Whenever you’re focused on local marketing, it’s important to understand the demographics of the area you’re marketing in.
The situation for businesses in Thunder Bay is fascinating (and potentially quite profitable). As the biggest city within ~500 KM, businesses in Thunder Bay serve a much greater population than that of the city itself.
Business owners in Thunder Bay can maximize their profitability by attracting out-of-towners who wouldn’t otherwise be able to access their services. People living as close as Nipigon or as far as Dryden might come into town on a regular basis, and attracting them to your business can be key to growth at a time when Thunder Bay’s population growth is stagnant.
Traditional vs. Digital Marketing
Traditional marketing is any kind of marketing that isn’t online. Store signage can be considered traditional marketing – so too can huge TV ad buys.
This type of marketing has its place, and engaging in some traditional marketing can be incredibly useful. For Thunder Bay businesses, however, it’s usually not the best route. Unless you’re already a well-known business trying to influence attitudes, you may be better off with digital marketing.
Why? Mainly for the demographic reasons we’ve already discussed. Your TV ad buys might not be seen by everyone, and they can be quite a bit more expensive. What’s more, they’re even less likely to be seen by out-of-towners. Digital marketing solves this problem.
Pay-Per-Click Ads
You see, digital marketing is inherently targeted. Whether you’re using pay-per-click ads on Facebook and Google or opting for a holistic SEO strategy, online marketing is incredibly data driven. You’re not just sending ads into the wind, hoping someone hears them – people who are actively looking for the products and services you offer and who are in your area are the ones who will see your marketing.
You might think of traditional marketing as putting a million messages into a million bottles, and tossing them into the sea. Digital marketing, on the other hand, is like a hand-written letter in a nice envelope, sent directly to those who most need to see it.
SEO in Thunder Bay
Search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the most useful forms of digital marketing because it’s inherently multifaceted. When you optimize for search engines, you make your website more user friendly, you develop useful content to attract people to your website, and you pop up first when people are searching for relevant terms.
Local SEO
Local SEO is the type of SEO most useful for those marketing in the Lakehead area. This type of SEO specifically targets searches for “x near me”. Given that many of the small towns near Thunder Bay may not have the specific business a user is looking for, Thunder Bay-based businesses can come up in these local searches. By implementing a location targeting strategy, you can encourage search engines to make your business show up first in these searches. This is particularly useful if you have a business in a niche that isn’t well-served in the area.
Local Maps
Local SEO is also supremely useful for businesses with a couple of competitors. With only two or three similar businesses in a large area, gaining every edge you can is essential. Showing up first for relevant search terms makes you far more likely to get clients from those searches. Your spend will be less than it would be for traditional advertising, so you get more bang for your buck.
Other Forms of Digital Marketing
While for Thunder Bay, SEO is our preferred form of digital marketing, there are a number of other things you can do to influence purchasing decisions. One free option is to actively participate on Facebook groups in Thunder Bay and nearby townships. You can also opt to use the PPC ads we briefly described – you can target areas in or around Thunder Bay specifically to increase traffic from those places, while using psychographic information to target those who might be interested in your services. For help with your Thunder Bay SEO, give us a call.
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