London Business Directory Reveals Social Media Marketing Strategy For Local Businesses

Online, November 9, 2012 (Newswire.com) - LOOKAL is a new business directory, recently launched in London that promises to help local businesses to maximise their online marketing efforts. The owners of the directory are keen to use social media and content marketing to drive relevant traffic to businesses that have premium listings on the website.

Although social media and content marketing have matured in many businesses, smaller businesses seem to struggle to either get their heads around it or just doesn't have enough time or in some cases money to consistently engage in these marketing practices.

LOOKAL although a directory like the yellow pages will work closely with local business owners and will utilise the likes of Twitter, Face Book, Pinsterest, YouTube and various bookmarking sites to share business news, offer, photos, videos, vouchers and other information.

The rate at which local businesses are failing is at an alarming 14.6% as suggested by figures released by the Local data company. Many businesses are also selling their products and services short in the current group buying trend. While competition increases, business owners will need to do more to get the sales needed to grow their business.

According to Francene Mullings the owner of LOOKAL, she explains that the benefits of advertising on the directory are two-fold as this will not just give businesses an instant advantage over their competitors but will also boost SEO efforts over the long term. She says that she's have a proven strategy to give small local businesses more for their advertising dollar as "gone are the days when you just list a business on a directory and expect business to flood your way".

She added that directories in the past use to use "pay-per-click" to publicise the premium listings of their clients. However, the cost of PPC has increased by over 37% and small businesses just cannot afford to take the risk. She concluded that LOOKALs' responsibility will be to create a social media conversation on behalf of businesses.

LOOKAL directory have all the features on any other directory but the personal touch to each client seems to suggest that it's not just a place where business listings are forgotten.

About LOOKAL
LOOKAL is run by Starple Marketing services, a company that help local businesses to leverage internet marketing and to grow their business.