Many entrepreneurs dream of having a global brand, but the famous global brands started small and probably marketed to their local community before they leaped on to the international stage. But why would you want to sell to locals rather than international customers? Let’s look at seven reasons to sell to locals.
1. Build support
By selling to the people in your area, you will build support for your brand. If you offer to sponsor social events or school events, you will be able to build a positive image of your brand. This will help when you decide to grow your brand internationally because local people will be proud to tell others that your business started in their area.
2. Get face-to-face feedback
If you have a brick-and-mortar store, you will be able to meet face-to-face with your clients and hear what they like and dislike about your product. You will also be able to test new ideas on your clients and get instant feedback. If you offer a service, you could host an event with your local customers and hear what feedback they may have to offer on your services.
3. Cash in on impulse buys
According to Think with Google in 2019, mobile queries for “where to buy” and “near me” have grown by over 200% in the past two years. With ensuring your website is optimised for local SEO, you may pop up as one of the best options on Google. This will help to bring impulse buyers to your door.
4. Lower costs
By keeping your business local, you will lower your costs on the distribution as your goods won’t have to travel too far. Furthermore, it will be less effort to communicate with your clients because they will be in your time zone.
5. Be kinder to the environment
With having your operations within your area, you will have less of an impact on the environment, You will create fewer carbon emissions because your product or service will have to travel shorter distances to be delivered. By being environmentally-conscious, you could add another plus point for customers wanting to buy from you.
6. Grow the economy
If you use local service providers, you will contribute to growing the local economy. By buying local goods and services, we can grow our economy to better support our needs.
7. Support local retail providers
Tourists and locals enjoy buying well-made local goods. By promoting your goods in local stores, you will build your client base and you can also get first-hand feedback from the store owner on what tweaks to make to your product and what is the client’s favourite item that you offer.
By marketing to locals, you may hit the jackpot on a market not previously serviced by other people. You could develop a following which may help you to spread your service or product through word-of-mouth which is the best advertising you could have for your business. Look locally and you may find a market you never thought about before.
Proudly brought to you by the NSBC