The Best Marketing Is Still Local

Globalization and the spread of social media has put new pressures on marketers to go local to get their message out. By tailoring their content to specific communities, marketers believe they will have more success, according to a new survey.

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Almost half of marketers reported that localized marketing was crucial for their business profitability and growth, and 41% claimed to set aside 30% or more of their budget for localized marketing campaigns, according to the survey by CMO Council.

“Customers now have easy access to a wealth of online information, and they are choosing when and how they will obtain information about potential purchases,” Blogger Jan Dejosse of CMS Wire, a go-to site for content management strategy news. “That, combined with the ever increasing amount of marketing and advertising clutter in the environment, makes potential buyers less receptive to generic marketing messages and materials.”

Localized marketing, she says, is a proven method to increase a company’s relevance.

Thirty percent of respondents said that the biggest marketing challenge is figuring out what local audiences want and what information they will respond to. The challenge to direct a brand’s message to a local audience can be a costly enterprise but is effective if done right, marketers said.

The growth of social media has helped brands market themselves a local level. Whole Foods, for example, has set up numerous Twitter accounts for  various local markets around the country. On each account, the company tweets updates, answers customers’ questions, and deals with issues regarding specific stores.

When companies set up local pages on Facebook, run targeted ads, or create separate Twitter accounts, it can help them connect with more deeply with customers around the world, marketers reported. By paying attention to local markets, brands can better compete in an increasingly globalized world.