When Fuse moved from Milton to Newstead this time last year, we felt like the new kids on the block. In Milton, we had our favourite coffee shops, Thai takeaway and the perfect local spot for a cold pint on a Friday arvo. Moving to Newstead meant changing habits and switching up our comfy routines. We had to find new spots to call our own and learn to thrive in a different community. We wondered if this new up-and-coming neighbourhood would be a good fit for us.

Now after one year, here we are. Seasoned Newsteaders. We know our lunch spots – for healthy days and I-desperately-need-a-juicy-cheeseburger days. We know where to take a scenic walk and grab a strong coffee for the 2pm slump. During this year, we discovered, however, that it wasn’t our ‘usual’ spots we so loved about Newstead, but the fact that it’s always changing. A new cafe or business is always popping up, and it’s exciting to see our little corner of Brisbane grow around us. This little neighbourhood has had a major growth spurt in the past year, and along with being great for our office, it’s also had a tremendous effect on our local area marketing efforts.

Our office is situated conveniently between two hubs – Gasworks and James St. These two areas always have new developments, and many of our Newstead clients are keen to cross promote with ones that share similar target demographics. A current major development on James St. is The Calile Hotel opening in September. This luxury hotel will host a variety of businesses on its own and is already taking bookings.

Off of Skyring Terrace, is the newly built Haven complex. This luxury apartment is home to Betty’s Burgers, Salts Meats Cheese, the new Ecco restaurant, Newstead (Jocelyn’s) Provisions and our own client Studio Pilates Newstead. These high profile tenants serve each other and the area well.

We can’t talk about development in the area without talking about the massive retirement living project, Aveo. This 19 story complex offers state-of-the-art living facilities to spend the latter years of life in luxury. It includes a restaurant and bar, demonstration kitchen, lounge, golf simulator, private movie theatre, billiard room, business center and craft room. Talk about retiring in style!

For each of these businesses, the importance of local area marketing should not be underestimated. While often surpassed by the allure of reaching a larger audience with the mindset “the bigger the better”, fostering relationships closer to your business could pay off more than first thought. Leveraging the buyer power of the suburb and the undeniable appeal of consuming recognisable, convenient, local brands should be taken advantage of.

Not to mention the “support local” sentiment is strong in the Brisbane community. Connections made with community are ones that should be fostered as it evokes a feeling of belonging and character. By improving business profile in the community through local area marketing you can increase overall brand awareness and recall. It’s these consumers that build a foundation for any business leveraging off consistent recall.

Another facet of local area marketing to be recognised is the potential for strategic business partnerships. Not only are B2C relationships important but also B2B. Business partnerships are an example of true synergy … when two businesses pool resources, services and product offerings, the potential for new clients can be amplified. Not only does it create more opportunities for your business, it can allow for a weaker area of your business to be strengthened.

So now you’re wondering how you can incorporate local area marketing into your marketing strategy? There are many marketing initiatives that can be taken to improve your presence locally. They include:

• Signage
• Letterbox drops
• Sponsorships
• Local press advertising
• Geo-targeted social media advertising
• Search engine optimisation
• Search engine marketing

As a brand, the challenge lies in choosing the right marketing initiatives for your business and ensuring you reap the benefits. The Fuse Agency team are experts at helping businesses strategise and execute local area marketing campaigns. Working with many brands across a broad range of industries, Fuse Agency can assist you from initial strategy through to the rollout out of initiatives, and be with you every step of the way.

About Fuse Agency
Fuse Agency is a full-service agency that can assist your business with anything from design, marketing strategy, web development, digital strategy, content marketing and public relations. If you are looking for assistance with developing your marketing strategy, carrying out strategic marketing activities (both digital and traditional) or growing your business and sales, then give the team at Fuse Agency a call on 3198 4890 or email info@fuseagency.com.au today to find out how we can help you. We look forward to hearing from you!