How to Promote a Local Business on Facebook

Your next customer is probably scrolling through Facebook right now, just blocks away from your business. The challenge is cutting through the noise to actually reach them. This guide gives you the practical, step-by-step strategies you need to turn those local scrollers into loyal customers, using the platform you already know and love.

Start with a Strong Foundation: Optimize Your Facebook Page for Local Discovery

Before you spend a single minute creating content or running an ad, your Facebook Business Page needs to function as your digital storefront. An incomplete page not only looks unprofessional but also fails to give Facebook's algorithm the signals it needs to show you to a local audience. Take 30 minutes to get this right.

Fill out Every Section on Your Page

The ‘About’ section isn’t filler, it’s critical for local SEO. Make sure every field is complete, especially your NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) information. This should match what's on your website, Google Business Profile, and any other local listings exactly for consistency.

• Category: Choose the most specific category for your business (e.g., "Coffee Shop" instead of just "Food & Beverage"). This immediately helps Facebook and users understand what you do.
• Hours: Keep your operating hours up-to-date, especially during holidays. There's nothing more frustrating to a customer than driving to your store only to find it's closed.
• Services/Menu: If applicable, fill this out to showcase what you offer. It's an easy way to answer questions before they are asked.

Use High-Quality Visuals to Reflect Your Brand

Your profile picture and cover photo are the first things visitors see. Use them as an opportunity to make a great impression.

• Profile Photo: Use your logo. It should be simple, clean, and recognizable even at small sizes.
• Cover Photo/Video: This is a prime chance to showcase your business's personality. Use a high-resolution photo of your storefront, your team, your products in action, or even a short video that shows what it's like to step inside.

Set Up an Effective Call-to-Action (CTA) Button

Beneath your cover photo, there’s a blue button that you can customize. Facebook offers several CTA options like "Book Now," "Call Us," "Send Message," or "Shop Now." Choose the one that most directly aligns with what you want visitors to do. A hairdresser might use "Call Now," a retail store could use "Shop Now," and an online service might use "Book Now." This seems like a simple detail, but it directly funnels users toward your primary goal.

Create Content That Connects With Your Local Community

Content on Facebook is no longer just about broadcasting sales messages. It’s about building relationships and creating value. For local businesses, that means leaning into your local identity.

Behind the Scenes

People connect with people, not products. Show the human side of your business. Post spotlights of your employees, share how your baker makes the morning croissants, or tell the story of how you got started. This kind of content builds trust and loyalty, making you more than just a faceless brand. For example, a local bakery could share a time-lapse video of their team decorating cakes in the morning. The caption could read, "Good morning from our town! We are already making something sweet for you!"

Highlight Your Customers (User-Generated Content)

User-Generated Content (UGC) is a powerful form of social proof. Encourage customers to tag you in their photos and share the best ones on your Page. Not only does this provide great content for you, but it also shows others in your community that people love your business.

Tips on Getting UGC:

• Create a photogenic station in your store with a branded hashtag or location tag.
• Run a monthly contest for the "best post" and give the winner a small prize, like a $10 gift card.

Example: A local boutique posts a picture of the shop's mirror and says, "Show us your best look from the shop! Tag us for a chance to win free coffee on your next visit!"

Run Local Contests and Giveaways

Contests and giveaways are still one of the most effective ways to drive engagement and reach. To make them even more powerful, partner with other non-competing local businesses for cross-promotion. For example, a spa could partner with a local coffee shop for a giveaway that includes a massage and a bag of freshly roasted beans. Both businesses would share the giveaway on their pages, tapping into each other's audiences.

Create Community-Focused Content

Position yourself as a local resource, not just a place to buy things. Share informational content that helps people in your local area. This isn't about selling your product but about putting yourself at the center of local conversations.

Examples of Local-Focused Content:

• A local hardware store: "5 Tips for Keeping House Plants Alive in [Our City]'s Climate"
• A local coffee shop: "The Best Off-Leash Dog Parks in Our Neighborhood"
• A dog groomer: "[Town]'s 5 Most Dog-Friendly Patios"

Utilize Facebook's Video Formats

Video, especially short-form video like Reels, dominates social media right now. For local businesses, it’s an easy, fun, and authentic way to show off what makes you special.

• Reels/Stories: Share quick video tours of the store, new arrivals, a time-lapse of a project in progress, or even a quick Q&,A with the owner.
• Facebook Live: Host events or workshops, do a live Q&,A session, announce surprise sales, or ask your followers for input on something in the shop. Live video makes your page feel more dynamic and can significantly boost interaction compared to static content.

Engage Like a Neighbor, Not a Corporation

The secret weapon for local businesses over larger brands is the ability to be genuinely human and connected to the community. Your social media presence should reflect that.

Respond to Every Comment and Message, Promptly

This shows Facebook that you are active and it signals to other users that you care. Even a simple "Like" or "Thank you" on a positive comment goes a long way. Answer negative feedback politely and publicly (e.g., "We're sorry to hear that. Please send us a private message so we can help") and take the discussion to direct messages. Never delete negative comments - address them.

Actively Participate in Local Facebook Groups

Local Facebook Groups (like community boards, neighborhood discussion groups, or hobby-centered groups) are an incredible opportunity to connect with locals in an authentic way. Join groups relevant to your business, not to spam your promotions, but to participate. Answer questions, provide useful advice, and build a reputation for being a helpful member of the community. When it's appropriate, you can mention your business in context.

Example: In a local gardening group, the owner of a landscape company could write, "We just got this beautiful new shipment of drought-tolerant plants at our nursery. We’re open until 6 PM, come on by!" It feels helpful and contextual.

Tag Other Local Businesses

When you post about a community event, a brand you carry, a partner you work with, or any complementary business, tag their Facebook Page. This sends a notification to their page and account, and will often increase the reach of your post. This strategy costs nothing, and it’s a great way to build relationships and cross-promote with other local partners.

Utilize Facebook's Powerful Local Targeting Tools

Organic reach on Facebook can be tough, but a small ad budget can make a huge difference. When it comes to paid advertising, the beauty of Facebook for local businesses is its hyper-local targeting capabilities.

Boost Your Best-Performing Posts

Is a post about one of your unique products getting good organic engagement (likes, shares, comments)? Put a small budget behind it, and "boost" the post. Use the audience targeting to show it to people within a certain-mile radius around your storefront. This takes content that's already working and shows it to a broader local audience.

Use Local Awareness Ads

This ad campaign type is designed specifically to show your ad to people who are physically close to your business. You can create a simple ad and set Facebook to show it to people within a two-mile radius of your store. You can even target it at people living in the area or people who are just visiting. This is perfect for promoting in-store sales, events, or just generating a local fanbase.

Create Audiences From Your Mailing List

If you have an email list of your existing customers, you can upload it to Facebook to create a Custom Audience. This lets you show ads specifically to people who already know and love your brand. You can also create a "Lookalike Audience," where Facebook finds new people who share similar characteristics to your existing customers, giving you an effective way to find new shoppers who are very likely to be interested in your business.

Analyze What Works and Do More of It

Promoting your local business on Facebook isn't a "set it and forget it" process. It's about testing what works and adapting your strategy based on the data.

Monitor Your Page Insights

Every Facebook Business Page comes with a free analytics dashboard called "Page Insights." Spend at least once a week reviewing it.

• Reach: How many people your posts are actually reaching in their newsfeeds.
• Engagement: How many people are liking, commenting, or sharing your posts.
• Audience: Where your followers live, how old they are, and what their gender is.

This data helps you understand which content resonates most with your audience.

Identify Your Top-Performing Posts

Inside Page Insights, you can easily see which posts got the most reach and engagement. This information often reveals patterns about what your audience actually wants to see from you. Do they love behind-the-scenes content? Product spotlights? Customer features? Questions for your followers? If you find that some of your videos outperform photos, that is a telling signal to try creating more similar content and track the results!

Final Thoughts

Promoting your local business on Facebook boils down to building connections and community, not just broadcasting ads. By optimizing your Page, creating content that resonates with your neighbors, and engaging genuinely, you can build a powerful local following that drives real business results.

Staying consistent with all of this can be a challenge. We built Postbase to make it easier for local businesses to manage everything in one place. You can schedule your Reels, posts, and Stories, manage all of your comments from a single inbox, and see what's working with clear analytics. It helps you focus on what actually moves your business forward.