First thing’s first, what do we mean by hyperlocal campaigns?

Well, it’s about focusing on the specific locations close to your business that you operate in – it could be specific postcodes, streets or areas, but it’s always realistic about getting marketing to the people who can buy from you.

When it comes to hyperlocal campaigns, the temptation can be to just go for it and see what comes back…

And while you might see a bit of success with that approach, you’re never going to maximise your returns.

But what is the best strategy with hyperlocal campaigns and how can businesses ensure that they’re not falling for common pitfalls?

Well, we’ve come up with our top 5 common misconceptions about hyperlocal campaigns, that we’d like to discuss…

Print And Distribution Can Seem Expensive

One of the first hurdles for many businesses is the cost to print.

Now, that’s understandable when the alternative is zero cost – which is often the case when you’re dipping your toes into hyperlocal marketing for the first time.

But as the old saying goes, you must speculate to accumulate. And that involves investing time, money, AND effort into getting your campaigns right to ensure they’re getting in front of people who either need, want, or are interested in what you’re selling.

Many look for digital alternatives, be it social media, email or anything else, and see this as competition with print distribution. The reality, though, is that it’s not an either/or situation – the best strategy is to embrace both.

Because some local audiences simply aren’t accessible through digital avenues, particularly if you’re trying to reach older audiences.

Which brings us onto the next common misconception…

Magazines Are Often Perceived As Old-Fashioned

With the world rapidly moving online in recent years, there’s a temptation to declare the death of print and move on.

This simply isn’t true, especially when it comes to hyperlocal content.

Sure, there’s more content online than ever before but millions of newspapers, magazines and print materials are still sold and distributed every single day in the UK.

That’s because they’re a trusted source of reliable information in a world where anyone can post anything online… which is why people look for authenticity in print.

There’s another crucial point here, too – it’s incredibly hard to stand out from the crowd online when it’s such a saturated market.

And as people receive much less print material through their letterbox than they did 10, 15 or even 20 years ago, there’s a real opportunity to stand out.

You Might Have Competitors Featuring In The Same Magazine

The reality is that very few magazines offer exclusives.

That means you’re likely to appear in the same magazine as your competitors..

But think of it another way… if you decide not to advertise or feature in the magazine and they do, who’s more likely to get a call off the back of reading the magazine?

To quote another old saying, “you’ve got to be in it to win it”, after which, it comes down to the strength of your advertisement and your reputation.

There’s No Way Of Knowing How Many People Read The Magazine

Sure, there aren’t the granular metrics you might get when you send an email and can see who’s opened it, clicked on something or taken any sort of action.

But there are mechanics to measure effectiveness that we can utilise. For example, it could be as simple as asking people how they found you or including specific offer codes – it doesn’t need to be complicated!

After all, you DO know exactly how many magazines are being distributed, how many are landing in letterboxes, how many are being picked up in the local library, café or takeaway.

And unlike an email, a magazine can sit there until the right moment.

Think about it, when the tap starts leaking or your boiler goes, that magazine is worth its weight in gold. It might sit in the drawer until then but at that moment, it’s a case of right time and right place…

I Don’t Want To Commit To A Hyperlocal Campaign For A Minimum Period

When it comes to advertising in any form, you want to have a plan.

But that plan doesn’t need to be rigid or over-engineered.

One of the biggest pitfalls of marketing is if you over-complicate what is fundamentally simple.

Identify your audience, market to them and repeat. When the time is right, they’ll buy in.

But you can’t engineer a sale when they don’t want to buy (at least not without burning through some credibility!).

It’s why a repetitive cycle is ALWAYS advisable – there might not be an instant return on investment after one or two issues, but by the time you’re into issue five or six, you’ve got a much higher chance of being in the right place when someone needs or wants what you’re offering.

And by being there consistently through repeated adverts, you build brand awareness. People are much more likely to remember you as and when they need you and it’s not simply about referring back to the publication – it’s recognition in your own right.

Being top of mind is as much about being in the right place at the right time as anything else. And the best way of being there at the right time is by always being there!