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Social media marketing for local business is incredibly important. There have been many instances in the past and present where we have dealt with business owners (especially small business owners), that simply don’t believe they should be ‘doing’ social media marketing.

“It’s too time-intensive”, “it’s too broad”, “I don’t know where to begin”. These are just a handful of the reasons some SMEs give for not taking advantage of social media.

These companies simply don’t see the value in engaging with their target demographic online – and it’s a real shame.

Social media marketing done properly should be a very effective digital marketing tool for all small businesses. The likes of Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest are not going away anytime soon.

What initially started as a means of friends and family keeping in touch has since become a useful tool for many types of businesses for a number of reasons:

TESTIMONIALS

The modern consumer is nosy; they spend hours researching and comparing and very often seek recommendations from friends and family.

That’s where social media gives local businesses a real opportunity to encourage customer feedback and testimonials. This adds real credibility to their products and services.

Happy clients will take care of word-of-mouth marketing themselves which means that not only can you save money on advertising but also customer service because their satisfaction makes sure there’s less need for follow up or long conversations regarding your product or service.

COMPLIMENT OTHER MARKETING EFFORTS

Websites are a great way to reach potential clients, but they’re not the only option.

You can also use social media and direct traffic from your website to other platforms like Facebook or Twitter, for example, so that you have more control over how people see what you offer without relying solely on Google search results for SEO. For instance, Instagram Reels, with their short and snappy nature, are perfect for grabbing attention and showcasing your product or service. To save time and resources, consider downloading your Instagram Reels and sharing them on your other social media platforms like TikTok and Facebook.

With this system in place, it will be easier than ever before to get noticed by those who might need what you’re selling!

By providing quality content on social media platforms, you stand a better chance of bringing in higher quality backlinks which are important ranking factors in SEO.

One key aspect of social media marketing is the ability to create shareable content, so the more useful and relatable your content is, the more it will be circulated around social media.

This also increases your chances of getting featured in a major publication which, again, can provide invaluable backlinks.

The more prevalent you are, the more people become aware (even if not a target customer). You may have people promoting your business and they don’t even realise it. That is the power of social media.

Because of this, you can expect a lot more traffic to your website and provided that your advertising is targeted towards the right audience, you can improve your average customers page experience sheerly through how useful the page they end up on is.

This results in lower bounce rates and higher engagement levels on your website, which can positively impact your SEO efforts and even inform you of potential avenues to explore when it comes to paid advertising.

A CHEAPER ALTERNATIVE

Social media is a free marketing tool that allows you to target advertisements specifically to your targeted customer base within the radius of your business. This means less wasted advertising money and more customers coming in!

You can instantly communicate with customers by updating them on all of your promotional announcements, new products you’re offering, or industry-related information that might be relevant.

Targeting your ads is a powerful technique for increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of marketing. By targeting those who live near you, have similar interests, and belong to other demographics that are important to you; one can increase their customer potential with minimal costs.

Instead of asking your potential customers what they want, make it easy for them to tell you by maintaining a steady stream of relevant and engaging ads. This way, you can easily identify which demographics are most responsive.

The personal touch of small business owners and their customers can also make for more effective social media marketing.

Current customers have the opportunity to share your products or services with prospective consumers on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc., making it easier than ever before to grow a customer base organically and thus, making it more cost-effective.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

For those local firms in competitive markets, it’s the little things that can make the biggest difference to closing a deal or securing a greater share of the market – from user-friendly websites to strong, professional branding.

Smaller companies tend to have a stronger sense of connection with those in their communities than larger corporations do – they often choose to be heavily involved because it brings them closer to customers as well.

Small business owners should know that helping out can lead back into goodwill over time which also helps boost sales.

A big company doesn’t always find time to give you an individualised response when there are so many other people across the nation who need customer service – which means that your needs may be pushed aside until further notice.

However, smaller companies are able to take care of each one by taking direct action instead: writing back directly addressing what matters most about your situation at hand.

Social media marketing also gives SMEs and start-ups the opportunity to build their own personality online, giving customers a reason to come back and build relationships. This could be nuggets of advice, a great competition or an exciting new product.

Social media is the perfect medium for engaging with your target audience.  It’s also a great way of creating ‘brand advocates’ who, in many ways, can become your very own virtual sales team!

CATCHING THE EYE OF BIGGER FISH

Social media also gives start-ups and small businesses an opportunity to get on the radar of the leading brands within their industry.

Don’t be afraid to engage with strong social influencers either. Popular bloggers are people customers rely on to provide independent, impartial advice.

Now more than ever, engaging the online community is the absolute cornerstone of social media success. Social Media’s a digital marketing tool like many others, but it’s entirely unique in how it grows a company’s visibility.

It can also broaden the reach to new and existing customers. But it will only work with a clear strategy, and that’s where we come in.

Our social media marketing packages are ideal for SMEs, with tracked social exposure through a combination of manpower and industry-leading software. Get in touch today to find out more.

THE BEST BUSINESS DIRECTORIES FOR YOU

Business directories are the next best thing to search engines. They are simple, easy, and beneficial to you and your company. In today’s online business world, we need to make it easy for customers and clients to find us! 

There are so many different free business listing websites out there, some good and some bad. I have spent a huge amount of time learning what ones are the best for results. What ones give me and my clients the best results.  I’ve saved you the hardship and created an easy to follow list of the Best UK Business Directories to register your business with.

21289543 – yellow pages search

 

TIPS FOR FREE BUSINESS DIRECTORIES

You don’t need to pay for anything unless there is genuine evidence other people have had success. Most medium-sized directories will be less competitive meaning you are probably near the top anyway! So sign up to them! We’ve found on personal experiences that it’s only worth paying for the top directories such as Yell. In our experience, we have never seen any return in smaller directories.

Below is a competent list of business directories that are entirely free to register with. They have proven to still provide useful traffic at a free price, so don’t wait, get registering with them now!

 

TOP 10 BEST UK BUSINESS DIRECTORIES 

Number 1: Free UK Business Directory Google my Business– 

This is commonly used by a lot of people on the internet, providing directions of where to go etc, it is majorly beneficial to be listed with Google Places. When users are searching for services or businesses around your local area, either in the standard search engine or Google Maps, appearing in Google’s directory listings can drive a significant amount of traffic to your website.

Number 2: Free UK Business Directory Yell.com – 

The yellow pages as a whole are going downhill in popularity due to the 4000% rise in internet searches, however, Yell.com will always be used by everyone because of how well known the brand is. Quite often, a free page can bring you business. For what it’s worth, we pay very little to advertise with Yell and we’ve found it’s incredibly worthwhile.

Business, Technology, Internet and network concept. Young businessman working on a virtual screen of the future and sees the inscription: Link building

Number 3: Free UK Business Directory Freeindex – 

This website is on the rise in popularity and trust. This directory allows you to add reviews from your customers which will rank you in accordance with how good your services are. You don’t need to pay a single penny to get top of these directories, just plenty of satisfied customers! The page you get is very customisable and you can really make the most of it. Also, the £7.95 per month for a premium listing is well worth every penny. This will increase the areas around you that you cover and given that you have good reviews, will up your traffic. This has proven to be an important source of traffic for us.

Number 4: Free UK Business Directory Thompson Local – 

This brand is also very well known due to the diversity and advertising they do across the UK. Like yell, very much worth a free listing, however, we’re not in a position to comment ourselves on the quality of their paid advertising. One of our customers, however, had told us they had spent well over £2200 and felt it was a complete waste and another spend not nearly as much but cannot praise them enough.

And Here’s Some More!

Number 5: Free UK Business Directory Yelp

Yelp is an example of a business directory that has continued to thrive despite people tending to use directories more sparingly these days. The reason for this, Yelp values its users and strives to make their experience as pleasant as possible by keeping spam, advertisements, and other distractions away from them when they are trying to read reviews about businesses in towns. Yelp reviews are also full of long, well-thought-out observations that give customers deep insight into the business they’re considering.

Number 6: Free UK Business Directory Lacartes

Lacartes is a directory that will make you want to put your best foot forward. You can expect a prompt and professional response from them after you submit your listing, with the added bonus of being able to add an attractive header photo for extra style points. This directory is also treated very respectfully by Google so you will not have to worry about being penalised for using it.

Number 7: Free UK Business Directory Business Line Directory

Number 8: Free UK Business Directory Touch Local

Touch Local is here to help you tap into the vast potential of online exposure. From a simple business listing, like your company’s information and address on Google Maps, all the way up to advertising across many major search platforms – Touch Local has everything that businesses need for maximum success in today’s digital world! Touch Local is part of the Scoot network, which includes many different directory sites.

Number 9: Free UK Business Directory Scoot

Scoot is the business directory website that powers four of Britain’s national newspapers. They have listings for nearly every type of small business, and it doesn’t cost anything to list your company on their site! However, they only offer links back to Facebook or Twitter as opposed to a full URL link like other directories do.

Number 10: Free UK Business Directory Foursquare

Foursquare is a social media platform that has been around for 10 years, and it’s still going strong. Focusing on providing reviews of local businesses to its users, the app now boasts over 50 million monthly active members worldwide.

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Lastly here are some other business directories that are worth adding for free:

Factual: http://www.factual.com/contact/update_add_business , Central Index: http://centralindex.com/ , Hotfrog: https://www.hotfrog.co.uk/

Thanks for reading our top 10 UK business directories: here’s another blog which may assist you and your business: Click here!

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