If you’re a local business owner or tradesperson, I suspect you’ve asked yourself this question at least once…

“Is any of this marketing actually working?” To be fair, it’s a valid question.

Every day we hear people saying they need to be on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Google, YouTube and a number other platforms I’ve probably forgotten.

Apparently, if you’re not posting videos, running ads, creating content and sending emails every five minutes, your business is destined to disappear into the abyss.

No wonder so many small businesses and trades people feel overwhelmed!

Marketing Has Never Been More Confusing

Over the years, I’ve spoken to lots of local businesses across the West Midlands and one of the biggest frustrations I hear is that they’re spending money on marketing…but they don’t really know what’s working.

Some have paid agencies, run online adverts, boosted social media posts, invested in websites and SEO and tried all sorts of different marketing ideas over the years…but many still aren’t completely sure what’s actually bringing enquiries and customers through the door.

Burnt Once, Shy Twice

Unfortunately, many business owners have had bad experiences.

They’ve been promised the earth…told they’ll get hundreds of leads and been guaranteed amazing results. Then six months later they’re left wondering where their money went and are back to square one.

After that, it’s completely understandable to become cautious about advertising. In fact, I’d say it’s sensible.

Most business owners work incredibly hard for their money and they want to know that it’s being invested wisely.

The Pressure To Be Everywhere

Another challenge I see is the pressure to be online all the time. Don’t get me wrong, online marketing absolutely has its place. We have an online offering ourselves, but many local businesses start believing they need to be everywhere at once.

Facebook…Instagram…Google…LinkedIn…TikTok…Email Marketing…the list never ends and while they are great marketing methods, it’s best for small businesses to choose a couple of options and do them well rather than trying to do them all at once and spreading yourself so thin that you can’t do a good job of any of them.

Realistically, most small local businesses don’t have unlimited time, unlimited budgets or a full marketing department sitting in the back office.  So, what they really need is marketing that helps local people recognise them, trust them and remember them when the time comes to buy.

Sometimes Simple Works Best

One thing that’s become more and more apparent over the years is that local people buy from businesses they recognise.  When someone needs a local business or service, they’re far more likely to choose a name they’ve seen before…that’s why showing up consistently in the same places is key.

The businesses that advertise with us month after month often tell us that they keep getting enquiries because people recognise them and they’ve seen them in one of our magazines on a regular basis and that’s what marketing is supposed to do…help the right people remember your business and be front of mind when they need what you offer.

So Where Should You Invest Your Marketing Budget?

The honest answer is that every business is different, but if you’re feeling overwhelmed, confused or worried about wasting money, I’d encourage you to focus on marketing that helps you stay visible in front of your target audience consistently.

Recognition builds trust which then creates enquiries and enquiries create customers.

It doesn’t always need to be more complicated than that!

If local people are part of your target audience we can help!

If you’d like to learn more about how West Midlands Magazines helps local trades and businesses stay visible, recognised and trusted in their local communities, download our latest Media Pack here, send us an email to simon@westmidlandsmagazines.com or give us a call on 07534 603662

You might be surprised how simple effective local marketing can be!