Chloe CameronAre you looking to expand your geographic market for your business? Many businesses of all sizes are beginning to establish operations outside of their local territory, as greater opportunities present themselves with diversification. having a wider geographic market can have a few advantages for your business. Take SinaLite, for example. Twenty years ago, we started out as a small local printer; today, we are a successful wholesale trade printer that has expanded to all of North America!
If you’re not sure how to start expanding your geographic market, then you’re in luck! We’ve compiled a few tips on how to reach other audiences and grow your business as you explore new territories.
1. New Products For New Markets
Many businesses generally identify their target market through specified demographics, such as:
- Age
- Gender
- Location
Cities are generally made up of younger populations. If you’re looking to expand your brand to a city, adjust your marketing strategy accordingly. Younger audiences are very active online, so develop an effective strategy that will reach out to audiences through digital and social media. Take into consideration what younger audiences are looking for product/service-wise, and go from there.
2. Tap Into Different Social Media Platforms
With social media dominating much of our everyday lives, many businesses are leaning on the digital world to help build their empire. In order to reach out to a wider audience, you need to make your presence known online. Social media crosses borders, so it’s always good to reach out to audiences that are generally further away. The power of social media marketing only continues to grow, and there are many different platforms where you can establish brand loyalty not just locally, but globally as well. Some social media platforms to consider for your business include:
- Snapchat
Many of these online platforms have been incorporated into marketing strategies for businesses, as the popularity of these platforms can help attract attention from online users. Determine which platforms would fit and represent your business best, and start generating new leads! As you begin to share content and promote your brand on these platforms, users will become more interested in communicating and join in on the conversation of the subject. In fact, according to MarketingSherpa, 95% of online users aged 18-34 are likely to be influenced by a brand through social networking. The bigger the presence you have on social media, the more exposure you’ll gain for your brand.
Choose the type of audience you want to target on social media, as platforms allow you to target ads for specific locations. Running location-specific ads may provide better appeal, as some businesses notice that there are stronger responses from certain cities compared to others.
3. Brand Collaborations & Partnerships
There’s a lot of emphasis put on the popularity of brands. There’s the belief that if it’s trending, it must be good. As we live in a world where influencers have a huge impact on society and the decisions they make, many businesses have used this to their advantage. By partnering with other brands and influencers with a high follower count, this helps bring in new potential leads from existing customers from both parties. This also benefits you, as these other brands and influencers know the audience in that geographic area better, providing you new knowledge that you can take.
Consider collaborating with brands and influencers from other areas so that you get the chance to branch out from just local consumers.
4. Location-Based Offers
In many regions, shipping can get quite expensive. There’s nothing more discouraging than finding out the cost of shipping is more than the product itself. For many consumers, the cost of shipping can make or break the deal on whether they want to purchase a product/service. Currency can also be a factor; what may be worth in U.S. dollars doesn’t necessarily mean it will be worth it in Canadian dollars. In such cases like these, draw in consumers by offering free shipping or discounted products for particular locations.
If you’re planning to offer free shipping for certain locations, do your research and pick geographic areas where shipping is more affordable for you.
5. Optimize Your Website
Make consumers from other areas feel welcome by optimizing your website catered to their geographic location. It also makes your business look good when additional language versions of your website are supported, as certain geographic areas may have a more dominant language spoken there.
Keep in mind the different time zones, which can factor into your marketing strategy. Consider the time zones to schedule posts accordingly, and use keywords that are commonly used in that region. It also helps to have a toll-free number, as this makes consumers feel like it’s closer and easier to reach out to your business no matter where they are from.
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