Local Pages News Archives

Why Local Marketing Matters

And How You Can Use Local Marketing To Boost Your Business

Local marketing, or hyper-local marketing, targets customers within a specific area. This approach allows businesses to stand out and be more accessible to potential customers nearby. For example, when people in your area search for services, having strong local visibility ensures your business is one of the first they see.

There are several reasons to consider a local marketing strategy:

Cost-Effective: Local marketing efforts can be more budget-friendly than broad campaigns, allowing you to focus on the most relevant audience for your business.
Higher Engagement: Customers often feel a stronger connection to local businesses, making them more likely to engage, leave reviews, and spread the word.
Better ROI: With targeted campaigns, you’re reaching people more likely to need your service, resulting in better conversions and a higher return on investment.

How can you Advertise Locally?

Leverage Local SEO for More Visibility

Local SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is essential for helping your business show up in online searches within your area. By optimising your website and online presence for local search, you’ll reach customers who are actively searching for services you provide.

Google My Business: Setting up or optimizing your Google My Business profile is a crucial step. Ensure your information is complete and accurate, including your business hours, contact info, and location.

Local Keywords: Include location-specific keywords on your website and blog to improve search engine visibility. For example, a dog groomer in Bristol might use keywords like “Bristol dog grooming” or “dog groomer near me.”

Customer Reviews: Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews. Positive reviews boost credibility and improve your ranking on Google’s local search results.

Use Print Marketing to Reach Local Audiences

Print marketing remains an impactful way to reach local customers directly. Flyers, business cards, and local directories are all effective ways to advertise your business within the community.

Direct Mail Campaigns: Target neighborhoods in your area with promotional offers, service updates, or seasonal deals.

Flyers & Posters: Partner with other local businesses, like cafes or community centers, to display your materials in places where your target audience frequents.

Local Directories: Listing your business in a local directory like Local Pages can significantly boost your visibility and reach in nearby areas, making it easier for customers to find you.

Get Involved with the Community

Engaging with your community not only builds a strong local reputation but also establishes trust with potential customers. Here are some ways to connect:

Sponsor Local Events: Support local sports teams, schools, or community events. Sponsorships show that you’re invested in the community, increasing goodwill and brand awareness.

Partner with Local Businesses: Collaborate with other local businesses on joint promotions or events. For example, a dog groomer could team up with a pet store for a co-hosted pet care day.

Volunteer: Get involved in community service projects or volunteer for local initiatives. This not only helps your community but also builds relationships with residents and other local businesses.

Run Geo-Targeted Digital Ads

Geo-targeted digital ads allow you to focus your advertising budget on a specific geographic area, ensuring your message reaches local customers. Platforms like Google Ads and Facebook Ads make it easy to set up location-based targeting.

Google Ads with Location Targeting: Run pay-per-click (PPC) ads that focus on users within a specific radius of your business. You can also optimise ad copy to mention your city or region.

Social Media Ads: Platforms like Facebook and Instagram allow for highly specific location targeting. You can run ads that only show up for users within certain zip codes or even miles from your location.

Localised Offers: Promote special deals or discounts to those in the immediate area. Localised offers make your ads even more relevant, increasing the likelihood of engagement and conversions.

Optimise for Mobile Users

Many local searches are performed on mobile devices, so it’s essential that your website and ads are optimised for mobile users. Mobile-friendly content makes it easy for customers to find you on the go.

Responsive Website Design: Ensure your website looks and functions well on mobile devices. A mobile-optimised site loads quickly and has a clean, easy-to-navigate layout.

Clickable Contact Info: Make it easy for mobile users to contact you by adding clickable phone numbers and map links to your website.

Mobile Ads: Consider running mobile-optimised ads, especially on social media, to capture users who are searching for services in the area.

How Local Pages Can Help

At Local Pages, we specialize in helping small businesses strengthen their local presence through a mix of print, digital, and design services. We understand the needs of businesses and work closely with you to tailor strategies that suit your unique goals. From listing your business in our directory to creating targeted ads, we’re here to help you connect with your community and grow your brand.

Ready to attract more local customers and expand your business? Contact us today for a free consultation, and let’s work together to give your business the local advantage!

Visit The Little Blue Blog for more insights and tips on growing your business through local marketing. Let’s make your brand the go-to in your community!

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Reaching Success

Birch Hall Pennant Quarry and Cotswold Quarry's Digital Transformation with LP Digital

In today’s digital landscape, having a strong online presence is crucial for business success and visibility. Birch Hall Pennant Quarry and Cotswold Quarry, two sister businesses with a rich history, recognized this need early on. Their journey with LP Digital began with the creation of the Little Blue Books, marking the beginning of their shift from traditional print advertising to a dynamic digital approach.

The Challenge

As Birch Hall Pennant Quarry and Cotswold Quarry sought to modernize their advertising strategy, they faced several key challenges:

Building a Dual-Function Website: They needed a sister website that could effectively split into two distinct but interconnected platforms, each fully operational and optimized for search engine visibility.
Transitioning to Digital Advertising: Moving away from print to embrace digital advertising required a strategic overhaul.
Ensuring Optimal SEO Performance: Comprehensive and transparent SEO services were essential to boost their Google rankings and attract more traffic.

The Solution

LP Digital stepped in with a tailored solution to address these challenges:

Development of a Comprehensive E-Commerce Website: We built a fully operational e-commerce website for both quarries, designed to handle their unique needs while facilitating a seamless user experience.
Ongoing Monitoring and Optimization: To ensure the website’s effectiveness, we implemented continuous tracking of footfall and held monthly meetings with the clients. This proactive approach allowed us to make timely adjustments and keep everything running at peak efficiency.
Immediate Positive Impact: Within just two weeks of launching the new digital strategy, both quarries began seeing a surge in enquiries and positive results.

Insights

Throughout this journey, several key insights emerged:

Exclusive Digital Presence: Birch Hall Pennant Quarry and Cotswold Quarry have chosen to focus solely on digital advertising, forgoing other advertising channels.
Hands-On Support: Our team’s commitment to ensuring the highest standard of work was a significant factor in their satisfaction with our services.
Proactive Partnership: The relationship between LP Digital and the quarries has been described as exceptionally positive and proactive, highlighting the effectiveness of our collaborative approach.

‘Held our hand all the way through.’

Birch Hall Pennant Quarry and Cotswold Quarry’s transition to digital advertising has been a resounding success. Thanks to LP Digital’s expertise and dedicated support, both businesses now enjoy enhanced online visibility, increased customer engagement, and a robust digital presence. This success story underscores the power of embracing digital solutions in today’s business environment and the value of a proactive, supportive partnership.

You can view their website here.

Schedule a free consultation about your digital advertising needs here.

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Road Map Out Of Lockdown

The end of lockdown is sight

We are delighted that there is some good news at last with the publication of the road map out of the current situation, and some light at the end of a very long tunnel for small businesses across the UK.

The sap is rising and Spring is well on its way. A sense of energy and potential is sweeping through the Local Pages Team so we wanted to share our thoughts on how to use the next few weeks effectively and dynamically. therefore given a high degree of trust.

For those of you who will be looking to your business re-opening, or those who have traded throughout, there will be some things you may want to consider to capitalise on the relaxation of lockdown regulations;

Safety first

Your customers are going to appreciate the reassurance of their safety, and since it appears mask-wearing and social distancing are going to be the norm for a few months yet, it’s a good opportunity to check the up-to-date government guidelines on Covid safety. They can be found by clicking here.

Get organised

Use the final few weeks of quiet time to plan and get organised. Now is the time to check when your insurance policies are due for renewal and that all your competency training is up to date. Put these dates in your calendar now as annual reminders so that you know you are covered.

Make a business plan

Setting goals and ways to measure your progress will help you focus on each step of the growth of your business. The Government has announced further grants and loans for small businesses so take a look to see what help is available. https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus/business-support. There is useful information on making a business plan here too. Don’t forget to include your advertising budget. You will want to let your existing and potential customers know that you have ridden the storm and are still available for them, or if you are a new business, now is the time to get the word out so you can hit the ground running.

Sort your advertising budget

Use your advertising budget to shout about any developments, changes, or simply the fact you have survived and can’t wait to get back to it!

Our in-house designers can help you make the most out of your LP adverting and our Digital Team are available to talk through any and all online promotion, from Pay Per Click to Website Creation or Social Media Campaign Management. We have over 40 years experience of the local advertising marketplace and out expertise is available to help maximise your spend.

And finally

We have all been shaped and affected in one way or another by the events of the last year so let’s use our experiences to reflect, appreciate and grow from here.

The Local Pages Team are here to help you secure your spot in the marketplace. *

For help with all your marketing post lockdown, call 0117 923 1122, email sales@localpages.co.uk or book an appointment with the Local Pages Lead Generation Team below.

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At last some good news…

Covid has been difficult for many businesses. in fact it has probably been the hardest trading year in living memory with many businesses hardly surviving and many others, unfortunately, going to the wall.

Recent new reports regarding the economy have been encouraging with the Office of National Statistics reporting that the UK’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by a record 15.5% during Quarter 3 (July to Sept) 2020, as lockdown measures were eased.

This was mostly due to the services, production and construction sectors increasing by record amounts. In September alone, the services sector grew by 1.0%, production by 0.5% and construction by 2.9%.

But what does this mean in real terms for the average small to medium sized business? How do these figures relate to what is happening on the ground?

The good news is that consumer confidence has increased as people with disposable incomes seek to find ways to dispose of it. This is reflected in the massive rise of search requests we have seen at Local Pages during a similar time frame.

In October, trackable leads from our printed directories showed a 6.5% increase. As good as that figure is, it pales into insignificance when you consider the number of customer searches requested at localpages.co.uk

The above graph shows monthly localpages.co.uk searches over last three years

After a big slump during the spring when most of country was in lockdown, the number of online searches has increased to record levels. The average number of monthly searches between August and October this year is 15,934, an amazing 28.5% increase on the same period last year and a 51.7% increase on the year before.

More than ever, people are relying on Local Pages Online to connect with local businesses within their communities. This large increase in users means that localpages.co.uk has never been so cost-effective or, with annual ‘Enhanced’ contracts available for less than £5.00 per week, delivered such high returns on investment.

To find out more about how your business can tap into this huge increase in potential customers, book an appointment with one of our sales team below.

Local Pages – Connecting local businesses and local people

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Homeworking – The New Normal

Like many other companies, over the last five months most of us at Local Pages have spent a considerable amount of time working from home. Unthought of a year ago, we have now discovered that by changing our working practices and investing in new technology we can be more efficient while offering our team greater flexibility in how and where they work.

There have been other benefits too. Cutting back on commuting and replacing face-to-face client visits with video calls has substantially reduced our carbon footprint and less people in the office means savings on space, heating and lighting.

Five months in and we are still counting the benefits from a business perspective. But how do the staff feel about such a radical change? So, we asked them. Specifically we asked what were the best and worst bits about working from home. You can see from the list below that the positives far outweigh the negatives and where there are negatives we are doing our best to address them.

–

Best

Not having to spend time putting on makeup
Not having to sit in traffic every day getting to work
Saving money on petrol
Looking out over my garden from the office chair
Being able to work in casual clothes (but definitely notmy PJs!)
Having a well organised and ergonomically functioning office based around me.
Being able to concentrate without distractions
Greater productivity and accuracy
It’s quiet
Not having to walk miles/downstairs to the printer/shredder
Having more ‘me’ time without having to commute
Being able to hang out the washing during the day
Feeling safe from coronavirus
Be able to accept Amazon parcels
The days fly by
Being able to spend more time talking to customers
Losing weight (away from the office biscuit tin)
Reducing our carbon footprint
Saving on paper
Greater efficiency with video calls replacing face to face meetings
Enjoying the company of my dogs and cats

–

Worst

It’s harder working on a diddy little screen
Missing the banter and interaction with colleagues
Using my electricity (offset by the savings on fuel)
IT issues more difficult to resolve remotely
Using a lot more printer paper
Missing the ‘buzz’ of a busy office
Connectivity issues
Motivation and moral is lower without the support of the rest of the team
Unlimited snacking
Loneliness if you don’t have a dog or cat to keep you company

–

Working from home is now the new normal with commercial, environmental and employee benefits. It’s just a shame that it took a global pandemic to force us into taking off our blinkers, opening our eyes and doing things differently.

A Really BIG Thank You

Local Pages Goes from Strength to Strength

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our clients who have advertised in our 24 Little Blue Books over the last 12 months along with the people that use and rely on them to find products and services within their locality.

The Local Pages financial year has just ended and we can report that we have had our most successful year in our 41 years of trading. Remarkably, despite the lockdown, revenues this April were our biggest ever as forward thinking businesses looked to ensure a steady flow of leads once the current restrictions are lifted.

The increase in revenue has allowed us to expand our team by 30% and create a number of initiatives to help improve the lead generating services we offer our clients.

We have increased the number of directories delivered by Royal Mail to the local communities we serve by 8% (Around 40,000 extra households)
We have created a marketing team to raise the profile of our Little Blue Books and online search facilities to drive even more leads
We have expanded our digital services team to provide more low cost websites and online lead generation to businesses targeting their local communities.

Despite the current business difficulties, we remain confident and optimistic about the future and believe that local economies will be rebuilt by independent businesses fulfilling the needs of the local communities they serve.

At Local Pages it is our objective to support those businesses and communities in whatever we can.

Local Pages – Local leads for local businesses

Sign up to the FREE Community Hub

To help our local communities through this difficult time, we’ve set up a Community Hub.

The Community Hub can be found at www.localpages.co.uk

The aim of the Community Hub is to create an online directory where people can find the services and support they need to help them through the current Coronavirus pandemic.

We are asking all community groups offering services to add their details. By doing so, those requiring assistance will be able to click on the town links to find help and services local to them.

The Community Hub is totally free.

Please sign up today, as the more organisations that leave their details, the more useful it becomes.

www.localpages.co.uk

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Working From Home

Working from home is not as easy as it seems. Not only are there a host of distractions, but there is your mental and physical health to consider. By not travelling to work every day, it is easy to overlook the physical benefits of getting to there and the social benefits of interacting with colleagues.

So to help you keep productive and sane, here are the Local Pages’ tips for successfully working from home.

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Local Pages – Helping Local Business

The Coronavirus has had a massive impact on local businesses throughout the country and the consequences have been especially felt by SMEs and the self-employed in the areas we serve. As a small family business employing 18 people, we recognise the current challenges faced by many of our loyal customers and wish to support you in whatever way we can.

We don’t know when the current situation will end, but we must all remain positive and be ready to take advantage of the opportunities that will arise once the lockdown is lifted. The truth is, people still want your products and services even if you can’t currently supply them. This means that once the restrictions are over, demand for your products and services will be even higher.

For this reason, we are putting the following initiatives into place to help your business in the short term while generating enquiries for the future:

Extended Payment Terms

Where possible we will offer extended payment terms to help with cash-flow while your business is temporarily on hold.

Deferred Payment Terms

Normally we would expect payment with your order. However, due to the current circumstances and the pressures that some of our customers are experiencing due to cash flow, where possible we will defer payment from the time of booking your order until the Little Blue Book goes to print.

Free Digital Consultation A no-obligation review of your online presence with suggestions regarding how you use your website and social media channels to grow your business in the future.

Call the team on 0117 9321122 to book an appointment.

Increased Promotion of our Little Blue Book

We are increasing the amount of promotional activity aimed at users. We strongly believe that people buy from people they know and trust. That is the reason we publish our Little Blue Book.

For over 40 years, people have trusted the information within it and the businesses it recommends.

Increased Promotion of www.localpages.co.uk

We are increasing our online promotional activity which will greatly benefit our online advertisers especially those with enhanced and premium listings. With the cost of Google and Facebook advertising rocketing at the moment, our online search directory offers an even better return on investment.

The current situation is not going to last forever and it is important that all businesses prepare for when the restrictions are lifted. Local Pages is in a unique position to help. For those that wish to hit the ground running, our online search directory can generate leads at a fraction of the price of Google and Facebook. In the long term, our trusted Little Blue Books are still being updated and delivered to ensure your business details are at your potential customers’ fingertips as and when they are required.

Finally, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support and the kind messages that we have received during the past couple of weeks. As mentioned earlier, we are a family business and we look upon all our customers as members of our extended family, without whom we wouldn’t be able to continue serving your community. Stay safe and if we can be of any further assistance please let me know.

With my best regards

Dan Bernard

Managing Director
Click here for the latest government advice on Coronavirus.

Click here for the latest government advice for employers and businesses

Click here for details of the Coronavirus Business Interruption Scheme

Click here for details regarding the Small Business Grant Fund

Happy to help.

Get in touch with one of the Local Pages Team today:
0117 932 1122

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Local Pages’ Lockdown Support

At Local Pages we want to give extra help to our loyal customers during this difficult time.

Every customer that renews their Local Pages directory listing during the lockdown period will receive the following extra benefits.

Free enhanced listing on our online search directory for 3 months worth £120.00/Year.

Our online directory normally appears on the first page of Google and receives over 300 searches a day for products and services just like yours.

An enhanced listing comes with the following features to help you stand out from your competition:

A display advert consisting of your highlighted company name along with your logo, address, email address, two telephone numbers, link to your website and a description of the products and services you provide.
Your enhanced listing sits within four different category headings.
Your enhanced listing gets priority over free entries and basic listings

Free Website and Digital Marketing Consultation

There is no better time to consider your online marketing activities to ensure your business is well placed to take advantage of the opportunities available once the lockdown is lifted.

Our online marketing team will offer you free, no obligation advice on:

Website design and user experience
Search Engine Optimisation
Pay Per Click advertising
Online display advertising
Email marketing
Social media set up and marketing

For more information call Local Pages now on 0117 9231122 or email info@localpages.co.uk