The Benefits of a Holiday Shop Local Campaign for the Buffalo Community

A shop local campaign is a great way to support the businesses in your community and bring in new customers. By promoting the campaign in your store and online, you can reach a wider audience and let them know about the benefits of shopping locally. Additionally, you can offer special deals and discounts to customers who participate in the campaign. This will not only support your business but also encourage others to shop at businesses in their community. Ultimately, a shop local campaign is a win-win for everyone involved. From the Buffalo Area Chamber of Commerce, here are some ways that small businesses can fully maximize their potential in a holiday shop local campaign:

Businesses can kick off a holiday shop local campaign

There are many ways to get involved in a holiday shop local campaign. One way is to visit your chamber of commerce or local business association to learn more about the resources they offer. Many of these organizations offer resources and tips for getting started. You can also contact your city's office of economic development for more information.

Businesses can promote a holiday shop local campaign

Businesses can promote their participation in a holiday shop local campaign through various marketing channels such as social media, email marketing, and print advertisements.  You can also organize in-store events or promotions like raffles and giveaways to bring more people into your business and draw attention to the campaign. Overall, a holiday shop local campaign is a great way for small businesses to increase their visibility and connect with customers in their community.

Businesses can incentivize shopping local during the holidays

Shopping local during the holidays offers many benefits for businesses such as increased foot traffic, repeat customers, and word-of-mouth referrals. To incentivize customers to shop local, businesses can offer special promotions and discounts. For example, restaurants could offer a complimentary dessert with the purchase of an entrée or retailers could offer 10% off purchases made with cash.  This is also a great time to start a customer loyalty program. By offering incentives like these, businesses can encourage customers to shop at local businesses this holiday season.

For example, try creating a gift guide to promote local shopping. If you want, you could even invite other businesses to contribute, as well. The easiest way is to create a Word document filled with sales info and high quality product images, then use this free tool to convert Word to PDF and share your gift guide with your customers. The more businesses participate, the greater the benefit for the entire community!

Businesses can support each other through joint marketing and co-hosting events

One of the best things about being a small business owner is being part of a close-knit community of like-minded entrepreneurs.  As part of your holiday shop local campaign, you can support other businesses in your community by promoting their products and services or co-hosting events.  This not only helps promote local businesses but strengthens your community as well. By working together, businesses can amplify their reach and better compete against larger retailers.

Businesses can use shop local campaigns to give back during the holidays

Many small businesses are deeply committed to giving back to their community throughout the year. During the holidays, they can use a shop local campaign as an opportunity to donate products or services to those in need. This not only helps those less fortunate but also spreads awareness about the importance of supporting small businesses. Moreover, this can help businesses build goodwill with their customers and create a positive impact in the community.

If you’re looking for a way to boost your business and support your community this holiday season, consider launching a Holiday Shop Local campaign. This type of campaign can benefit both your business and your community in a number of ways, so it’s definitely worth considering if you want to get into the holiday spirit this year.