Local community marketing is an essential element in marketing your business. It’s important to first develop a plan by getting to know your target audience, finding more than one marketing channel that works, and then rinse and repeat.

Five really useful hyperlocal avenues to market your business are:

1. Newspaper advertising – Not only can you advertise in your local paper, you can also use your local paper to participate with your community. When someone announces an event, or a new hire, or anything special in the paper and you feel they are your target market, or work with your target market, drop them a note of congratulations.

2. Event sponsoring – Whether it’s a charity or a business event, step up and sponsor something. You can do this via the chamber of commerce or a charity, and you won’t regret it. Whether it’s hosting the entire event or buying up one table for your business associates, your name will get out there.

3. Local networking groups – Check Meetup.com for local networking groups that consist of your target audience, or local businesses who service your target audience. Then participate fully so that you become a known expert in your niche.

4. Personal networking – Never underestimate the power of personal networking. Call on your friends, family, and community to promote you every chance you can. Definitely offer something to them in return, such as doing a great job for the clients they recommend, and maybe a free T-shirt and a heartfelt thank you. And if they also have a business, return the favor.

5. The follow-up – This is something, believe it or not, that many small business owners do very poorly. They meet people at events, or get a phone call from a contact, and then do not follow up. This is a big mistake. Follow up no matter what. Even if someone turns out not to be a fit for your business, you might be able to connect them with someone else, and they won’t forget you.

By putting these hyperlocal marketing avenues into practice you’ll increase your business, improve your reputation, and develop a local following that will be loyal and profitable. Use these local methods in conjunction with blogs, websites, social media and more. With just a little work you and your business can be in the minds of your entire local community.

Remember that with any of these avenues it’s important to repeat each method more than once. No marketing works in a one-off manner. All marketing needs to be done multiple times to be effective. It must be repeated, tested, and done again. Always keep testing your methods, do more of what is working, and less of what doesn’t work.

Hyperlocal marketing benefits not only your own business but also your community. By keeping dollars local and business local, tax dollars stay in your area. Not only that – building a local community interested in what you offer just feels great because you’re contributing to the local economy in terms of jobs, taxes, and more.