One major perk of having an online business is you can do business with people around the world. Although it’s tempting to use the same marketing materials for every market, there are more advantages to personalizing your message according to every target demographic or local market. People buy from companies and people they trust. Usually they speak the same language and understand how to connect with them. Below are five different ways you successfully enter a new local market.
1. Identify the Local Markets You Want to Target
One of the best ways to determine which local markets you should target is by examining your current customers. You can use website analytics to find out where your existing customers are based on their IP address and other information. Do people from a certain city or region consistently visit your website? What does your typical customer like to do and where do they live? After you create a customer profile, study their geographical regions and make a list of potential local markets your company can explore.
It’s also important that your products and services are a fit for the area. For example, if you are marketing a hot new tech product to geeks you’d probably do better targeting a city known for embracing technology instead of a small rural town. A recent Forbes article shares more information on how to build your business in smaller local markets and develop a niche marketing strategy.
2. Research The Local Markets You Want to Target
Now that you know which markets you want to pursue, try to gather more information by using census data and other research studies. The more you understand the market’s demographics and consumer behavior, the easier it will be for you to enter the market.
If you want to hire people who live in that community you can try WorkMarket. The company is a popular platform that connects freelancers with companies who need talent.
3. Study the Local Market’s Culture
Sometimes the best way to understand the culture in an area is to hop on a plane and see it in person. Walk through the streets and talk to people. You can also set up a temporary store so you can meet customers in person. IntouchInsight is another way you can gain valuable insight into your customers. The company helps you manage the customer experience by combining operational data and customer feedback from multiple channels.
4. Personalize Your Content For Each Local Market
Next, we recommend developing personalized content for each local market. Create separate landing pages, email campaigns and other marketing tactics based on the local cities or regions you want to target. Or you can make an app that addresses each market’s needs. Mozr provides professional Android development services for companies who want to expand.
5. Coordinate Shipping for Your Local Markets
Now that you understand the local market’s culture and demographics you should make sure you can fulfill their orders. If you only have one storage facility or distribution center, you should consider branching out. Talk with large distribution centers with hubs or facilities in multiple cities across the nation about possibly partnering with them. After all, if your marketing tactics are successful you don’t want to lose customers due to an inefficient supply chain or long shipping times. Entrepreneur published an article that discusses how to set up the right shipping system for your business.
We really hope our tips will help you expand your company to different local markets. After you identify which markets to target there are multiple methods you can use to attract customers.