As the year 2011 draws to a close, it is time we took another look at a crucial question often posed by digital marketing professionals, namely, what should be the digital marketing components of an efficient online marketing campaign?

We had previously pointed out that as the local landscape is continuously evolving; small, medium and national companies should begin focussing on defined opportunities within the local markets they are already targeting. It is time we accepted that while the local marketplace may be filled with a large number of targeting options, only a few may actually prove to be of use to your business. Here, you should consider taking a top-down approach, first ensuring that the priority digital marketing channels are covered before you expand your marketing strategy to include other options.

Below is an updated list of the most-important digital marketing channels to work on while planning your local campaign:

1. Business listings: Your business listings are the foundational element connecting prospective customers to your company. It is vital to ensure that your name, address and phone number are listed in leading directories, so that you are easy to find.

2. Optimise your Places Page: Last year, changes were noticed in search algorithms that resulted in Places Pages being featured more prominently on search engine result pages. To ensure maximum benefit from this digital marketing channel, optimise your Places Page for all three search engines: Google, Bing and Yahoo.

3. Reviews and ratings: Just as backlinks are important to SEO; ratings and reviews are vital for local marketing. While more than fifty percent of Internet users said that they check reviews before making a purchase decision, very few companies pay attention to what people are saying about their products/services online.

4. Advertising on local directories: Most search engines have improved the efficiency of their local search platforms. In addition, city guides, industry-specific directories, and Internet Yellow Pages can also offer high-value leads at remarkably low costs.

5. Social media profiles: Create digital marketing profiles on the leading social networking websites, such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, to keep customers engaged. Of course, as different businesses have different needs, you will need to decide which social networks would really benefit your business, and concentrate on them only.

6. Digital marketing through smartphones: This growing trend can be beneficial to some industry sectors, such as hospitality and entertainment.

Qudos Digital is a leading digital marketing agency, and can be contacted on 0845 388 5583 or info@qudosdigital.co.uk.