Local Internet Marketing

Mexican fast food chain Del Taco took its Facebook fan base from roughly 20,000 to nearly 60,000 in just seven weeks after launching their Facebook-based "The Del Taco Super Special Show".   

Del Taco vice president of marketing John Cappasola says that their new, multiplatform marketing approach will hopefully help to broaden their customer base. "Looking at our position in the category, it's important that we find ways to extend our reach as efficiently as possible," Cappasola says. "We knew that integrating what we were doing—a traditional media approach—with social media was going to be really important for us."

The QSR brand is continually monitoring impressions, click-throughs and other metrics and using that information to tweak their placement of online and social media ads for the show, as well as the creative and offers featured.  For example, online ads are now relying on both coupons AND viral tools to encourage current fans to recruit their friends and family to become Del Taco Facebook fans.

Great to see that the Mexican chain is also using Twitter to promote the show and other special offers/coupons. It is great to see how tightly their complete franchise marketing plan seems to be tied together. (They are incorporating shoutouts to their Facebook page (specifically to The Del Taco Super Special Show") in numerous media forms (radio, tv, print, etc.)

While Del Taco is relatively late to the game with Facebook, they are proving that even for for a late-adopter, social networking can greatly impact one's franchise marketing strategy and local internet marketing efforts!

• Greatest Generation: born prior to 1946 (Ages: 65-plus)
• Boomers: 1946-1964 (Ages: 46-64)
• Generation X: 1965-1976 (Ages: 34-45)
• Millennials: 1977-1994 (Ages: 16-33)
  
  With our beloved Boomers struggling, we are turning to the Gen X and Gen Y demos, with their disposable incomes, technology addictions and consumption-happy habits to perk things up.
  
  Anyone with a medium sized family can see at a glance that there are some huge differences between how these three demographics go about consuming media - How do you seek out products or services? What media types do you turn to (or perhaps have attached to you) every day? Now compare your answers to those of your younger cousin, grandmother, nephew, father, etc...... While Boomers are more apt to still rely on their daily newspaper or respond to direct mail flyers, Gen X and Y'ers are far more likely to rely on the internet for both new and entertainment and are more likely to respond positively to email marketing and mobile coupons. 
  
  Been dragging your feet when it comes to looking into local internet marketing? Now is the time to take a step back and consider who your most viable target audience is - there is a good chance that your Yellow Page or radio spot just isn't worth the investment anymore.
  As a small business, how are you planning on getting your local advertising in front of this audience? Perhaps it time to mix up your local store marketing and media planning strategy?

I am a self-professed magazine fien. I currently subscribe to (gasp) 11 magazines (Real Simple, Runners World, The Week, Glamour, Shape, US Weekly, Women’s Health, Bon Apetite, Outside, Self, and Cooking Light). I pay between $7.99 and $64.95 for each subscription.

Over the past month, I have been amazed at some of the deals that have arrived in my mailbox. It seems that almost all of my subscription fees have been drastically cut. So a few weeks ago when I saw this AdAge article, it didn't really surprise me. A whopping two-thirds of the 344 magazines analyzed have dropped their per-copy subscription prices. Even more interesting – the price choppers are continuing to lose subscribers.

The less money magazines generate from subscribers, the more publishers depend on advertising dollars. Only, as anyone in the advertising world knows, print advertising dollars aren’t as easy to come by as they once were. In addition, the less a reader has to pay to obtain the magazine, the less they may value the magazine (and thereby the advertising brands that they are exposed to). It isn’t clear though, whether a subscription purchased at a drastically reduced cost provides as valuable of a reader for advertisers as a subscription that is actively sought out.

If single-copy purchasers, subscribers AND advertisers are all less willing to ante up and both single-copy sales and subscriptions are down, what should magazines do?  For many, they are turning more attention to their websites. For example, Runners World, Real Simple and Cooking Light have fantastic websites (I know because I have all three bookmarked). I spend more time online than I do reading, watching television, listening to the radio, etc. If your target demographic includes someone like me, turning to local internet marketing would be a good bet.

While I love my magazines, they more often than not fuel my love of the internet - I often "get my chef on" (as my husband calls it) with a recipe I pull from one of my favorite magazine's websites AFTER perusing my coveted magazine collection. With the economy in its current state, affordable, effective local marketing ideas are a necessity, it comes as no surprise that more and more neighborhood businesses are amping up their local advertising efforts. If you are a local business owner and haven't changed your local advertising strategy in ages, take another look at your online options, you might be surprised at who is online and how affordable it is to get in front of them.

Active Network – twitter.com/activenetwork
Amazon – twitter.com/amazon

American Airlines - twitter.com/AAirwaves
Anthropologie – twitter.com/anthropologie

Baskin-Robbins – twitter.com/BaskinRobbins
Barefoot Wine - twitter.com/barefootwine
Ben & Jerry’s – twitter.com/cherrygarcia

Best Buy - twitter.com/bestbuy

Bigelow Tea – twitter.com/bigelowtea
BMW - twitter.com/bmw

Bojangles – twitter.com/gottawannaneeda
Bosco Chocolate Syrup – twitter.com/scott_so
Build-A-Bear Workshop - twitter.com/buildabear
Cabela’s - twitter.com/cabelas

Cabot Cheese – twitter.com/cabotcoop
Cadbury – twitter.com/CadburyFriends

Carpet One Floor & Home - twitter.com/carpetone
Charm City Burger – twitter.com/charmcityburger
ComputerGeeks – twitter.com/ComputerGeeks
Constant Contact – twitter.com/ctcthelp
Dairy Queen - twitter.com/dairyqueen
Dell – twitter.com/Direct2Dell
Delta - twitter.com/DeltaAirLines
Dippin’ Dots – twitter.com/realdippindots

Discovery Channel – twitter.com/DiscoveryChPR
Domino’s Pizza - twitter.com/dominos
DunkinDonuts – twitter.com/DunkinDonuts
Eastbay – twitter.com/Eastbay
Etsy - twitter.com/etsy
Fast Company – twitter.com/fastcompany
Fiji Water - twitter.com/FIJIWater
Flooring America - twitter.com/flooringamerica
Flying Dog Beer – twitter.com/flyingdog
Ford Trucks – twitter.com/fordtrucks
ForRent.com – twitter.com/AptsForRent
Gandolfo’s NY Deli - twitter.com/gandolfos
Gatorade – twitter.com/Gatorade

GM Trucks – twitter.com/GMtruckclub
Greenling Organic – twitter.com/greenling_com
GU Energy – twitter.com/GUenergy
H&R Block – twitter.com/HRBlock
Harley Davidson – twitter.com/harleydavidson
Hertz – twitter.com/connectbyhertz
Home Depot – twitter.com/thehomedepot
HP Snapfish – twitter.com/snapfishbyhp
Ikea Fans – twitter.com/ikeafans
Infusionsoft – twitter.com/Infusionsoft
Inkfruit – twitter.com/inkfruit
iPhone – twitter.com/iphone
Jetblue – twitter.com/JetBlue
Joost – twitter.com/joost_com
Kodak – twitter.com/kodakCB
Landor.com – twitter.com/landor_dot_com
Lands End – twitter.com/LandsEndChat
Lilly Pulitzer - twitter.com/xxlilly

L’Express – twitter.com/LEXPRESS
M&M’S – Ms. Green –twitter.com/mmsgreen

Magicomm – twitter.com/magicomm
MarketingProfs – twitter.com/marketingprofs
Marriott – twitter.com/MarriottIntl
McDonald’s –twitter.com/mcdonalds

MGM Grand Hotel and Casino – twitter.com/mgmgrand

Moxie Java (Boise) - twitter.com/moxie_java
Nestle - twitter.com/nestle

Nike Basketball – twitter.com/nikebasketball

Nordstrom – twitter.com/nordstrom

North Face – twitter.com/thenorthface
nuBound- twitter.com/nuBound

Pancheros Mexican Grill – twitter.com/pancheros
Parts Express – twitter.com/Parts_Express
Patagonia – twitter.com/patagonia

Pepsi – twitter.com/pepsi

PizzaHut - twitter.com/pizzahut
PlanetGreen – twitter.com/planetgreen
Playboy – twitter.com/Playboy
popchips – twitter.com/popchips
Popeye’s Chicken – twitter.com/PopeyesChicken
Quiznos –twitter.com/quiznos

Red Hat – twitter.com/redhatnews
REI - twitter.com/REI_CoOp  

Ron’s Home And Hardware – twitter.com/rons
Rubbermaid – twitter.com/Rubbermaid
Sacre Bleu Wine – twitter.com/sacrebleuwine

Safeway - twitter.com/safeway
Salesforce.com – twitter.com/successforce
Scuba Diver Girls – twitter.com/scubadivergirls
SEGA – twitter.com/segaamerica
Share Our Strength – twitter.com/sharestrength
Sierra Trading Post – twitter.com/sierratp
Southwest Airlines – twitter.com/southwestair
Starbucks – twitter.com/starbucks

Subway –twitter.com/subwayfreshbuzz

Taco Bell – twitter.com/TacoBellTruck

Tasti D-Lite - twitter.com/Tastidlite
The Oregonian – twitter.com/oregonian
The Sims3 – twitter.com/thesims3
TheHandbagShop – twitter.com/thehandbagshop
Thomson Reuters – twitter.com/thomsonreuters
Thomson Reuters Careers – twitter.com/TRCareers
Tiara Hotels & Resorts – twitter.com/TiaraHotels
Tillamook Cheese – twitter.com/TillamookCheese

Times Online – twitter.com/timesonline
Trader Joe’s – twitter.com/traderjoes
Triathlete Magazine – twitter.com/TriathleteMag
TurboTax – twitter.com/turbotax
Urban Outfitters – twitter.com/UrbanOutfitters

Vera Bradley - twitter.com/VeraBradley

Vitamin Water - twitter.com/vitaminwater
VIBE Magazine – twitter.com/VibeMagazine
Virgin – twitter.com/virgindotcom

Volvo (US) - twitter.com/VolvoCars_US
Wachovia – twitter.com/Wachovia
Weight Watchers – twitter.com/weightwatchers

1. Don't over-update (which, I think applies to almost all social media networks. I have unfollowed a number of "noisy" Tweeters before)
2. Allow a fan/customer of your page/brand to be an admin on your page. While this is dependant on both your brand and the fan, in general, I think this is a great idea and falls along the same line of thought of testimonials and success stories - people trust "real" people (just look at Match.com's commercials..."real"?)
3. Whether you have established a page or not - chances are people/customers/potential 'fans' are discussing your brand. Reward the positive feedback quickly but respond to the negative immediately before it catches fire.

As a business with local advertising needs, you know that you should not only have an online presence but be diligently monitoring and fostering it. You also probably know that one of the best ways to take your local internet marketing to the next level is to maintain a blog. Perhaps you already have a blog but haven't updated it in months - after all, you reason, no one even knows you have it and what good is updating it if no one in your local area is even going to see it!?

That reasoning might help you put off blogging for a few weeks, months, perhaps even years - in which time you could have developed a solid blog that generates both online and in-store traffic and connects with loyal followers. Thankfully, there is no time like the present to kick it into gear and take your local advertising to the next level!

Here are 8 useful tips on generating additional local traffic to your blog:

1.     First, use social networking tools such as Twitter and Facebook to spread the word that you have a blog.

2.     Ensure that the fact that you have a blog is clearly stated on your homepage and make it very easy to access - better yet, set up a specific section on your homepage that is lists your last three blog posts.

3.     Hold a local scavenger hunt, and use your blog to post daily clues.

4.     Ensure that your blog is included in all marketing collateral and in-store pamphlets.

5.     Write blog posts that are locally relevant. Follow current events in your community and strive to generate conversations around these events.

6.     Feature specific products you have in stock or services you offer. Doing so routinely and often will boost your chances at being a top search result AND will resonate with local customers who often look for specific products.

7.     Refer often to your specific neighborhood or location – posting just a map won’t work across the board! Instead, include text explaining where you are located – pinpoint/mention nearby landmarks, neighboring stores, schools, etc.

8.     On a similar note, ask current or past customers if they would allow you to mention their experience on your blog. It is human nature to be more trusting of of a company, product or service when we hear about other's positive experiences with it.

Many people don’t really know the origin of the national holiday that we are celebrating today. Truth be told, I didn’t either.   The short answer is today we celebrate the birthday of George Washington, the father of our country, who was born on February 22, 1732. Why is it called Presidents Day and not Washington’s Day? Well, in 1968, there was an attempt to change the day to President’s Day, to celebrate both Abraham Lincoln (born February 12, 1809) and Washington ’s birthday on the same day. The attempt failed, but the name stuck – hence we are celebrating Presidents Day. 

Most retailers look to Presidents Day as the first retail push following the dismal holiday shopping season. Many of the big chains rely on national advertising programs to reach their local audiences on big holiday sale weekends such as this.  Local advertising may come in the form of newspaper, radio, direct mail and local internet marketing.   We too believe in the value of these mediums to advertise screaming deals on holiday weekends. As much as I hate the idea of adding another insert into the pile of flyers that fall out of the newspaper on holiday weekends such as this, they inevitably work. Even better, franchisors are slowly adopting marketing software tools to help them develop local advertising strategies, tailored to their local markets. So, not only will their messages reach their local consumers, they may actually be relevant to them!   

So, if you aren't working today, pick up a newspaper, turn on your favorite radio station and hit a few sales. The economy could use a little boost. 

• Broadcast TV on the ABC and Fox local affiliate stations
• Billboard on a major local highway
• Local lifestyle magazine (full page + business reply card)
• Local Internet marketing - pay-per-click on Google search

Who doesn’t remember the “hot spot” during high school and college? You know, that central location that you always seemed to end up at– whether to study, meet for a group project, recover from the night before or just grab a bite before an exam. In high school, our central spot, ‘The Greer’ was a staple in my oh-so-important teenage social life. Even today, when I talk to fellow alumni (even if they are 20 years my senior), ‘The Greer’ comes up. Legendary. If ‘The Greer’ were a national franchise, I can guarantee I would stop by (likely weekly), order an Oreo frappe and look for Post-Grad hockey players.

In college, the central spot was Subway, located smack dab in the middle of campus. Today, I can’t step foot in a Subway and not think of U of O. I wasn't too surprised when I that franchises often battle for college campus locations. As this article points out, more than 100 of Pita Pit's 180 locations are located on or near college campuses, while Subway has over 200. 
 
Alongside of Pita Pit and Panda Express, Subway establishes early brand connections with students during their college years – students graduate, go get jobs and take their brand preferences with them. While I had certainly frequented Subway before entering the wonderful world of college, I hadn't really "bonded" with the brand. I didn't feel any form of attachment to the franchise - I would never have walked an extra 6 blocks to purchase a Subway sub (opposed to another popular sub-peddling joint). Now, I do so without thinking.  

Today, local franchisee’s are increasingly looking for new ways to connect with their local customers. Two media forms that could be incredibly beneficial to college-located, QSR (quick service restaurants) locations – local internet marketing and mobile advertising. While cell phones are now largely widespread across all demographics – for the college student, his/her reliance on their phone is unparalleled. What’s more, teenagers and young adults are more likely to be technologically in-tune with their mobile devices than the average customer. Whether utilized for coupons (delivered by the mobile owners location), campus-based promotions, daily special announcements, etc. mobile advertising could be HUGE for many campus-based businesses.

Increasingly, local marketing automation tools are allowing franchise marketing teams to seamlessly provide franchisees with the advertising materials they need to immediately connect with their local customers. If I had received coupons and information on daily specials while on campus I would likely have visited Subway even more - and who knows, if Panda Express had sent me a coupon I might have buzzed by Subway in a beeline for some Chinese food (and would today, be walking an additional 7 blocks to get a different college comfort food).

Lately I have been acutely aware that I am getting older (before you roll your eyes at the 26-year-old calling herself “old” hear me out) – everywhere I look I see kids and teenagers doing, wearing, saying and watching things that both amaze and unnerve me. When did I begin criticizing “teenagers” in such a blanketed fashion?

Before I begin pointing my boney finger or kick-off some grand theory on the downfall of our youth, I think it is equally important to consider how technologically skilled and proficient this group has become (which has undeniably fueled some of my previously mentioned concern). I would be willing to bet that my 12-year old neighbor, and perhaps even his 8-year-old sister, could teach me a thing or two about my iPod, laptop and/or smartphone.

When I got my first cell phone as a teenager, it was a big deal. Only 3 or 4 of my friends had cell phones. When adding ‘Contacts’ to my phone, I added home numbers, not cell phone numbers. Today, I automatically assume that 90% of the numbers in my ‘Contact’ list are cell phones because, well, they are. Today, I just immediately assume that just about everyone has a cell phone. In fact, I cannot think of anyone over the age of 12 that doesn’t have one (and that includes my 71-year-old, technology-phobe father).

To say that times have changed is an understatement. The way in which technology has engrained itself in our youth’s lives is particularly astounding. A recent Kaiser Family Foundation study found that children aged 8 to 18 spend as more time with media on a weekly basis than the most adult spends at work (53 hours)! 

Mobile adoption is a huge contributor to this. Over the past five years, there has been a huge increase in ownership among 8 to 18 year-olds (from 39% to 66% for cell phones and 18% to 76% for iPods and MP3 players.) The possibilities of mobile local advertising just astound me. When I think about the future of mobile advertising, I do occasionally feel a little nervous that I might get bombarded more than I care to; however, I also predict that I will be receiving useful coupons, messages, facts, etc. from companies that I provide my number to, and what's more, receive them based upon my real-time, physical location. Can you imagine receiving an automatic coupon for Target when you are actually IN TARGET? That possibility for retail marketing is cool (and useful) to me both as a consumer and a marketer.  

So I will end my ramblings with this - if you are a business, engaged in local store marketing that has refrained from looking into new, interactive advertising mediums, you had better take note. First, you are likely already missing out on a large majority of your target demographic and second, today’s teens are tomorrow’s coveted early 20’s, college-aged demographic and you had better believe they will be turning to the web, their smartphones, their iPods, etc. Will you be there? Local internet marketing not only works today but will increasingly be seen as a necessity for marketing success.