Introduction
You may have noticed that there's a lot of talk these days about supporting local businesses. In fact, I've been hearing more and more about how important it is for consumers to support their local communities. But what exactly does this mean? And how can you show your support for local businesses without just buying everything from online retailers? Here are some tips for showing your love for local businesses:
Make it a point to shop locally.
It's important to remember that shopping locally is good for the local economy. When you shop at a store or restaurant that's in your area, you're bringing money into your community and helping it grow. You can also get to know the owners and staff by visiting regularly, which is always fun! And if you see something interesting—like a new design on an item from one of our favorite local shops—you'll know where to go next time around.
The environment benefits as well: not driving long distances means fewer emissions into the atmosphere (and less pollution). And if everyone did their part in supporting businesses near them, then maybe we wouldn't have such an issue with climate change!
Leave positive reviews online.
Leaving a positive review on a business's website is one of the easiest ways to show your support for local businesses. If you've used a company in the past, leave an honest review on their Yelp page or Facebook page. Leave this type of positive feedback as often as possible so it can help other potential customers find these places!It’s also important not to leave negative reviews for businesses; this will only discourage other potential customers from visiting that particular establishment in the future. It may not seem like much at first glance but if enough people start leaving bad reviews online then they'll have no choice but to change their ways and start providing better service or products once again!
Let them know that you're a customer.
If the business is new, let them know how they're doing. If the business is old and established, let them know how things are going for them in general and ask if there's anything that can be done differently to improve their business operations.
For example: "Hi! I just stopped by your store because I heard there was some good coffee being made here." Or: "It's great seeing you around town again!"
Give them a rating in local directories.
You can find local directories by using the search bar on your browser. If you're on a desktop, click the magnifying glass icon in the top right corner of your screen and type in something like "local restaurants." If you're on a mobile device, tap Search > Find Nearby. This will open up several options for finding businesses near where you are. You'll see categories that relate to what kind of business it is (e.g., restaurants). Then under each category there will be subcategories—in this case "restaurant," which includes options such as "Italian" or "American"—and even more subcategories within those categories! The more specific information about each business available via their listing, the better chance they have at being found when someone searches for something related to them specifically (i.e., if I'm looking for an Italian restaurant nearby but don't know exactly what kind of food they serve).or just type locationsnearby.com :)
Share photos of their products on social media.
You can share photos of the product on social media. Use the business’s hashtag, and tag them in your post.
Do:
Share photos of products with a story behind them or in their natural habitat. For example, if you saw an adorable baby koala lounging on your local coffee shop’s countertop while enjoying some joe, take a picture and share it online! Or if you had an amazing vacation at a local resort that was sponsored by this same company—post about it! It’s all about getting people excited about what they love doing each day by showing off their favorite things to do together as friends (or family).
Check-in when you're there.
If the store has a social media page, like Instagram or Facebook, check in on their page and leave a comment letting them know that you appreciate them for their work. If they don't have an official account for their business, use a location-based app like Foursquare (or Swarm) to check in at the location if possible. Then make sure to check in again as soon as possible before leaving! This will let other people know how much support they've given local businesses and increase brand awareness by showing others that there's no better way than through word of mouth marketing!
Join their loyalty rewards programs.
Joining a loyalty rewards program is a great way to show your support. The majority of people who join these programs are looking for discounts and perks, so it's easy to see why they'd be ideal for merchants who want to get more customers through their doors.
The best part? You can earn points just by doing everyday activities like shopping at the store or dining there! For example: if you buy something in-store and make an online purchase using their website (or any other product), then both purchases will earn you 5% off on everything else that day (up until midnight). Those extra points go toward bigger discounts down the road—and no one knows how long those discounts will last either!
Any business is grateful for your support.
As a consumer, you should be aware of the importance of supporting local businesses. It’s easy to forget that your dollars are helping a local business thrive by supporting their products and services—but they really do need our help!
Local businesses are important not only because they contribute to the community in which we live but also because they provide jobs for people who may not otherwise have them. The economy benefits from this support: when more people spend money at locally owned businesses instead of large chain stores or online retailers, there are more opportunities for those who depend on these small companies to earn income from their labor (which includes both employees and contractors).
Conclusion
We hope this post has helped you to think about how you can support local businesses. Remember, any small business owner is grateful for your patronage and will be more than happy to help spread the word about their company. So, go ahead and make it a point to shop local!
