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Local customers are near and dear to the hearts - and to bottom lines - of every business. National brand awareness is important, but communities are the best way to improve business numbers.

You want to tap into that local vibe to effectively increase your sales. While your bigger brand partner may have co-op marketing funds available for national campaigns, it's important to help them understand how important the local niche is.

What Does Local Really Mean?

Going with local marketing really means selling it to your target audience. It's not about demographics in this space as much as it is about those people who are right there around you.

While the marketing basics still apply, the target audience oftentimes comes down to those in your basic neighborhood or sales area. Those in close proximity. For example, imagine that you choose to advertise with the community center in your area. That's local marketing at its best. It can, however, occur on any channel whether digital or offline.

Is Local Really that Powerful?

Think going local isn't worth the co-op marketing headache? You may want to think again.

Local marketing is incredibly important, because the competition at the local level is reduced significantly. This helps you make those co-op dollars really count. You're in a smaller area, and it can be easier to stand out. More than that, though, is the fact that the message you craft can be really relevant to your audience.

Think back to the local community center ad. You can personalize your message to mention those Wildcats or Cardinals or whoever that local team is, and that alone may bring in more people. It's a fairly low-risk proposition that allows you the control you need over your ads, and it can increase your sales.

How to Make It Happen

So, how can you make sure those co-op marketing funds are available for local marketing?

Start with some research. Many studies will tell you that a hyperlocal focus is the way to spend those co-op dollars, because it pays off in the long run. You may want to even move to create a percentage of the co-op budget that can be discretionary. so that you can use it at a more local level.

Once you get the funding you need, you should ensure your message has a community connection to help build your franchise's value. Utilize simple tools like local search marketing and social media to plug in to the customers around you.

Finally, don't forget about creativity. You'll want to ensure you come up with a great strategy to reach those local customers and maybe even help get local media to realize you're there, too. Have a unique local feature? Utilize it. There’s something about which your area is particularly proud? Leverage it. Connect, connect, connect.

To learn how to maximize the impact of your co-op dollars, contact THAT Agency today! And, to help you track your co-op claims, download our free co-op marketing tracking template (it's great for making sure you take full advantage of all your co-op marketing funds):