Tell us about the ‘State of Local Digital Marketing’ in 2018?

In the aggregate of all local digital marketing, we’re seeing many of the same growth trends you’ll see in national marketing, including the need and desire to have a broad presence by leveraging a successful media mix. Specific within local digital marketing, we’re seeing:

Digital Marketing alignment with “local strength” is required for success. In other words, not all products and services have the same level of local dependencies to best leverage local marketing. As an example, products combined with a service offering have local strength.

The leverage of multiple store locations digitally can be a real strategic advantage. Knowing where consumer buyer intent is coming from, especially in a mobile-first world, is a real competitive advantage that is further separating local marketing leaders from local marketing participants in 2018.

“Digital” is becoming less of a unique descriptor in local marketing. It’s just local marketing, but digital is required to get in front of the right consumers at the best ROI. Consumers are becoming much more accustomed to buying select products online, but then picking them up locally….just look at your local grocery store or Lowe’s or Home Depot.

Enlighten us about the whole ecosystem of local marketing technologies that deliver the best ROI for sales opportunities?

Local marketing technologies that leverage speed through automation and common data across similar business categories drive some of the best ROI. Single toolsets are no longer enough. Common marketing strategies applied across multiple tools, media and platforms deliver the strongest ROI for local businesses.  Key tools in this mix include:

Solid media mix presence (YouTube, Facebook, Google Search) applied through an “Awareness, Consideration, Decision” view is highly effective.

A strong mobile website presence leads to a strong ROI. Fast loading and effective mobile website experiences provide a winning combination to attract local consumers.

Habitual viewing and business response of your online data through tools like Google Analytics provides a strategic local advantage.

Tools like online chat are inexpensive, but consumers expect more rapid communication and responses now that mobile use is pervasive.

What was the idea behind your local consumer survey? How could local marketing companies benefit from this study?

We simply want to stay engaged with local consumers so that we can separate the buzzwords and insights from the media from the trends we’re actually witnessing in connection with the marketing we’re doing on behalf of local businesses. Local marketing companies can see the extent to which there is the opportunity to think and market locally.

Do you feel there exists a certain disconnect between technology vendors and buyers in the local marketing ecosystem? How does ABM fit into filling this void?

There are few technology vendors who truly have tools and processes that are locally oriented.  Ideally, tech vendors like Netsertive, can enable national/brand relationships with local businesses, so that marketing tactics are less conflictive and more symbiotic.

Account Based Marketing (ABM) can fall into this disconnect because this is a national marketing trend that hasn’t yet found its way into all the hurdles required at the local business level (ex. Cost to acquire and manage these tools, experience, etc).

What are your predictions for voice-based marketing and mobile in-app advertising? Do they justify their ROI?

Voice-based marketing and mobile in-app advertising are both growing areas, but they are not tactics that I would chase independently, especially for local businesses.

Both of these efforts can have a strong ROI, but the tactics used to support them should be general best practices and selective efforts based on comparisons with other channels. Voice-based marketing as an example can be leveraged through monitoring and responding to 1.) increases in multi-word and “local” searched terms, 2.) focusing on localized marketing overall, including listings, and 3.) website best practices (website structure, AMP mobile pages that load quickly, https secure pages).

How important is location data-based marketing? Are you planning to explore further in your forthcoming Consumer Survey?

Location data based marketing is critical in a mobile world. As consumers, we purchase based on events…and events typically have a time and a location orientation. We’ll continue to drive consumer surveys that bridge the needs of national brands and their location partners.

Thank you, Bill! That was fun and hope to see you back on MarTech Series soon.