Mastering Your Local Social Media Marketing Strategy: A Complete Guide
Boost your local business with our ultimate guide to local social media marketing strategies and community engagement.
Posted 3 months ago
Written by
Mackenzie TaylorPosted 3 months ago
Being able to connect and engage your local community when you’re a small business owner is critical to growing your business. Yes, face-to-face interactions are still very much a thing (and incredibly valuable!), but social media continues to be the tool that every single person needs in their back pocket to connect with potential customers.
Plus, prioritizing local social media can help establish you in your local area, while also creating meaningful engagement, collaboration, support, and a sense of belonging!
If you’re a business looking to build your presence in your space, our handy dandy guide will walk you through everything you need to know about building social media in your local area. From strategies for posting to selecting the right platforms, you’ll learn everything you need to know (and more!) about how to make your local social media content a success.
💡 At Flick, we know that social media marketing can be challenging. Having the right tools or support can make a world of difference. We have different ways to help depending on what you’re looking for.
- Done-for-you social media management, tailored to small business budgets. Get access to Flick’s in-house team to help you save time and build your brand on social. We’ll help with content creation, strategy, planning, and scheduling at an affordable price.
- AI Content Creation Tools, all the tools you need to create content easily and just the way you want. Get help at every stage of the social media process: building your strategy, planning posts, designing graphics, writing captions, finding hashtags, and turning your media into ready-to-share content.
- Social Media Management Tools, everything you need to manage your social media. Access our scheduling tool and post your content at the exact time your audience is online; deep dive into the analytics of your social media accounts; and discover the best hashtags tailored to your exact account.
When it comes to creating a social media strategy, reach out to our team, and we can get you something that helps you reach your goals!
Jump to a section ✨
- Posting Frequency and Schedule
- Weekly Content Breakdown
- Monday: Community News or Local Highlights
- Wednesday: Business Spotlight or Local Business Promotion
- Friday: Community Engagement Post or Question
- Saturday or Sunday: Event Recap or Local Experience Feature
- Additional Content Ideas for Variety
- Ideal Posting Times
- What is local social media, and how can it benefit my community?
- What platforms are best for local social media groups?
- How often should I post on my community’s social media page?
- How can I grow my local social media following?
- What type of content should I post on my local social media page?
- How can local businesses benefit from a community social media page?
- What are the best practices for moderating a local social media group?
- How can I encourage more engagement in my local social media group?
- Should I use paid advertising to grow my local social media community?
- How do I measure the success of my local social media efforts?
How to create a local social media strategy
Let’s start off with the reason why you’re here: the exact social media strategy for your local community. Consistency, variety, and engagement are key to successfully managing local social media. A well-planned content strategy can make sure that your audience (whoever they are!) remains interested, engaged, and connected to you!
But, how in the world do you do that? Here’s a full guide on how often to post and the type of content that resonates with your audience.
Posting Frequency and Schedule
Did we mention consistency before? Good because we’re going to do it again! A successful local social media strategy revolves around consistency. Posting regularly keeps your community engaged and ensures that your content remains relevant. Here’s what we suggest for frequency and schedule:
- Posting Frequency: Aim for 3 to 5 posts per week. This is enough to keep your audience engaged without overwhelming them.
- Optimal Posting Days: Focus on posting on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. If you’re running events, consider adding posts on Saturday or Sunday to highlight weekend activities and community highlights.
Weekly Content Breakdown
To help you with your strategy even more, let’s walk you through the content! This content breakdown will help keep your local community engaged while also supporting local businesses, promoting events, and fostering discussions.
Flick’s tip: Don’t have enough time to create unique content every week? Try Flick’s AI Social Media Assistant, Iris. She will create on-brand content and captions for you, plus build out your strategy each week. It’s easy (and FREE for the first 7 days!).
Monday: Community News or Local Highlights
- Type of Content: Share news updates, local happenings, event promotions, or public service announcements.
- Goal: Start the week with valuable, informative content. Post about city council meetings, local events, school updates, or new businesses opening in the area.
- Post Example: “This week in [Community Name], don’t miss the [local event], happening this Wednesday! Learn more here: [link].”
Wednesday: Business Spotlight or Local Business Promotion
- Type of Content: Feature a local business or service. This could be a “Business of the Week” or a local promotion.
- Goal: Support local businesses by driving community awareness and encouraging followers to shop locally.
- Post Example: “This week’s #BusinessSpotlight is [Business Name]! They’re offering a 10% discount to all community members. Check them out at [address] or visit their website: [link].”
Friday: Community Engagement Post or Question
- Type of Content: Use polls, questions, or discussions to engage your community members.
- Goal: Foster a sense of community and encourage conversation by asking questions or sharing community stories.
- Post Example: “What’s your favorite spot to grab a coffee in [Neighborhood]? Tag your go-to coffee shop below and let’s support our local favorites! #LocalLove.”
Saturday or Sunday: Event Recap or Local Experience Feature
- Type of Content: Share recaps of local events or spotlight neighborhood landmarks and experiences.
- Goal: Reinforce community pride and engagement by showcasing local experiences.
- Post Example: “Check out the amazing turnout at [Event Name] this weekend! Thanks to everyone who came out to support our community. Here are a few highlights: [attach photos].”
Additional Content Ideas for Variety
Keeping your content varied is essential for maintaining engagement. Here are a few additional ideas:
- User-Generated Content: Encourage your followers to share their photos, stories, and experiences with the community. This adds authenticity and variety to your page.
- Video Content: Create short videos featuring local landmarks, interviews with business owners, or day-in-the-life content of community members.
- Polls and Surveys: Use these to get feedback from your community or create fun polls that spark discussion, such as “What’s your favorite local restaurant?”
- Event Announcements: Promote upcoming neighborhood block parties, farmer’s markets, or community cleanups.
- Local Fun Facts or History: Share interesting facts about your neighborhood, such as its history or little-known landmarks.
Ideal Posting Times
Maximize visibility by posting at times when your audience is most active:
- Morning (7-9 AM): Ideal for news updates or event reminders as people start their day.
- Afternoon (12-2 PM): Best for engagement posts like polls or questions during lunch breaks.
- Evening (6-8 PM): Great for community highlights or event recaps as people unwind and check social media.
Flick’s Tip: Want to know the exact best times to post for your audience? Iris can help! Iris uses advanced analytics to track your followers’ activity and identify the optimal times to reach them for maximum engagement. This means your posts are seen by more people, leading to higher engagement and greater visibility within your local community.
What platforms are best for local social media?
Now let’s get to the fun part! Choosing which platforms you should be on. Spoiler alert: You don’t need to be on every single platform. Actually, you shouldn’t be on every single platform. Each platform offers different features, advantages, and audience types. The important thing you should be doing is figuring out where your audience is most active and showing up in those spaces.
Popular Platforms for Local Engagement
To effectively connect with a local audience, small businesses should consider a few key social media platforms that excel in community engagement and local reach:
Getting Started:
- Choose “Business or Brand.”
- Enter your business name and category, then fill in details like location and contact info.
- Customize the page with a profile picture and cover photo, ideally showcasing your business or brand logo.
- Use the “About” section to provide clear information on hours, location, and services.
Need help with creating your Facebook page? Read our guide here.
Why It Works: Facebook is widely used, especially by older demographics and local groups. Community members rely on Facebook for event updates and business recommendations.
Tips for Success: Join and actively participate in local community groups relevant to your business’s location and industry. Use Facebook Events to promote local happenings, offer special deals to group members, and post regularly about local topics.
Getting Started:
- Download the Instagram app and create an account.
- Go to your profile, tap “Settings,” and select “Account.”
- Choose “Switch to Professional Account” and select “Business.”
- Add details like your business category and contact options, and connect it to your Facebook page for easier integration.
- Use relevant local hashtags, geotags, and Stories to reach people nearby.
Why It Works: Instagram is visual, making it perfect for showcasing products, behind-the-scenes content, and community highlights.
Tips for Success: Use location tags and local hashtags to increase discoverability among nearby users. Collaborate with local influencers, run giveaways, and post Stories to feature real-time local events and business updates.
Google My Business (GMB)
Getting Started:
- Go to Google Business Profile Manager.
- Click “Manage now” and sign in to a Google account.
- Search for your business name or click “Add your business to Google” if it’s new.
- Fill in details like business name, location, category, contact info, and website.
- Verify your business by following Google’s instructions, typically via phone or mail.
Why It Works: GMB listings show up in Google searches and maps, making it an essential tool for visibility in local searches.
Tips for Success: Encourage reviews from satisfied local customers, post updates on hours and new products, and respond to customer inquiries promptly for higher engagement and ranking in local search results.
Nextdoor
Getting Started:
- Visit Nextdoor Business.
- Click “Claim Your Free Business Page.”
- Enter your business name and address, then select it from the list if it’s already recognized.
- Complete the setup by adding contact information, your business category, and a short description.
- Once verified, customize your profile with photos and posts.
Why It Works: Nextdoor connects neighbors, making it ideal for businesses wanting to reach residents nearby.
Tips for Success: Post about local promotions, offer neighborhood discounts, and engage with questions or local recommendations to establish trust.
TikTok
Getting Started:
- Download TikTok and sign up.
- Go to “Profile,” tap the three dots, and select “Manage Account.”
- Switch to a “Business Account” under “Account Control.”
- Choose your business category and complete your profile.
- Start posting content relevant to your local community, using popular local hashtags to improve reach.
Why It Works: TikTok has strong local algorithms, showing users popular content from nearby businesses, events, or creators.
Tips for Success: Create short, engaging videos that showcase your business’s personality, participate in local trends, and partner with local influencers to tap into your community’s interest.
Flick’s Tip: Want to create engaging TikTok videos that go viral in your local community? Iris can help! Iris can suggest trending TikTok sounds and hashtags that are popular ensuring your videos are seen by the right people.
By establishing a presence on these platforms and actively engaging with your local audience, small businesses can foster a loyal following in their community.
Creating Engaging Content for Local Social Media
Promoting Local Events and Gatherings
Post event promotions with flyers, posters, and brochures well in advance to create excitement with hashtags and reminders. These marketing materials, including various types of flyers such as event flyers, promotional flyers, business flyers, and party flyers, are essential for capturing attention and effectively conveying event details. For live events, posting real-time updates and using live-streaming features can further engage your audience.
Sharing Local News and Updates
As you are part of the community, share community news! Did something big happen in the news recently in your area? Share it. Were you featured in a local magazine that people would recognize? Post that article! Build that local community by sharing local information.
Highlighting Local Businesses and Services
Yes, spotlight a local business that isn’t yours. Shocking, we know! Showcase local businesses by offering a “business spotlight” each week, sharing special promotions, or hosting giveaways in collaboration with local vendors. This not only supports other local businesses but also drives engagement on your page.
Sharing Stories from the Community
Personal stories create a deep connection among members. Share user-generated content (UCG) from locals in the community who have interacted with your brand. This will help highlight your brand, while also giving a testimonial from a local who loved you.
How Flick can help you build your local social media strategy
Flick’s AI Assistant, Iris, can be a game-changer for businesses aiming to grow a local following. By analyzing your business’s style, Iris builds a customized content strategy that fits your brand and targets local interests, helping you stay consistent and relevant.
With features like monthly content calendars, hashtag suggestions, and post-scheduling, Iris ensures your social presence stays active with minimal effort. Plus, Iris’s analytics track engagement metrics so you can refine your approach and better connect with your community.
Analytics
Iris offers in-depth analytics that reveals how followers are interacting with your posts, providing insights into engagement patterns and the kinds of content that resonate most with your local community.
By tracking key metrics such as likes, shares, and comments, you can fine-tune your approach to better connect with and understand your audience, ensuring a strategy that evolves with their preferences.
Viral Post Suggestions
Iris also uses data-driven insights to suggest post ideas that have a high chance of gaining traction.
It analyzes industry trends and local keywords to generate topics or formats that are likely to attract local interest. This feature helps you focus on high-engagement content, boosting visibility among community members who are most likely to become loyal followers and customers.
Content Creation
To make social media management effortless, Iris includes a robust content creation suite that generates post ideas, captions, and even hashtag suggestions tailored to your area and industry.
This saves time while helping you consistently post relevant and engaging content that speaks directly to your local audience’s interests.
Scheduling
Staying consistent on social media is key, and Iris’s scheduling tools allow you to plan posts in advance. Whether you’re promoting a local event or highlighting a new product, Iris makes it easy to maintain an active presence without daily hassle.
Scheduling also ensures that you’re posting at optimal times, reaching followers when they’re most likely to engage.
With Iris’s range of tools, businesses can create a targeted, data-backed social media strategy that engages and grows their local following. Learn more about how Iris can elevate your local social media presence here.
Creating a Lasting Local Community
Building a local social media community takes time, effort, and a clear strategy. By focusing on regular posting, promoting local businesses and events, and engaging with your audience, you can create a platform that brings people together, strengthens neighborhood bonds, and improves the overall quality of life in your community.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is local social media, and how can it benefit my community?
Local social media refers to social media platforms or groups that focus specifically on engaging and connecting people within a specific geographic area, such as a town, neighborhood, or city. It benefits the community by fostering communication, supporting local businesses, sharing news, and organizing events.
What platforms are best for local social media groups?
Some of the best platforms for local social media groups include Facebook Groups, Instagram, Nextdoor, and Patch. Facebook and Instagram are widely used for both public and private groups, while Nextdoor is designed specifically for neighborhood-level engagement.
How often should I post on my community’s social media page?
It’s recommended to post 3-5 times a week to maintain engagement. A good mix of content could include local news, business promotions, community events, and engaging questions. Consistency is key to keeping your audience interested and involved.
How can I grow my local social media following?
To grow your following, focus on creating valuable content that resonates with your local audience. Encourage members to invite friends and family, leverage local partnerships with businesses, and consider using targeted social media ads to reach more local residents.
What type of content should I post on my local social media page?
You should post a variety of content, including local news updates, business spotlights, event announcements, community polls, user-generated content, and photos of local landmarks. This variety keeps your audience engaged and encourages interaction.
How can local businesses benefit from a community social media page?
Local businesses can benefit by gaining visibility, promoting special deals, and building a direct connection with residents. Featuring a “Business of the Week” or offering local business promotions on the community page helps drive traffic to those businesses and fosters local economic growth.
What are the best practices for moderating a local social media group?
Establish clear community guidelines, monitor posts regularly, and address negative behavior quickly to maintain a positive environment. If your group grows large, consider appointing additional moderators to help manage the page and ensure that it runs smoothly.
How can I encourage more engagement in my local social media group?
You can encourage engagement by posting interactive content like polls, asking questions, and encouraging user-generated content. Hosting contests, such as photo challenges or giveaways, can also increase participation and foster a sense of community.
Should I use paid advertising to grow my local social media community?
Yes, using paid advertising like Facebook Ads or Instagram Ads can help you reach a larger local audience. Target your ads based on geography and interests to ensure they reach the right people, such as local residents or business owners.
How do I measure the success of my local social media efforts?
You can measure success by tracking engagement metrics such as likes, comments, shares, and the growth of your followers. Use built-in tools like Facebook Insights or Instagram Analytics to monitor these metrics and adjust your content strategy based on what works best for your community.
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