Taking Your Local Business To The Next Level With Location-Based Services

Taking Your Local Business

To The Next LevelWith

Location-Based Services

Twitter: @BrendaHorton -- Facebook: facebook.com/BrendaTelloHorton Fan Page: facebook.com/HwareFB -- blog: www.hware.com/blog -- email: info@hware.com

Presented by Brenda Horton

www.hware.com

Outline

• Statistics on local search.

• Why your local business should pay attention to location-based services.

• Engaging your target audience with location-based services.

• A 6 step high-level location-based marketing action plan.

A short story on how I stumbled upon technology

marketing tools for my small business...And how it forever

CHANGED the way I do business.

What Is

Location-Based Services?

Think of location-based services

as bridging the gap between social networks, the internet, and real social life.

Local Search Is Changing

the game for businesses who want to market locally online.

If You Are A LocalSmall Business

Then pay attention to the following statistics.

80% of searchers research online

before purchasing in a 10-20 mile radius

Almost every local search

Includes mapped results.

Local Search Stats

90% of online commercial searches result in offline brick and mortar purchases.

Local Search Stats

82% of local searches follow up offline via an in-store visit, phone call, or purchase.

Local Search Stats

74% of internet users perform local searches.

Local Search Stats

73% of online activity is related to local content.

Local Search Stats

80% of budgets are spent within 50 miles of the home.

Local Search Stats

66% of Americans use online local search like Google Local Search, Bing and Yahoo.

Local Search Stats

54% of Americans use the internet for local search instead of the phone book.

Local Search Stats

35% of all searches are local.

Local Search Volume is growing exponentially

at 50% every year.

• 1 billion local searches per month in 2009

• 1.5 billion local searches per month in 2010 (projected)

• 2.3 billion local searches 2011 (projected)

• 3.45 billion local searches 2012 (projected)

Search used to be strictly a desktop affair.

That’s changing!

We are currently experiencing a mobile REVOLUTION.

The #1 access methodfor local information is the mobile browser with 20.7 million users per month.

50% of connections

to the internet are from mobile phones.

90% of adult shoppers

carry a phone while shopping.

Mobile redemption rates

are already 10X higher than mail or newspaper

coupons.

In 5 years

more than half of all brands will

spend 25% of their budgets on mobile.

Mobile is the most broadly used media in the world (more

than TV or internet).

That means we are connected 24/7.

What does that mean

for your local business?

Your customers are looking for you.

Are they finding you?

Google Places

http://www.google.com/local/add/businessCenter

By claiming your your business on Google Places

it tells the search engines that they have the most accurate and up-to-date information about your business location.

Google Places

It gives YOU, the business owner an opportunity to out-rank competitors by optimizing your business listing for targeted keyword sets and geographic areas.

Google Places

Claiming your place page is important, but adding relevant content to it is what will help with rankings.

Your customers are talking about you.

Are you listening?

Yelp

Yelp

Over 38 million people visited Yelp in August 2010 to make spending decisions.

Yelp

• Communicate with your customers privately or publicly.

• Track how many people view your biz page.

• Add photos, detailed biz description.

• Announce special offerings.

• Post up-to-date information and specialties.

Yelp

• Added check-in capabilities in 2010

• iPhone app version 4

Are you following the conversation?

Postling is like

Google Alerts meets Ping.Fm

Are you following the conversation where 3 million people are?

Foursquare

• Bills itself as 50% friend finder, 30% social guide, 20% nightlife game.

• Links digital and real worlds

Foursquare users check-in to places like

• Airports

• Bars

• Restaurants

• Starbucks

on their smart phones

Foursquare

• Check-in functionality

• Earn points

• Get badges

• Social City Guide

• Friend Finder

Foursquare

• Specials - discounts, prizes

• Point and reward system

• Signs at entrances and windows

• Incorporates gaming elements

• Mayor

Top 3 Categories on Foursquare

• Tv Network or Tv Show

• Newspaper, Magazine or News Website

• City Guides - LOCAL BUSINESSES

Big Brands jumping on Foursquare

• Zagat - 62,573

• Bravo 61,237

• MTV - 58,494

• The History Channel - 57,136

• Bastard Jeans - 43,863

Learn from big brands! Check out how they are using

Foursquare.

• Enticing users with timed incentives

• Special badges

• Curated hot spots

NFL using Foursquare

Facebook Places

Are you connecting

with a highly targeted audience online?

Are you reaching out to them?

where they are hanging out?

Are you giving them incentives

to buy from you?

Merging Technologies

Foursquare + Groupon = GroupTabs

You know what the best part is?

Most location-based services are cheap or

FREE!

Questions to ask yourself

before you jump on the bandwagon.

Is your online presence already optimized?

• SEO Search Engine Optimization in place?

• Social media tools already being used?

• Clear on your message/content?

• Clear on your target audience?

A 6 Step Location-Based

Marketing Action Plan

1. Be clear on who your target audience is.

...and where they are hanging out online and offline.

2. Set clear and realistic goals.

3. Identify the best location-based services

for your business.

4. Take Action!

• sign up for key location-based services

• start engaging, promoting, incentivizing

• monitor your biz online

• respond

• convert to sales

5. Track and measure results.

6. Adapt

• Review

• Revisit

• Rethink

• Revise

• Repeat

The ultimate ROI Return On Investment

The LBS you implement needs to increase sales and revenue.

Otherwise, it’s just another online tool to distract you

from your Small Biz.

This concludes Taking Your Local Business

To The Next LevelWith

Location-Based Services.

Thank You!

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