With Facebook heading into its IPO, it’s no wonder that local targeting is now, more than ever before, becoming a huge initiative for businesses. Yet, according to BIA/Kelsey’s Social Local Media practice, as explained in a recent report, local targeting has not yet been widely accepted by small businesses or national brands. At the same time, it seems that this reality is changing as businesses evolve to catch up with the technology that is now available to help them meet their needs.

BIA/Kelsey projects that social display ad spending (not including virtual goods, rewards, social gaming, social commerce or social marketing) is expected to increase to$7.7 billion in 2015 – that is up from $2.1 billion in 2010. The report goes on to say that social local ad spending is expected to increase through 2015, especially as smaller businesses learn how to use these features to help them optimize results.

Building up your Facebook fans using social advertising, especially through local social display advertising, is a great first step. But how can a business continue to reach those customers effectively and efficiently once they complete that initial purchase or become your friend or Like your fan page? In another recent story on the Trumpia blog, we covered another industry study of Facebook users. This revealed that Liking a brand or company didn’t necessarily result in customer loyalty.

Using technology tools to collect contact information from your fans, ranging from their mobile phone number to their email and land line, continuing to reach out to them on Facebook with frequent and timely posts and sending them highly relevant promotional offers via SMS marketing will make the difference in achieving sales conversions and building a local customer base that are often some of the most loyal customers around.  Using web-based services like Trumpia, a small business can take social local advertising to the next level. It’s all about generating awareness and then harnessing that awareness by building and expanding upon your customer relationships.  The evidence seems to support this as BIA/Kelsey expects the social non-display segment to grow from $50 million in 2010 to $610 million in 2015 (CAGR: 51.6 percent).

The next step for small businesses, beyond social local advertising, will include integrating their social advertising, social and email marketing and mobile marketing efforts via a multi-channel marketing strategy.  Then they will be well positioned to think, act and grow local.

Valentine’s Day is next week. But it’s still not too late to give your customers an incentive to love your business. According to a recent survey conducted by ORC International, sponsored by Godiva Coffee, Valentine’s Day is now second in line to Christmas as the year’s premier gift-giving holiday. And people are widening their gift giving activities beyond just their spouse or significant other.  A majority of women are also carrying out the gift giving ritual with their children (56 percent) and other members of their immediate family (53 percent). More and more women are also treating themselves to something special each Valentine’s Day.

So now is the time to offer an extra special incentive to your loyal customers and grow your mobile text and multi-channel marketing database. Here are a few tips for drawing in those last minute Valentine’s Day shoppers.

1. Post a message on your Facebook fan page, giving people who haven’t yet texted-in your mobile keyword the opportunity to receive a mobile coupon for an extra sweet deal on February 14^th. You can also give people who use your Facebook Widget the ability to opt-in to your database on February 14^th for an extra special coupon that they can use in your store – only on Valentine’s Day, of course.
2. Drive greater in-store traffic for your clients by texting out mobile coupons this Monday – the day before your Valentine’s Day sale.
3. Host a special customer appreciation event, featuring extra special deals and the opportunity to join your mobile rewards program by scanning the QR Code on your in-store poster. Send out an email campaign early in the morning on Valentine’s Day to remind people to RSVP for your event.
4. Engage customers at your event through a fun, interactive mobile voting and text-to-screen session. Ask people to answer Valentine’s Day trivia questions for the chance to win prizes or deeper discounts.

Valentine’s Day is only one day. But you can share the love with your customers all year long using affordable and effective multi-channel marketing campaigns to tantalize them with news and information about your brand and your business. So even if you don’t catch everyone this Valentine’s Day, you will have shared the heart of what you have to offer – making it more likely that people will purchase from you then next time they are looking to nurture their significant other or themselves.