Local Promotion through free or paid channels and how to use are this article` topics. Multiple online channels are available for your online promotion:

- Search engines (Bing, Google, etc.)
- Web directories
- Review sites
- Social networks

Each channel could deliver local results only. The internet is available globally, anywhere and anytime, but people from Ney York hardly travel to Sydney to visit a local store only. So, it is worth to put your money into global advertising? Or, it is better for you to adapt your advertising campaigns with a local strategy? Bet on this, the second option drives excellent results.


This faces local advertising in a different way. Show ads to people in your neighbourhood who are likely to be or become customers. As we told, you can advertise online through multiple channels like search engines, local directories, sites with reviews, social media networks.

1. Search Engines

On search engines, you can bid for ads and appear when people search for certain terms. All search engines allow ads to be limited by geographic location.

For example, if you bid for the "marble tiles store" keyword, you can choose to show your ad only if the person is looking for, is within a radius of 10km around you. Don`t forget about Google Guaranteed, we`ve described before.

2. Social Networks

Social networks like LinkedIn or Facebook offer business pages for free and paid advertisements to target customers near you. How this is possible?

Well, social networks can find out where people are and, just like search engines, can show ads to people who are near your store, having a feature where users can set up their location. Even Blogger has this option to set up your Location when you post.

3. Local Directories 

Local directories offer opportunities for advertising, besides free listings. In many cases, free listings are accessible to a lot of businesses and people.

Several Local Search Listings:

1. Google
2. Apple/Mapsconnect
3. Bing
4. Yahoo (old Aabaco Small Business) *for US Business only
5. Facebook
6. LinkedIn
7. Twitter
8. Instagram
9. Pinterest
10. YouTube
11. Yelp
12. MapQuest
13. Foursquare
14. Merchant Circle
15. Topix
16. Manta
17. Better Business Bureau
18. ChamberofCommerce.com
19. Angie’s List
20. TripAdvisor
21. HomeAdvisor
22. Yellow Pages
23. White Pages
24. 411.com
25. About.me
26. Best of the Web
27. Switchboard
28. Hotfrog
29. Local.com
30. USCity
31. USDirectory.com
32. EZlocal
33. LocalStack
34. Brownbook
35. CitySquares
36. eLocal
37. Judy’s Book
38. Insider Pages
39. ShowMeLocal
40. CitySearch
41. YellowBot
42. Pushlocal
43. City-Data
44. My Huckleberry

If you are willing to pay, your store can appear in favourable locations, such as search results or just next to your competitors' listings and it is reachable at one glance.

4. Review Websites 

Sites with reviews written by people offer an opportunity to place your ads, also. Usually, these websites give chances to customers to write their opinions about businesses, professionals. And are for free.

What would be if we`ve to pay to share our experience? Totally wrong. Any individual share comments for free based on individual experience with a business. However, review sites have sections for paid ads to promote a business, and not paid reviews.

There are websites operating as business directories and review site like TrueLocal, CitySquares, Foursquare, and so on.

 What`s more, you are free to benefit from any of these:

• You can show ads only during your open hours
• You can direct people to your store directly from mobile or tablet
• You can offer the option to be called with a single tap
• You can let people look at all your 5-stars received testimonials

Local advertising, for free or paid, allows you to find customers close to where you operate. You have many options to run local ads and by limiting advertisements to your proximity, your notoriety grows in that area.

Search for a plumber and select a professional with a Google guaranteed badge. Use his service and hopefully he will solve the plumbing issues in your home. What's new? Like PayPal Protection for buyers, Google guarantee could pay your bill for unsatisfactory experience.

If you are unsatisfied by locksmith and plumbing jobs, you can submit a claim to Google. Available in several US areas, like San Francisco Bay area, San Diego, Sacramento, Stockton. Google says "If you are dissatisfied with work quality, we’ll cover claims up to the job invoice amount, with a lifetime cap of $2,000."

(Source:  https://support.google.com/ads/answer/7125526)

This is the form to be completed:




Search for information about plumbers in San Francisco on the Internet using the search engine Google for example, gives results with plumbers having Google guarantee badge on top positions.  Here is the screenshot with the search for plumber san francisco:




It seems Google AdWords Express home service ads can place your local business at the top of Google search pages for several home services. Google: "As a Home Service advertiser you’ll get a Google guaranteed badge, access to the Home Service app, premium promotion, and more." 

How are verified those professionals? As I see, only based on reviews. Still a mystery. Need more research about. You could apply and tell me in comments how it works.  


UPDATE: 

See GEOTARGETS and AdWords API Locations 2017-04-20

There are so many good written posts about the reasons why you should use seo, article marketing, banner advertising, emailing marketing, blog guest posting for your online business.

You really want to have an excellent increasing of your business? Probably you should use the mobile marketing as one way to go for your future promotional needs.

Mobile Marketing is the ability to market ads to people using mobile devices. For instance, when searching the web you may come across a website. At the bottom of the page it could be a banner ad. If you click the ad, this action it will take you to the landing page of the advertiser.

Why market to mobile users?

There are about seven million people worldwide, exactly 7,012,000,000. And, just look at that. There are more than 6,800,000,000 mobile phones in use in the all world! Wow! Six billion people have access to mobile device. Data from Wikipedia. 

One more fact about this immensity of the market and the potential benefits for your business. There are countries where the number of mobile phones is more than 100% bigger than the number of citizens! In US there are 327,577,529 mobile phones and 317,874,628 people living in this country; this means about 103.1 connections to 100 citizens. Mobile is used in any State: Alabama - Montgomery, Alaska - Juneau, Arizona - Phoenix, Arkansas - Little Rock, California - Sacramento, Colorado - Denver, Connecticut - Hartford, Delaware - Dover, Florida - Tallahassee, Georgia - Atlanta, Hawaii - Honolulu, Idaho - Boise, Illinois - Springfield, Indiana - Indianapolis, Iowa - Des Mones, Kansas - Topeka, Kentucky - Frankfort, Louisiana - Baton Rouge, Maine - Augusta, Maryland - Annapolis, Massatuches - Boston, Michigan - Lansing, Minnesota - St. Paul, Mississippi - Jackson, Missouri - Jefferson City, Montana - Helena, Nebraska - Lincoln, Nevada - Carson City, New Hampshire - Concord, New Jersey - Trenton, New Mexico - Santa Fe, New York - Albany, North Carolina - Raleigh, North Dakota - Bismarck, Ohio - Columbus, Oklahoma - Oklahoma City, Oregon - Salem, Pennsylvania - Harrisburg, Rhode Island - Providence, South Carolina - Columbia, South Dakota - Pierre, Tennessee - Nashville, Texas - Austin, Utah - Salt Lake City, Vermont - Montpelier, Virginia - Richmond, Washington - Olympia, West Virginia - Charleston, Wisconsin - Madison, Wyoming - Cheyenne, Washington, D.C. (formally the District of Columbia). 

In United Kingdom there are 75,750,000 mobile phones and 61,612,300 citizens. Well, this means 122.9 connections to one hundred citizens. Amazing! And in Germany, the 107,000,000 mobile phones and 81,882,342 people, this means about 130.1 connections to one hundred citizens.

Let`s take a look at Russia. There are 256,116,000 mobile phones and 142,905,200 citizens. This means 155.5 connections to 100 citizens. It is really insane! In Australia there are 30,200,000 mobile phones and 22,700,000 people; this means 133 connections to one hundred citizens.

What do you think? Do you have a good market to promote your business through Mobile Marketing? I think, YES! Gain right now a large market share. And think that people keep their mobile phones with them all of the time.

Mobile marketing enables businesses`s owners to communicate and engage with their target audience in an interactive and highly relevant manner. Be sure to target your audience! You can choose to only target men, in US, age 30 to 50. Upload your ad and these people are immediately made aware of what you have to offer, actually within seconds!

What devices are used for Mobile marketing?

This type of marketing is done on mobile or smart phones and wireless handheld devices. What are wireless handheld devices? Typically, you would think of tablets, iPads, netbooks. However, just keep in mind, the focus of mobile marketing is on the mobile phone and smart phone with Android, iOS, Windows os.

Budgets for mobile marketing campaigns are growing every year. Actually, recent surveys shows that the money spent on mobile marketing is going to double every year for the next few years.