As a marketing agency whose mission is to support small businesses across the globe, we are incredibly passionate about sharing ways to support small businesses, whether that be through paid or free efforts.
Why Support Local?
Small Business is not just the heart of our economy, they also bring growth and opportunity to your community through employment, connection and innovation. They bring neighbors together and help to build unique communities.
But, Online Shopping is Convenient.
Yes, it is! We understand that, and we could imagine that your neighbor who owns a bookstore understands how convenient Amazon is too, but it still poses a threat to their livelihood. Consumers will pay for convenience, but what would happen if consumers swapped the idea of convenience with community? Paying to support the community that your family will thrive in. Sounds nice, right?
So, How Can I Support Local Businesses?
Supporting small businesses doesn’t mean you have to give all your money to your local entrepreneurs. There are plenty of ways to show support without spending a dime:
Commit to doing one small thing for a small business each week. Whether you’re referring business or purchasing gifts from a local shop, find a way to mindfully support at least one small business every week. This can be opting to get coffee from your local cafe rather than a national franchise, or simply “recommending” a small business on Facebook to your friends and family. An action as small as subscribing to a newsletter or taking the time to read their blog content can help with their site interactions and unfold new innovation for their online community.
Support their Social Media profiles. Think about the small, local businesses you frequent and find them on social media! One follow goes a long way for small businesses, or you could be a social media brand gladiator for your favorite accounts. Share their posts to your page, check-in on Facebook when you’re at their location, post a story and tag their business or even just like and comment on their posts & content. A great challenge is to comment or share at least one small business page each week.
Write a Review. Old-fashioned or not, word-of-mouth marketing is a tried and true method to gaining new business. Consumers trust their inner circles, and when those inner circles are ranting and raving about a business – they feel like they are missing out if they do not check out what that business has to offer. And, even more so, they are now visiting the business with trust already instilled in their purchasing decision.
While telling your friends verbally about a business is a great way to spread awareness about your favorite local business, online reviews hold even more value to those businesses. Reviews not only help gain the trust of new customers for local business, they also help to increase online visibility and search engine ranking!
As the holiday season creeps up on us, remember to shop local; whether that be purchasing gift cards or gifts from small shops, or simply ordering takeout from your local restaurants!
