Introduction
With more than 5 billion people on social media, you already know the various platforms can be a rich source of potential customers. However, unless you are a huge online business that ships globally, most of those 5 billion will realistically be out of your reach. Now, if only there were a way to focus your marketing efforts on customers closer to you.
Step forward hyperlocal social media marketing, a strategy that means you can do just that and reach people who are more likely to buy from you as a local business. Just what is hyperlocal social media marketing and how does it work? Perhaps more importantly, what are the types and elements you can use to improve your all-important metrics?
What is hyperlocal social media marketing?

As you can probably guess, hyperlocal social media marketing involves geotargeting your business’s target demographics in a specific geographical area. You then make posts and ads that will hopefully engage with that audience on social media platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
For example, you might use a combination of paid adverts and organic approaches to promote your business VoIP phone services. You would set the geographical area to be targeted, say a 50-kilometer radius of your location. You could choose to implement special offers that only apply within your set area and emphasize your community presence. By more closely identifying with your customer base, you may see increased sales and conversions.
Key elements of hyperlocal social media marketing

The first step towards hyperlocal social marketing is to understand the elements and components that help make it work. These will form the foundation of any hyperlocal strategy and can help you formulate ideas when it comes to content creation.
Targeted specific local areas and neighborhoods
Your first task is to identify the area you plan on targeting. This may vary and can depend on various factors such as logistics costs if your business produces large physical products. You could start with an approximate area and then narrow your parameters by conducting demographic research on the area.
Look at what your proposed hyperlocal audience likes and wants and apply the setting to your lead generation strategy. It can also help to research hyperlocal social media such as business groups or other special interests.
Locally relevant social media messaging and content
You are probably applying personalization in your marketing efforts and this is similar. Get to know what resonates with local audiences; is there a history of a particular culture? Are there local festivals or traditions? By having your content and messaging align with what the local people like, you can engage them more easily.
Look at what other local businesses do in terms of content and messaging. This can give you ideas as to what works and what doesn’t.
Collaborations with local businesses and influencers

Business is all about building relationships. By spending some time getting to know local businesses, personalities, and influencers, you can strengthen your hyperlocal social media strategy. Identify where relationships can be formed that benefit both parties. Are there any influencers with significant followings who could promote your products? Is there potential for collaboration with other organizations?
What can be especially advantageous is identifying businesses that complement yours (and vice versa). For example, if you were producing high-quality garden furniture, you could look at local plant nurseries or landscaping businesses.
Local event participation and community involvement
If you want to be part of your hyperlocal community, then you need to be seen to be part of it. Look for opportunities to participate that will help spread awareness of your brand. You could have a stall at local fairs or festivals or sponsor events under your small business platform banner.
You may even want to look at longer-term sponsorship deals. These could be anything from sponsoring a local children’s sports team to sponsoring rubbish bins in areas where they are lacking. As with other tactics, one of your main goals here is brand awareness.
Use of location-based features and geo-targeted ads
You need to ensure that your ads are speaking to the targeted community. Include any relevant details and post deals and special offers that will only apply to that hyperlocal audience. Use geotags to highlight your location and use any tags when it comes to creating ads. You want people to know where you are and for any advertising efforts to resonate with them.
As well as SEO tactics, think about including words or phrases that have local relevance. For example, if you sell footwear and there’s a local mountain (or even a big hill), you could tie in any hiking shoes you offer with conquering that hill/mountain.
Localized customer support and communication
To successfully implement a hyperlocal social media strategy, you need to go beyond your normal marketing. Have a customer support team that deals with local issues and communication channels that reflect their preferred channels. You really want to emphasize that you are a local business for local people.
Optimized website content for local search and visibility
Think SEO. What may work on a regional or national basis may differ slightly from hyperlocal SEO. You want people in your defined area to see you at the top of results when they search for particular products and/or services. Similarly, the actual content of your website should reflect the needs and wants you identified during your demographic research.
Types of hyperlocal social media content

Once you understand the various elements, you can start thinking about what type of content your focused audience will engage with.
As well as the various types of content, you want to look at optimizing your social media advertising. Sotrender’s Ads Optimization can help your marketing team identify and find your target demographic groups and place them on the various Meta social media platforms so that you achieve better results for a lower spend.
Relevant local news and educational content
Talking about local interests can help engage with your audience. You could include relevant news stories such as how adverse weather has affected local businesses. If you are on a restricted budget, cut corners by using an AI post generator that can quickly create – and post – content that will resonate with a hyperlocal audience.
Behind-the-scenes content of local initiatives
People love to see what goes on behind the scenes. You don’t need to restrict this to your own business; why not involve other local businesses and other organizations? For example, link up with the Mayor’s office or city hall to give people a glimpse into the decision-making process at a local level. You want to highlight the links you have with the community and that you feel a part of it.
Localized video and engaging story content
Your content does not have to be only text-based. By creating localized videos, you can increase engagement levels. Similarly, look for equally engaging stories. You could even look at a series of posts that combine video with storytelling and that are published regularly. The goal is to draw the audience into your sphere of influence and move them through your marketing funnel toward a purchasing decision.
Interactive polls, surveys, and Q&A sessions
Polls and surveys are not only an efficient way of getting to know what your audience wants but are also a rich source of data. That data can then be fed into whichever of the top sales intelligence tools you utilize and can help you make evidence-based decisions. Make information a two-way street and have Q&A sessions that help your audience know more about you and your business.
Platform exclusive contests and giveaways
Depending on the type of business you have, and its overall reach, you may decide to create a more hyperlocal platform. That could be as simple as a Facebook group dedicated to customers in your defined geographical area. Whatever route you take, look to having regular contests and giveaways that will appeal to your audience. You can also expand your reach by having ‘like and share’ as a prerequisite for participating in these competitions and freebies.
User-generated photos, videos, and testimonials

Around 86% of consumers are more likely to trust a brand that regularly uses UGC (user-generated content). Use whatever UGC works for you. It could be an unboxing video or photos of your product in use, or it could simply be photos of an event you attended or sponsored.
Also, look to collect as many localized testimonials and reviews as possible as this can make potential customers trust your brand more. And if it’s a fairly small area, there’s a good chance that the prospective buyer will know the reviewer, thus enhancing the level of trust even further.
Wrapping up
You may be a bricks-and-mortar store or you may have a significant online presence. Your hyperlocal social media marketing can sit separately from any national or regional strategy. Think of it as a sports team playing at home and all the potential advantages that can bring. Whether a solitary store or an e-commerce business, hyperlocal is your home advantage.
Take some time to know your local audience through demographic research. Post polls and surveys to understand them better and to know what they want and what pain points they may have experienced in the past. With a good approach, you can find that hyperlocal social media marketing will lead to improvements in your metrics such as sales and conversions.