As big business takes over the country, we’ve been urged to buy locally. Most people are under the misconception that this means only frequenting businesses in your local area. What it actually means is purchasing items from small businesses rather than huge multi-unit box stores, and buying only items that have been produced, grown, or built in the United States. I don’t know about you, but I’m much more likely to shop from a store where I’ve seen the owner a time or two, can see their impact on my local economy, or one that gives back to the community around them.
When it comes to shopping local, social media can be a huge help. As many small businesses have difficulty affording huge advertising campaigns to entice customers to frequent their business, social media pages offer, somewhat, free advertising. A tiny little mom and pop shop down the corner from where you were brought up is now able to establish an audience with the help of Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and the like. It doesn’t cost a great deal of money on social media sites to run current promotions, post photos of new merchandise, or introduce the audience to new employees.
As a social media manager, one of my biggest recommendations for businesses is that they establish a healthy website. Unfortunately, web design in an expensive undertaking, and many people lack the knowledge to build one themselves. Sure, there are sites out there that offer web design at a low cost, but many of these sites are still somewhat difficult to understand. The next best thing to a good website, is a healthy and active presence on a well-established Facebook page, and this also works as a less expensive alternative as well.
For a local business, a web presence is going to be a massive help, as many people are found to begin their search for a product online. Not only is a Facebook page virtually free, and I say virtually because you can choose to pay for Facebook ads, which are helpful, but not necessary. One of the major upsides of shopping locally is that you get to see the owners, the same employees who enjoy their jobs, and some excellent product lines that are often handcrafted by local residents, and a social media presence can help put these things out in the public eye.
Recently, I vacationed in Sunset Beach, North Carolina, a sleepy little beach town just a hop, skip, and jump from the much more commercialized Myrtle Beach. While there are plenty of canned, typical beach style box stores advertising 10 t-shirts for $20 in Myrtle, Sunset Beach has very few of these. On the island, there are only local shops. In one of these shops, I grabbed a business card and was very quick to “Like” them on Facebook. To my delight, they post at least four times a week. Within these posts, they share charming anecdotes about customers, honor their employees, and keep people informed about the goings-on in the area.
Ideally, every small business would take the reins for the social media campaigns in the same way the aforementioned business has, but this isn’t always the case. What is seen as a hassle is often ignored, but most business owners don’t understand that they’re shortchanging themselves. Social media isn’t meant to be an advertising medium, but it is. With millions of people using social sites, worldwide, a local business doesn’t have to drop thousands of dollars with flashy ads, if they’re just willing to put in the work themselves.
Many people, especially those who subscribe to the Shop Local Mentality, love to see small businesses succeed and progress. One surefire way to put a face to your store is to open a Facebook Business Page. The setup is pretty simple, and Facebook will walk you through the process. Once a business has established a page, an email mailing list can be uploaded to search for frequent visitors to like your new page. Once you’ve gotten 25 likes to the page, the web address can be customized. After you’ve established the page, collected the necessary number of likes, and uploaded some pictures, now it’s time to work on your presence. I recommend posting no less than two times a week, and sharing photos of your specialized merchandise.
One particularly awesome thing about a Facebook Business Page is that newcomers to the area can search for local business and that business will then come up in a search. While it isn’t the same as having a website, the page does allow local businesses to post their hours, showcase new merchandise, and inform people about changes in inventory or special sales. In lieu of an excellent website, have an excellent social media presence.
Frequenting local businesses isn’t practical for all shopping needs, but making an effort to buy 20% of birthday or holiday gifts locally can truly help both the local business, and your local economy as well. No one enjoys driving through their town and seeing closed businesses, so pay attention to your Facebook news feed and see where people you know are shopping locally, and check them out.
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