How to Leverage Social Media for Local SEO
One of the things that local brands struggle with is the ability to compete with national companies for precious search engine spots. However, the good news is that local brands thrive on social media outlets. Places like Facebook, Twitter, and other sites are the easiest way to spread a brand message to the right local targets.
There are more avenues on social media available that a lot of companies aren’t aware of yet. Get ahead of the curb and get your company in front of more eyes with other platforms.
Snapchat: More than just pictures
Snapchat has been popular amongst the younger population due to the ability to send pictures that do not get saved to the recipient’s device. However, Snapchat is also a great way to conduct a local PR campaign.
Snapchat has filters known as “On-Demand Geofilters” which can be created by a local company or group. Design your filter, send it to Snapchat for approval, and select a specific region for the filter to be used.
An example of using this would be for a local restaurant. Create a filter for your restaurant that allows patrons to take Snaps eating at your business with your branding as the filter around it. This allows current customers to promote your business and stretch your brand to new potential customers.
While this is not SEO-specific, it does create a buzz around your particular brand when you are running an event or advertising campaign. Snapchat follows can also lead to follows on other popular social media websites such as Instagram or Twitter.
Quora
Quora is a platform that allows users to ask questions and receive answers from qualified sources. This can be leveraged as a strong branding tool because you can create an account and answer questions in your field of expertise. This is a form of indirect advertising that allows you to interact with potential clients on a one-on-one level. This creates leads, and of course, leads create sales.
Like all social media, avoid using this as a form of overbearing advertising. One of the biggest things that a lot of companies do is destroy their social media credibility through overzealous advertising. Social media consumers appreciate honesty and natural conversation above anything, so using Quora means you need to be ready to be less of a salesperson and more of an industry expert.
Social Network Engagement
The top rule of social media is engagement. Use the platform as if you are a regular user while allowing your brand to come through naturally.
Also remember that social media comes and goes pretty frequently, so be ready to be flexible and move on to different platforms as they become available. It can be hard to keep your finger on the pulse of the hottest new platforms and what is falling away, but doing so can reap great rewards for very little financial investment.