We’re all using the same marketing theme this year: Shift Your Shopping. When we work together to spread the word, we’ll multiply how many customers we reach.
Your customers matter a lot to you. And they have great stories. Now, the story doesn’t even have to be related to what you do. It can be anything amazing or interesting about them. It’s a great excuse to get to know customers a little better.
IMPORTANT: Ask your customer for permission to share their story and photo. Don’t surprise them by talking about them publicly without permission.
Tell the story of how your customers make the community stronger. Be sure to tag them or mention them by name online. End by saying, “Together, we’re making a better community. When you shift just a little more of your shopping to local stores, you help us all. #ShiftYourShopping.” You can do this on Facebook or Instagram, or in print ads you’re planning to run.
Check your fellow local businesses online. Look for their customer stories and cheer them on with likes, shares and comments.
Shift Your Shopping is our group theme for holiday marketing this year. You have my permission to forward these articles to your local retailers, merchants association, chamber of commerce, downtown development group or any one else you think would benefit from them. All you need to do is list the author as Becky McCray of SmallBizSurvival.com and then let me know who you are sharing with.
Shift Your Shopping 2015 series:
- Picking your Holiday 2015 marketing theme
- Set your cover photos
- Spotlight a local business
- Spotlight on community
- Share the causes you care about
- Support your service providers
- Small Business Saturday
- Tell your founding story
- Tell your customers’ stories
- Community engagement planning: old way vs. Idea Friendly way - October 3, 2021
- Boost your maker economy with a “Made in” day - September 17, 2021
- How a ghost town made something from nothing with a folk festival - September 3, 2021
- Rural business idea: sell foraged fruits and more - August 3, 2021
- Best practices for rural housing - July 19, 2021
- How to be more open to new ideas #IdeaFriendly - July 3, 2021
- Market your small town as a movie filming location, attract movie and game fan tourists - June 28, 2021
- Survey of Rural Challenges 2021 results, analysis of themes from 2015 through today - June 7, 2021
- What makes a small town a micropolitan or nanopolitan? - May 22, 2021
- Improving Rural Housing: turning blighted dilapidated houses into new homes - May 7, 2021
We just purchased a wonderful old building in town (1936) that was home to the Holmes Cafe for many, many years. Everyone that remembers that cafe, remembers it with fond memories of two generous men (brothers that ran it), delicious pies and the best hamburgers in town. With our bakery, we are paying homage to the men that brought so much happiness to those still here. I will be putting a book together with those shared stories, recipes and photos. We will be opening in the Spring 2016. We are currently peeling back layers of “renovations” and uncovering some fabulous original pieces that we will be restoring. I’ve been sharing this treasure trove via FB and our locals are so happy and excited about all of it. Looking forward to creating a place of good memories, new memories and lots of love!
Hey, great to see you again, Amber! This is such a terrific way to remember and connect with the heritage of your place. You’ve done a smart thing by sharing these on FB and building people’s excitement.