3 benefits of hyperlocal social media marketing
Have you ever heard about a brand from a friend on Instagram and then started seeing it everywhere? Billboards, displays in stores, Meta ads… surely these advertisements were there before, but you never really saw them. Awareness like this is just one way that hyperlocal social media marketing supports other marketing channels.
what is hyperlocal marketing?
Hyperlocal marketing is a strategy that targets potential customers in one specific area. For example, ‘local’ often means a state or region, whereas ‘hyperlocal’ means a metropolitan area or city. Place-based brands, such as restaurants, housekeeping services, and concert venues, that want to attract repeat customers play in this hyperlocal space.
how does hyperlocal marketing relate to influencer marketing?
Influencer marketing is present on all social media platforms and live streaming services like Twitch and YouTube. Traditional influencers have followers from around the world and are paid to share about products and services on their primary platform.
Because influencers have worldwide or nationwide audiences, it’s not efficient to activate them for hyperlocal marketing. Instead, hyperlocal brands should look for local people who have influence in their community. They don’t typically focus on a topic, but rather advocate for the area that they live in and the brands in it.
benefits of activating hyperlocal marketing
increased awareness
In the US alone, there are 4,254 Cosmetic & Beauty Products Manufacturing businesses. With all of that competition, how do you cut through the noise and get your message in front of new customers? An incredibly efficient way is to work with real people in your target area. They’re one of the best first touch points because their audience on social media is already excited for and actively engaged with their posts. They also don’t solicit sponsorships for their full time jobs; they work with and talk about brands because they love their community and want to support the businesses in it.
After your brand catches someone’s attention, you can begin to retarget them with other forms of marketing, such as emails and ads, to move them through the consideration phase.
shorter consideration phase
If you’re a marketer, you’ve likely heard the rule of 7. This means that customers need to hear a marketing message 7 times before they even consider taking action. When a marketing message comes from someone you trust, rather than a standard marketing channel, it holds greater weight and could expedite the 7 times down to one or two.
Here’s a couple examples of what this might look like.
Learn about a service from a friend’s Instagram story ➡️ visit the service website ➡️ receive a retargeting ad ➡️ make a purchase.
Learn about a product from a friend’s Instagram post ➡️ visit the store ➡️ make a purchase.
immediate brand trust
Which do you trust more: a billboard or a friend? A social media ad or your sibling? Even if your brand manages to capture the attention of consumers, it doesn’t mean that they’ll trust your brand enough to make a purchase. According to Nielsen, 92% of people trust friends and family over any other form of advertising.
Have you heard the term ‘nano influencer?’ Brands are catching on to this lack of trust between consumers and traditional marketing tactics, and are shifting their focus to smaller, or nano, influencers. We like to take it a step further and focus on location-specific people who have influence in their physical community.
These individuals are our friends, family, neighbors, coworkers and other people that you interact with regularly, such as baristas, trainers, and that friendly face selling vegetables at the farmers market. We already trust these people enough to let them in our circle, so we trust the brands they talk about, too.
how to get started working with local people
Identifying and reaching out to individual influencers takes time but it will be worth it for your brand! Here’s a great guide on working with local influencers to help you get started.
You can also skip the heavy lifting and reach out to the Hummingbirds. Their robust platform connects brands with local people who are ready and excited to talk about businesses in their community. As of February 2024, Hummingbirds is active in 15 cities including Cincinnati, Columbus, Des Moines, Grand Rapids, Indianapolis, Iowa City/Cedar Rapids, Kansas City, Lincoln, Louisville, Madison, Milwaukee, Omaha, St. Louis, Quad Cities, and Twin Cities.
