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You gotta think BIG. Or, at least that’s the thinking when you start to get into the marketing world. There are billions of people out there, so how are you going to reach them all?

The answers might be closer than you think. Before you sink your teeth into the big, wide world of marketing, consider taking a closer look into your own backyard. Today, let’s talk about the benefits of local marketing for your business.

Kristie Notto outlined some reasons that local marketing is a great option in a recent post for the Huffington Post. Here’s what she had to say.

Real-Life Relationships Rock
Who would you trust more—Sarah whom you’ve spoken on the phone with and lives five states away, or Sarah that you’ve had face-to-face conversations with multiple times and who you’ve networked with? If both of these Sarahs are the same other than their location, you’d most likely feel more comfortable with the one you’ve met in person. Why? Face-to-face matters.

Building trust happens when you know the person. Communicating only via technology makes building those relationships a little more difficult. Thus, real-life relationships rock for business!

Word of Mouth Still Works
Again, it goes back to trust—would you more so believe a review you read online or your very best friend? Probably your best friend. If you’re marketing local, each customer that you turn into an advocate helps your marketing efforts.

You can even do promotions to encourage your true evangelists to shine. Offer free services or a discount if they refer a friend. Or, you could host a contest where your customers post online to reach all of their social media contacts. The person with the most likes could get a special prize. Get creative to get word of mouth marketing going in your local community.

Local Events Build Ties
Utilize what you have right in front of you—a physical location. If you truly believe in your business (which you should) then you’ll want your customers to see the awesomeness that is behind your company doors.

Host events in your community to help get your name out there. Invite customers to come to an open house or a special event where they can see first hand what you’re up to that week. You’d be surprised at how many people are curious about the inner workings of your company. Plus, those face-to-face interactions help with the relationship building that we discussed earlier. Interaction is a beautiful thing for your marketing efforts.