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digital marketing

Local Love: Why Chicago Small Businesses Deserve Big Brand Strategy

Chicago Small Business Blog

There’s something special about building a business in Chicago. Maybe it’s the energy of the neighborhoods, the hustle of the busy downtown, or the grit it takes to show up every day—rain, shine, or lake-effect snow. We know it well – because we’re a Chicago small business, too. At Pop Digital Marketing, we’ve worked with clients from all different types of industries. From fine jewel companies to healthcare clinics, our passion has always been rooted in helping local businesses grow. Here’s why we believe small businesses in Chicago deserve the same strategy and support as the big guys—and how we’re helping make that happen. 

We’re a Chicago business, too. 

Pop Digital was built in the heart of the city. We’ve walked the same sidewalks as our clients, enjoyed the same street festivals, and held strategy sessions in the same corner cafés. We know what it takes to build a brand here—not just online, but on the ground. We’ve seen firsthand how powerful it can be when a business doesn’t just blend into the market but wholly owns its place in the community. That’s why we do what we do. 

What makes local brands powerful? 

Small businesses often assume they need a huge budget or massive following to stand out. This is not always true. 

 In fact we believe, local brands have something national ones don’t: 

  •  Proximity 
  • Personality 
  • Real-time feedback 
  • Deep community connection 

 Your audience doesn’t just want to know what you do. They want to know who you are. What you stand for. How you show up in the neighborhood. That’s a story worth telling—and marketing should help you tell it well.  

How we bring ‘big agency’ strategy to small business budgets 

We know what it’s like to have a big vision and a limited budget. So we’ve built our services around flexibility, clarity, and ROI—not fluff. 

 Here’s how we help small businesses show up like big brands: 

  • Custom brand story development—so your message is clear, cohesive, and easy to share 
  • Smart design, from logos to flyers to full-scale rebrands 
  • Strategic social media content that actually speaks to your audience 
  • Website and SEO updates that make it easier for people to find (and trust) you 
  • Consulting sessions to map out your next steps, based on your goals 

Big impact doesn’t require big spend—it requires strategy, creativity, and consistency. That’s what we do best.  

Chicago clients, real results. 

Some of our favorite work has come from helping Chicago-based small businesses level up their brands and connect with their communities. Whether it’s spotlighting local voices or creating marketing systems that scale, we’ve seen what happens when small business owners have the tools (and confidence) to market with intention. That’s what we’re here for. 

Want to grow your brand with a team that gets your city? 

Let’s talk growth. We’re ready when you are. 

 

Explore our services 

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5 Actionable Digital Marketing Resolutions For 2015

As we wrap up 2014, now is a prime time to look back at what successes we’ve had at work and where we may have room for improvement.  Many business leaders are projecting the next year’s potential growth along with strategies to increase business development.  While there are many known general methods to market a business, here is a list of 5 very specific actions you MUST take to stay ahead of the curve in 2015.

5 Specific Marketing Action Steps to Take in 2015:

marketing trends 20151. Use Facebook “custom audiences” for ads. Facebook has recently launched a new way to target your ads to your current contact lists.  You can import emails or phone numbers in the audience tab in ‘ads manager’.  Then when you create the ad, you can choose that custom group to show it to. 

Why it works: With Facebook targeting options you can narrow your ads even more by age, location, and interests.  This will increase click-through’s substantially as well as provide you with more options such as Facebook offers, deals and more to present to your interested lists that you could not otherwise through email. 

2. Build your personal brand on LinkedIn. Since rolling out the ability to post blogs and articles directly on the LinkedIn platform, many savvy leaders have begun to leverage their knowledge and expertise to further their personal and business brand awareness. Make sure your profile is updated and start planning the types of posts you can contribute on the largest business networking social media site. 

Why it works: When you post quality content on LinkedIn, you position yourself as a thought leader in your industry and build yourself a positive reputation with potential customers or referral sources.

3. Get on Google My Business. Google+ has been slowly creeping up on Facebook as the second largest social networking site since it launched in 2011. Google provides you with the platform to create a personal identity along with a business page, locations for your company and it all gets tied together under Google My Business.

Why it works: Having all these elements updated and posting relevant information to your page can actually help you rank higher!

4. Brand your visuals for Pinterest. Pinterest currently has 70 million users and that number is growing by the minute. People pin articles, blogs, websites, recipes, shopping, lifestyle dreams and work ideas onto their boards, and the one thing they see when searching the site is the visual associated with the content. Make sure that each piece of collateral you produce is branded well and also includes a quick catchy title.

Why it works: By placing your logo on all your visuals, you are expanding your reach to each and every person that searches for that topic on Pinterest.  When you place a CTA title on the visual, it will increase the clicks and provide viewers with a sense of motivation to read more.

5. Re-purpose your blogs. Pick 5 of your most popular 2014 blogs and expand on them.  Take those blogs and create a “part 2” for each. Or turn one into into a whitepaper or e-book. 

Why it works: By re-purposing your successful content that you already know is popular, highly searched for and engageable, you can collect leads and take potential customers further down your funnel.

2015 will bring us many new opportunities to build our audiences and see marketing success.  Which of these actions do you plan to implement into your strategy?