Help Your Community by Shopping Local First
Shopping local is all about community. It’s about living in your community, making your community better and healthier, supporting your neighbors. It’s something that is much bigger than just deciding where you are going to buy your toothpaste. It’s about being a part of your community, your town and your region. It’s why being a local shopper also means being a local storyteller. When you tell the stories of your experiences shopping locally, you don’t just help the small businesses you bought from. You also help others around you become more savvy local shoppers and spread the movement beyond yourself.
Share your Stories
McKinsey & Co. studied the inclusive consumer in 2021-22. Inclusive consumers are those who are more likely to shop local and who are more likely to shop businesses owned by under-represented communities. One of the things they said in their report was that inclusive consumers -- local shoppers -want to know the stories of those who own or found the businesses. They want to know what the owner’s mission is. They’re far more likely to visit a business if there are stories that interest them. While it is the job of a business to tell their stories, you can help to spread the word. Did you have a unique experience at a store? Did you connect with an owner or a manager who was able to customize their offerings for you? Share that story. Tell it to your friends. Post about it on social media. Write a letter to your local newspaper. Call into a local radio show. Email the business itself to give them an opportunity to use your words as a testimonial.
Leave Reviews
Real consumer reviews that go beyond a thumbs up or thumbs down can do a lot for a local business. When you’ve had a good experience (or even when you’ve had a bad experience), leave a detailed, honest and fair review. Keep in mind that you’re not just helping local businesses, you are also helping others become local shoppers. It’s why it is important that your reviews are authentic.
Pictures Paint 1,000 Words
You don’t even have to use a lot of words in order to spread the word. Few people are ever without a camera because of the popularity of smartphones. Did you score an awesome find at a local store? Take a picture. Take a selfie with a local artisan. Make a TikTok video of you and your date enjoying a local meal. Post those pictures and videos on your social media and tag the pages of the businesses where you took the pictures. Local shoppers like you get a lot of their information from Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. Help to provide the answers they need.