A report from the Chief Marketing Officer Council found that 50 percent of marketers are unsatisfied with their local marketing strategies, and local search and social campaigns are among top priorities.

Nearly 50 percent of marketers believe their local marketing campaigns must improve to target the growing trend of consumers turning the web to find nearby businesses, a report from the Chief Marketing Officer Council suggests.

According to to the CMO Council, only 12 percent of marketers are satisfied with their local marketing campaigns. Eighty-six percent say they want to improve their strategies even as some noted increasing success. While older channels, such as direct print marketing, were popular for some, social media marketing and local SEO will likely play a role in strategies moving forward.

“Localization is the name of the game for national brands with significant field, channel or network marketing organizations,” Donovan Neale-May, executive director of the CMO Council, said in a release. ” The mindset of today’s market requires brands to move to digital platforms that allow them to customize messages or images, improve brand governance and deliver … campaign executions to diverse audiences ….”

The internet offers access to worldwide consumers, and businesses increasingly understand the need to target neighborhood customers, as well as buyers across the nation through a diverse web presence. The study says that TV and radio advertising are unlikely to improve conversions and sales – especially for those targeting local markets.

Using local elements in search marketing campaigns can help businesses of all sizes appeal to audiences. Brafton reported earlier this year that companies using local SEO saw greater conversions than those using generalized industry terms as keywords.

Joe Meloni is Brafton's former Executive News and Content Writer. He studied journalism at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and has written for a number of print and web-based publications.