© Can Stock Photo Inc. / dbviragoChambers often lead the shop local brigade in communities and many feel that while they have the right message, they don’t have enough tools to mount an effective campaign. Telling people to shop local just doesn’t seem to be enough to compete with million dollar ad campaigns from the big box stores but there are things you can do to make the campaign more effective and keep more money in your local economy.
How a Community Currency Program Can Help Your Chamber Do More with Less
Give the Gift of Easy Purchasing
With a web-based community currency program, your community can now offer the same ease of purchasing that larger stores do with gift cards. Not only does it make it easier for gift givers to give the gift of local but it allows large employers in your community to use your gift certificates as awards and bonuses for their employees.
Track Where the Money is Going
With a web-based local gift card program you can track who is making the purchases and where they’re being spent. This is an incredible source of data and can be leveraged in member recruitment and retention.
Guarantee Community Spend
Unlike a Visa gift card system that can be spent anywhere – including outside of your community – this gift certificate program keeps the money in your community. It can’t be spent elsewhere and it can only be spent at the merchants involved in the program.
Merchants in the program needn’t worry about the currency having a passport. It’s purchased in your community and spent there.
Keep Merchant Dollars in the Community
A lot of merchants’ advertising dollars go out of community. Even local radio stations are owned by larger out-of-state conglomerates. With a local gift certificate program, merchants can advertise on the certificates and know that their advertising dollars are going to the chamber and being reinvested into local business growth.
Keeping community dollars in the community is a growing campaign for many chambers. But it’s more than just marketing. It requires educating your community on the benefits beyond more money for local merchants.
Conpoto can help you create a strong source of non-dues revenue and improve member retention with a local gift card program. We’re in the business of helping you put large smiles on your members’ faces.
