Rankings Reveal Niche Brands Dominate While Many Multi-Location Enterprises Struggle with Digital Invisibility

SOCi, Inc., a leader in the CoMarketing Cloud for multi-location enterprises, has released the SOCi Local Visibility Index (LVI) 2024. This index highlights the top 100 brands that are leveraging localized digital marketing to tap into the $54.1 billion opportunity. Despite the success of these brands, many multi-location businesses still struggle with local visibility, costing them valuable consumer engagement and revenue.

Key Findings from the SOCi LVI 2024

• Local Search and Discovery:
  The U.S. Commerce Department reports that 84% of commerce still occurs offline at brick-and-mortar locations. This makes local search and discovery crucial for capturing consumer dollars. Yet, many multi-location brands fail to appear in 75% of local searches, overlook over 50% of reviews, and neglect 90% of customer questions and engagements across search and social platforms.

• Visibility vs. Recognizability:
  The index reveals that high recognizability does not necessarily translate to high visibility. While household names like Chick-fil-A, Target, and Walgreens may have strong brand recognition, they did not make the SOCi 100 Most Visible list. Conversely, niche and regional brands excel in local visibility by appearing in relevant non-branded searches.

SOCi's Local Visibility Takeaways for 2024

• Search:
  Multi-location brands have made strides in claiming and completing local profiles on Google but need to enhance their optimization on platforms like Yelp and Facebook.

• Reputation:
  Response rates to reviews remain low, with less than half of Google reviews receiving a reply, and even fewer responses on Yelp and Facebook.

• Social Media:
  Brands are successfully growing audiences on Facebook with a mix of photo and video content. However, engagement levels are generally low, indicating room for improvement.

Expert Insights

Monica Ho, CMO of SOCi, emphasized the necessity of high local visibility: “High local visibility in search and social sites is no longer just a competitive edge—it's essential. Brands that enhance their local presence are not only more visible but also build greater trust, leading to increased engagement, reach, and revenue.”

Damian Rollison, Director of Market Insights at SOCi, added: “The SOCi LVI is a crucial tool for multi-location enterprises aiming to outperform local competitors. It provides benchmark metrics and actionable recommendations to improve local visibility and boost customer engagement.”

The SOCi LVI 2024 underscores the importance of localized digital marketing. Multi-location enterprises must prioritize local visibility to remain competitive and drive growth. By addressing gaps in local search, reputation management, and social engagement, brands can significantly enhance their digital presence and connect more effectively with local customers.