Does your independent community pharmacy use hyperlocal marketing strategies?
Chances are, you do. But, you may not be taking advantage of all the opportunities that exist within hyperlocal marketing.
Hyperlocal marketing refers to marketing to a defined local, geographic area. For example, a region, city, neighborhood or zip code. And, the idea has come a long way from the days of traditional advertising, thanks to the addition of digital marketing tools.
We have easy ideas to take advantage of hyperlocal marketing to promote your independent community pharmacy.
Take advantage of search engines
If your pharmacy hasn’t verified—or updated—your Google My Business page, you’re missing out on a huge hyperlocal marketing opportunity.
Google My Business is a free business listing that allows your local pharmacy to appear in Google’s Search and Map results for location-based searches.
For example, if your pharmacy is located in Kansas City, Mo., and a patient enters the search query “Kansas City Mo pharmacy,” chances are your business will show up in the local search results.
And, once you verify your business on the platform, you can update your basic information, add photos, and monitor your Google reviews. When patients look up your business, you can ensure they find exactly what they’re looking for and entice them to visit your pharmacy.
Using free hyperlocal marketing like Google My Business is invaluable to your independent community pharmacy business, especially if you lack an extensive marketing budget.
Optimize for mobile
The amount of local searches conducted on mobile devices continues to grow, which affects the success of your hyperlocal search marketing efforts.
In order for your hyperlocal marketing efforts to be effective, you not only need to have a mobile-responsive website, but it also needs to be optimized for use on a mobile device.
When potential patients find your pharmacy business in local search results, they should be able to view all of the features of your website on their mobile device without difficulty.
If your site isn’t mobile-friendly, that creates a negative user experience, and people will be less likely to visit your pharmacy.
Use social media
Hyperlocal social media marketing allows you to target potential and existing customers based on a specific geographic area.
And, using hyperlocal advertising on social media sites creates an opportunity for your pharmacy to encourage engagement and attract more patients.
For example, through Facebook advertising, you can target patients who live within five miles of your business. And, you can target specific demographics within that area.
Facebook even allows you to create local awareness ads, where you can target people currently in the area. By including call-to-actions, the ads allow nearby potential patients to call your business or get directions.
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Don’t forget traditional advertising
Despite the advances in digital hyperlocal marketing, it’s important not to forget about the traditional means of hyperlocal advertising.
Methods such as displaying posters, handing out flyers, sending direct mail and participating in community events are still relevant to small businesses like your independent community pharmacy.
This type of hyperlocal advertising is unique to your community, making it easier to form a connection with community members and communicate your pharmacy’s brand to the people in your area.
For example, participating in a fundraiser to benefit the local high school is a great way to spread awareness and remind patients that you’re a contributing member of the community. When your pharmacy is loyal to the community, the community is more likely to be loyal to your pharmacy.
Additionally, you can personalize your hyperlocal marketing campaigns to resonate with community members.
For example, if you’re located in an area that gets hit with a lot of snow, you can offer patients a “snow day special” or stock relevant products, such as ice scrapers or ice melt.
Use these tips to encourage patients to “shop local” at your independent pharmacy.
