Five Local Internet Marketing Techniques You Can Use To Get Your Business Back In The Black

If the failing economy has you looking for less expensive, more profitable marketing options, the answer is as close as your computer monitor.

A staggering 82% of consumers use search engines to find local businesses on the Internet, and 50% turn to the Internet before resorting to more traditional advertising media like newspapers and yellow page advertising.

If you're asking yourself "How can I get my business found online?" then the answer is "Local Internet Marketing." Here's how you can get off to a great start.

1. Build a blog. If your company has no Internet presence at all, this is the place to start. If you currently have a static site that hasn't been updated since your nephew quit to move to Namibia, this is still the place to start. Search engines love a frequently updated site, and your customers will love the feeling of community that surrounds a blog. Best of all, you don't even have to hire a web designer--most blogs are easy enough for even the most frazzled business owner to tackle.

2. Social media. You've probably heard the term a million times, but what does it really mean to you? It means getting out there and making contact with your potential customers in the places they congregate, like Facebook. Consider placing highly targeted Facebook ads for an inexpensive and very local advertising campaign.

3. Pay Per Click Advertising. Getting your company name in front of consumers searching for a particular keyword is what pay per click is all about. If you want to be listed at the top of Google's search results page for the phrase "Reno pizza parlor." all you have to do is pay for it. Be careful, though. You can lose your shirt if you don't keep a careful eye on the number of clicks versus number of sales.

4. Content marketing. Content marketing is nothing more than providing useful information to your customers in the form of freely available content. Content can be anything from articles to instructional videos. Done correctly, content marketing can drive massive amounts of traffic to your website, increase your search engine rankings, and improve your credibility. Best of all, it can be done with very little upfront costs.

5. Internet yellow page directories. A survey conducted by Active Media Research found that 49% of respondents felt search engine and directory placement offered excellent or very good results in terms of online advertising. Search engine placement can be considered somewhat passive. There are things you can do to indirectly influence your placement, but you cannot directly change where your business ranks among the competition.

However, you can purchase ads in directories, including Internet yellow page directories, which will allow local consumers to find your business more easily.