Local Marketing in Belize is critical for the growth of your business

Published: September 7, 2019

If you own a tourism business in Belize, local marketing is one of the most effective ways to connect with your target market, especially if you’re on a tight budget.

With the right local Belize marketing strategies, you can compete successfully against larger businesses and promote your business even if you have multiple locations.

To make the most of your time and money, here are 10 of the best local marketing strategies for Belize you can use to boost brand awareness and reach more potential customers.

1. Claim Your Listings

Listing your business in online directories is a great way to link your business to specific locations.

One of the most powerful platforms is Google My Business, but you should also claim your listing on Belize Yellow Pages, TripAdvisor and other directories.

On these platforms, you can list your address, contact details, opening hours, and more. Remember to include local keywords in your business description, up-to-date contact information, and descriptions of your products and services.

Bonus Tip: Claim your unofficial Facebook page. A Page may exist for your business even if someone from your business didn’t create it. For example, when someone checks into a place that doesn't have a Page, an unmanaged Page is created to represent the location. A Page may also be generated from a Wikipedia article.

2. Make Local Business Contacts

Consider partnering up with other local businesses that might share similar clientele. For example, a local Belize hotel could team up with local restaurants and tour operators to refer clients and offer discounts. It’s a great way to start expanding your network.

3. Add Location Pages to Your Website

If you have stores in different locations, create web pages dedicated to each location.

Describe each store in detail, listing its opening hours, parking information, and more. You can also show testimonials, specific store discounts, and recent news stories.

4. Start a Loyalty or Referral Program

People like to feel valued, so create special offers for local customers. It’s a simple way to get people talking about your brand and engaging with your business online.

In the same way, you could start a referral program by offering discounts to customers and the person they refer.

Example: In Placencia Village,Belize, Brewed Awakening make me feel valued with their loyalty cards. I have gotten at least 4 free drinks since I started using the card.

5. Publish Local Content on Social Media

Many consumers turn to social media for business information and product recommendations. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn all provide opportunities for businesses in Belize to reach local customers.

Remember to include location keywords in your posts, and start using hashtags related to your location. This will also increase your chances of ranking higher in search engines for local searches.

6. Try Facebook Advertising

Facebook advertising is an inexpensive way to promote your business to relevant local prospects. Just like Google Ads, you can target people based on their location, whether it’s a region, city, or specific address.

For a couple hundred dollars per month in Facebook ads, you can reach 10s of thousands of potential customers in Belize, and drastically increase awareness of your brand.

7. Get Reviews and Testimonials

Local customers need to be able to trust your Belize business, which is why it’s so important to show reviews and testimonials on landing pages and product pages.

If you need more testimonials, simply reach out to existing customers and ask if they had a positive experience with your company.

If the reviewer includes your location in the review, this will also help your search engine rankings. Example: "We had an amazing stay at Imani's Inn Placencia Village. The rooms were comfortable and centrally located...30 seconds walk to the beach."

8. Use Email Marketing

If you’re using an email service like MailChimp or a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system such as Wix Ascend, you can segment your email subscribers into different groups according to their location.

Consider running an email campaign to local customers, offering a discount or a special deal for a limited time.

Personalized emails like these are much more likely to lead to a conversion.

Example: We are currently working with Belizean Escapes Retreats to create and run discounts and special deals for the local Belize market.

9. Keep Adding Fresh Blog Content

Regular blog updates featuring local information drive local traffic and boost rankings for local searches about Belize.

Create blog posts that mention your business and location in Belize. For example, publish local news stories, how-to articles, location guides, and stories about your team.

Host a Local Event

Hosting a gathering in your town is an effective way to build awareness of your business and develop lasting relationships within the community.

Use the event to highlight a sale or exclusive promotion.

Promote it on social media by creating a hashtag for the event. Invite the local newspaper to cover it, as this could lead to a link from their website to yours.

Afterwards, you can also create new content that covers the event and links to other organizations that attended.

Wrapping Up

If you want to gain the competitive advantage as a business in Belize, make room in your schedule for these marketing techniques.

Local marketing in Belize will make more people aware of your brand, boost your search engine rankings for local queries, and drive more potential customers to your website.

With consistent effort, you should see your sales increase in the process.

Is it time that your business focused more on local marketing?