Three Simple Marketing Moves Every Local Business Can Make

If you’re a small business owner, chances are you didn’t go into business because you love marketing.

You went into business because you’re good at what you do. You built the thing. You refined the offering. You created a great experience, product, or service. That part? Hard. And you did it.

But here’s where so many small businesses stop just short of the finish line: making sure the right people actually know you exist.

Marketing often feels like the extra thing. The overwhelming thing. The thing that takes too much time, uses too many tools, and lives firmly outside your comfort zone. We get it. Truly.

The good news? Marketing doesn’t have to be complicated, expensive, or constant to be effective. Below are three simple, actionable things you can do — in minutes a week or month — that will genuinely move the needle for your business.

Tip #1: Double-Check Your Existing Local Signals

Before you create anything new, make sure what already exists is accurate.

So many businesses don’t realize how inconsistent their information is across the internet — or worse, don’t know where they’re listed at all. That creates friction for potential customers and confusion for search engines.

Start with the basics:

1. Is your business name, address, phone number, and hours correct everywhere?

2. Is that information easy to find on your own website?

At Wheels Up, we regularly see local business websites that are missing an address, phone number, or hours. If someone wants to visit you, call you, or plan around your schedule, don’t make them hunt for it. Make it obvious.

For local businesses especially, list your full address, not just the street. Be crystal clear about what town and state you’re in — this helps both people and Google understand where you belong.

Make this simple housekeeping.

Two to four times a year, spend 20 minutes Googling your business name. Make a list of everywhere you show up: Google, review sites, social platforms, directories. Once you have that list, updates become easy — when hours change, you know exactly where to go.

And speaking of Google…

Google Business Profile is pure gold.

It’s free. It’s powerful. And it’s one of the most important tools local businesses have.

Your Google Business Profile helps real customers and teaches search bots what you do, who you serve, and where you belong. Ideally, spend about 15 minutes a week adding updates, photos, posts, or offers. Can’t do weekly? Monthly is totally fine. What matters is consistency.

If you want help getting it right, Wheels Up has a free ebook that walks you through setting up and optimizing your Google Business Profile step by step. It’s one of the highest-impact things you can do for local visibility.

Tip #2: Invent Something Special (and Use the Calendar for Ideas)

You don’t need a huge event or a major promotion to give people a reason to pay attention.

There are so many built-in opportunities throughout the year — national days, awareness months, quirky holidays — that can act as easy prompts for content or promotions. Think of them as excuses to show up.

The goal isn’t to celebrate everything. It’s to pick what makes sense for your business and your audience and use it as a hook:

1. A limited-time offer

2. A themed product or service

3. A small in-store or online moment

4. A quick social post acknowledging the day

Create a simple calendar for your busy season and plan ahead. When you batch and schedule content in advance (using free tools if needed), marketing stops feeling so reactive and starts feeling manageable.

Progress beats perfection here. You’re just giving people a reason to notice you today.

Tip #3: Hijack Each Other’s Audiences (In a Collaborative Way)

The hardest part of marketing isn’t creating content — it’s getting eyeballs on it.

So borrow some.

Partner with non-competitive neighbors, peers, and friends who already reach the people you want to reach. Cross-promotion helps everyone, builds community, and expands your reach without expanding your workload.

Ideas to get started:

1. Quick, authentic social videos featuring each other

2. Mentions in emails or newsletters

3. Printed cards or postcards shared at checkout

4. Reciprocal offers (“show a receipt from X and get Y”)

And one important reminder: we all live in our own bubbles. Just because you posted something once doesn’t mean everyone saw it — or remembers it. Share important things again. And again. Across multiple channels.

You’re far more likely to be noticed than to be annoying.

The Bottom Line

You don’t need to overhaul your marketing or become a content machine. You just need a few consistent habits that make it easier for people to find you, understand you, and choose you.

You already did the hard part by building something worth promoting. These tips help make sure it actually gets seen.