Hi all my location-based brands! This week I am sharing knowledge around how to market your store’s location as a unique differentiator for your business.
Whether you operate in a neighborhood, busy street, off the beaten path (like my family’s restaurant/general store), or elsewhere, something about your location stands out from the crowd. I bet you there is a story to be told, no matter where you’ve set up shop.
And why would you want to tell that story? If you’ve read my blog post on How to Build an Authentic Online Presence for Your Brand, then you’ve heard me discuss the importance of sharing the story and voice of your business.
So let me ask you a question? What separates you from other corner stores, other hair salons, other bakeries? What stories do you have to share with your audience? This type of authentic story telling keeps customers returning, because they know they will be dealing with a human being on the other end of the screen (or counter).
How to Talk About Your Location
Share your history
What makes people in your area proud of their neighborhood? For my family’s store, our community had once been a sugar cane plantation town. My great grandmother had built the corner store, and similarly, our neighbor’s families had stories to tell about their great grandparents. This common ground was something people remembered and shared stories about in our store and online.
How did we translate this into how we talked about our business? I shared stories, photographs and memories online with our followers. I loved the stories and discussions in the comments section from local-based customers who had memories from the surrounding area. Our customer base that were visiting our islands got to experience a piece of history that wouldn’t be accessible anywhere else. It was our community’s story, and it felt special.
Take Away: If you live in a place where the local history is a point of interest or pride, consider how you can respectfully share it through your social media!
Highlight Local Attractions
Consider local attractions near you (think parks, historic buildings, landmarks, lakes) and how you can bring in visitors from those areas into your business.
Our store sat on a beautiful historic highway tucked between a major waterfall and a tropical botanical garden. I reposted eye catching photos and videos of these attractions to our page, and tagging the locations. When people explored those locations on Instagram, it was likely they would come across our tagged photos and get curious about our business.
If you write blogs for your business, this is another great way to market your business alongside local attractions. You can write a post about places to visit in your area, and include your brand alongside landmarks or favorite destinations. This one piece of content could be used for a blog, Pinterest posts, and social media posts. With a little creativity, the ideas are endless!
Take Away: Mention, tag or write about local attractions to lead customers in your area back to your business.
Can You Think of Other Ideas?
I’ve listed two of my favorite points to get you started, but there are many other ways you can use your brand’s location in your marketing strategies!
Do you have questions about how to use your store’s location in your marketing? Drop a comment below or reach out to me on Instagram @_janasoli_