How to Compete Online and Win in Local Markets
Marketing technology seems to be advancing at lightning speed. Think back to advertising in local markets 5 years ago, or even 6 months ago. Things change fast. Companies of every size rely on maintaining a competitive online presence.
Consumers expect to have the information they want at their fingertips, instantly. They tend to be better informed than ever, and more interested in closer relationships with the brands they choose. This is where digital marketing excels, delivering online experiences, and increasing engagement and interactions with customers. And this is why brands — who sell through independent retailers, dealers, agents and other types of resellers — rely on leading distributed marketing software solutions to help execute and win in local markets. As a leader in distributed marketing, SproutLoud offers more than marketing tools. Major businesses rely on SproutLoud to help them manage, track and consistently improve their online presence and local SEO, with exceptional technology, analytics and support.
Digital marketing solutions can help increase brand visibility through partners at the local level. The challenge lies in choosing the best digital marketing tactics, for your business and for your local partners, from a vast portfolio of options.
There are multiple factors to take into account when selecting a digital marketing strategy. The decision is not limited to one type of tactic, because there is no one-size-fits-all solution to increasing online visibility.
While many distributed marketing software solutions offer brands and their reseller partners digital marketing tools, leaders in the distributed marketing industry understand that tools alone aren’t enough. Service and support is essential for brands and their partners to successfully navigate rapid changes in markets and in technology. SproutLoud understands where each partner in our clients’ networks falls within the online landscape. SproutLoud’s Digital Diagnostics pinpoints each reseller’s strengths and weaknesses, and how their online presence compares to their top local competitors.
Let’s dive a little deeper into what a SproutLoud Digital Diagnostic report presents:
Website
Can the reseller partner’s website track traffic from mobile devices? With around 45% of web traffic in the United States originating from mobile devices in 2023, according to Statista, this is great insight to have.
SEO Analysis
Is it easy for potential customers to find the reseller partner’s website when looking for your brand products or services? Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of getting traffic from free, organic, editorial, or natural search results on search engines. SproutLoud’s digital scorecard gives each reseller partner a grade on how well their local business is doing on local SEO.
Keyword Analysis
What search terms are potential customers using to find your products or services? This portion of the report refers to the keywords that are showing results on search engines and their SERP (search engine results page) position.
Advertising
Do the reseller partner or their top local competitors use paid promotional content to advertise the business? Paid advertising includes tactics such as Paid Search Ads (or pay per click), Display Ads, Facebook Ads and Instagram Ads.
Social Media Presence
A competitive presence on Facebook, Twitter and other social profiles is essential, not only to reach new and potential customers but also to have a direct interaction with the existing customers.
Local Business Presence
Is your reseller partner’s local business information listed on online listings and is the information accurate? Visibility on online listings can help increase your reseller partners’ rankings on search engines, where consistency and accuracy drives trust among potential customers.
Reviews and Mentions
According to a local review survey conducted by Brightlocal, 76% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. A good reputation management program can help you monitor what customers are saying about your business. It also gives you the opportunity to address their concerns and engage with them.
With SproutLoud’s comprehensive distributed marketing software solution, brands give their reseller partners access to the most effective digital marketing tactics available and robust marketing analytics, as well as exceptional local marketing insight, service and support.