Part of the success in a shop local program is in the marketing. Shop local campaigns that spotlight the unique offerings of their local shops through social media and other avenues are more likely to inspire action than those that merely tell people to “buy local.”
The “Why” Is a Powerful Tool
One of the strengths a local store has over a large chain is the uniqueness of its items. They generally photograph well and that translates to a strong social media campaign. But there are other marketing options that will help increase the success of your buy local campaign.
Podcasts
Podcasts are like pre-recorded radio shows and their popularity has increased exponentially over the past several years. A shop local podcast can provide a great opportunity for local store owners to tell potential customers about their offerings and to increase their connection with community members by telling their story. You can interview people in person by going to their store or inviting them to your office, or you can do it virtually through Skype. For more information on creating a podcast click here.
Twitter Chats
Another great way to showcase local merchants is to host a weekly Twitter chat. Select a time and a topic around your shop local campaign and invite people to join you on Twitter using a selected hashtag. You can have a special guest merchant on each week to talk about their favorite things at their store or in the community. Even if your audience during the chat is small your tweets are still out there and people can discover them later to learn more. You can also create a page that features the tweets through a product like Rebel Mouse or Storify, or stream them on your website using a WordPress plug-in. Learn more about Twitter chats here.
There are a number of other creative ways to entice an audience into shopping local such as hosting a Facebook event group, a Google hangout, and compiling a Pinterest Board of local finds.
