#3 Be Local

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Any small business is part of a greater community. That community is your audience. They may not be your exact target audience, but they are the ones who can make or break your company. If you have a bad rep, the community will know. It is important to establish roots within your community, no matter what your business is. Even though the entire community is not going to need to use your business, they may know someone. This is where word of mouth comes into play with your community. When people hear rave reviews about a company, they tell their friends and family.

American Express sponsors Small Business Saturday. Through this event, they were able to determine that 9 out of 10 people were in favor of purchasing from local businesses. Every year they sponsor Small Business Saturday to get the community to support local, small businesses. Not all businesses will benefit from this because not every business is something you can walk into and look around. There are business such as ours, Rock the Aisle Bridal. We focus on meeting with the vendors in person at their own business to get an idea of who they are. Our local business is not something you can come in and shop around at. You may be asking yourself now, then how do you become part of the community? There are so many ways you can create that trust between you and the community.

Some ways you can do this is by sponsoring events within your community. It is necessary to make your name known in the community. You can do so by offering a scholarship at your local schools, sponsoring a little league team, or taking part in a company 5k. These are just a few ways you can be involved and get your name out there.

Another idea is to partner up with other small businesses. A lot of companies recommend becoming part of your local Chamber of Commerce. There you can swap ideas with other business leaders and get advice. This gives you the opportunity to network with businesses. Who knows, maybe someone there is in need of your services or knows someone who knows someone who needs your services. Opportunities are everywhere and you need to take advantage of them.

One small business may not show to have an impact on the community, but when you are teaming up with other businesses within the community it can have a lasting effect. Even if you are an entirely online business, step out from behind your screen and interact. Show them your face and become apart of something bigger. Your community is the reason you are there and they could be the reason you leave.

There are many reasons why small businesses exist. These are to, create jobs, increase tax base, have diverse products and services, to have less infrastructure and low maintenance and more. The community in many ways benefits from having small businesses. Small businesses contribute to the community identity. They are a big part of what forms the town’s character. In this sense, they are also building the community.

In conclusion, don’t hide in your office building or be mute to the rest of the community. Not only will you not receive much business but you’ll be giving your company a negative outlook. Being part of a community allows your company to be an active member of the community. It opens the door for improvement and more clients to come. Everyone has a duty to give back to their community, through your local business you can do that.

10 Marketing Tips for Your Small Business ebook-cta

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