In a Forbes article by Megan Poinski published yesterday, which I read last night, it’s highlighted that many businesses are overlooking a significant opportunity in local digital marketing. Personally I think the finding is spot on—speaking it from my experience of course.
SOCi’s Local Visibility Index 2024 revealed that the average brand isn’t present in 75% of local directory sources, neglects half of its online reviews, and fails to address 90% of customer inquiries. FYI SOCi is a digital multi-location marketing provider.
While most businesses maintain local profiles on Google Business Profile, many miss out on platforms like Facebook, other social media platforms and online directories. Moreover, engagement on social media remains low, and less than half of Google reviews receive responses. Some couldn’t even be found on maps, be it Google’s or Apple’s.
The message seems clear. In this internet era where most people are doing marketing the complicated ways pushing their luck to get noticed through various channels, it’s crucial to optimise your digital presence the simpler way. And that is through the power of being there when the customers need you. Having a regular and meaningful conversation with customers truly matters—the buying intention usually starts here. Many companies out there simply don’t deliver this simple thing as per what SOCi’s finding. Perhaps this is a great opportunity for you to revisit your marketing strategy. If you aren’t there, just like those companies, those customers of yours will definitely find your competitors instead.
