While adding content to a website should never be discouraged, with many local businesses, it is often the case that the content they create is not speaking to the audience or the customers that they are trying to attract.
What happens is that a generic article is added which relates to the industry or market sector the business operates in, but it could have been written by any business owner, anywhere in the world.
Now it may be a very well-written piece of content, and it may also be perfect for the search engines, but ultimately it is customers that a business needs to survive. Unless it operates globally, a business’s customer base is in its local area and it is locally that it should be aiming some of its content.
Local people, for the most part, love to read about their local area. After all, they can easily find out what is happening nationally or internationally by watching the evening news. However, when it comes to their town or their neighbourhood when they see something written about it, they are drawn to it.
So, let us look at some content ideas you could use that will attract more local customers, and more sales.
Meet The Team
A nice easy one to start with is a meet the team article which provides a brief bio of your staff. Include things like the local school or college they attended or local sports clubs they are a member of. It is almost certain that these are the same local schools, colleges, and clubs of potential customers and thus it creates a link with them.
Local Competitions
Everyone loves competition and the chance to win prizes so why not run some on your website? Once the competition is over, have the winner photographed with staff and receiving their prize and post it on your website. Better still make a video of the prize being awarded to them and post that.
Sponsor Local Events or Organisations
This is a tactic that is so underused which is difficult to understand as the return for what you have to invest is huge. The list of what you could sponsor is almost limitless, but ideas are a local charity, a local sports club, or a local pet shelter, to name but three.
Obviously, you want to write about your sponsorship on your website which can include events and contributions from those involved with the sponsored organisation.
Open Days
On a practical level this will depend on the type of business you are, but if you have physical premises that lend themselves to open days then do so. Some people like to see the inner workings of a business before becoming a customer and you can obviously publicise and write about the open day on your website.
Customer Content
Who says that you have to create all the content on your website? You should encourage customers to contribute some too such as reviews and photos or videos of them using your product. Local customers providing advice or tips is also great content.
Customer-generated content also ties in brilliantly with social media which gives you another channel to market your business and increase sales.