My Business?
Do they have a mobile friendly website and does it load quickly?
You may want to consider targeting smaller mom and pop businesses.
- Small contractors
- Barber shops
- Beauty shops
- Coffee shops
- Clothing stores
- Fitness centers
- Pest control
- Limo services
- Flower shops
- Chiropractors
- Restaurants
- Lawn Care
Those are just a few types of businesses that you may consider.
One thing about lawn care businesses, they know a lot of people that have money to spend and they seem to always offer referrals.
Find out if the have claimed their free Google My Business listing, or if they even have a website, and follow them on social media.
Offer to help them claim their listing and how to improve it.
Do it for free and start to build that trust factor in your community.
These people can become your first testimonials for your new local marketing business. Use those testimonials on your new website.
Designing A Local Marketing Website
One of the first things you need to do is design a local marketing website for your business. You need great content and integrate social media.
Keep in mind search engine optimization and branding is the bridge for you to acquire traffic in your local area.
Choose a short name that is to remember and easy to spell.
Find out if the domain is available and check to see if it is available on the social media sites that you are going to use.
Choose the colors you want to use, design a simple logo, pick the right typography, and make it mobile friendly and easy to navigate.
Make sure you choose the fastest hosting provider to have a quick upload speed on both desktop and mobile devices.
For your menu, you need to include the services you are going to offer.
Landing page, a contact page, the services you offer, and a blog so that you have opportunities to reach your audience.
Keep it simple.
Make sure you use local SEO best practices when writing your content.
Choose keyword phrases that you want to rank for in the local search results. You’ll want to target a specific geographical location.
If your in a big city like Chicago then you should concentrate on a more specific location like the suburb your business is located in.
Here is an example of the way you want to use one of the keyword phrases in your content. Just by adding your location when writing your content.
We help restaurants get more customers with our mobile friendly website design services in Daytona Beach.
Our specialty is to get restaurant websites found by smartphone customers that are looking for a great place to dine here in Daytona Beach.
Start Building A Portfolio
You can start building your portfolio by helping a local business owners.
Start by designing them a Facebook cover image or even designing them a website. Keep it simple and use the best platforms.
All you need is a about 3 or 4 free clients to get started.
It will provide you with the practice you need to offer these services.
Nothing fancy just basic website design. They will need hosting for their site and you can make a few bucks recommending a provider.
This will also lead them to want other services that you provide like social media management, local SEO services, and even paid advertising.
Summary: First Step Starting A Local Marketing Agency
What is the first step before starting a local marketing agency?
Do your research.
Check out the competition. Find out who their audience is. What services they are offering? What is there unique selling proposition?
You want to be able to find a way to chisel into the market place.
Where does your business fit in?
You may need to start with smaller mom and pop shops as you learn the skills you need to become successful.
Remember that local SEO and branding are your gateway to getting traffic.
Keep your expenses low and when you do make a few bucks you may want to invest it back into your online business.
Don’t quit your 9-5 grind until you have an emergency fund and a monthly income level that you can live comfortable with.
Stay In The Know To Keep Your Biz Buzzing
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It’s always a good idea to network with fellow local marketers and other entrepreneurs. Are you ready to start your new business?
Choose a great platform and you may want to check out some of the training if you want more info about online marketing.