Local Business Marketing Messaging – Buy Local, Build Community

Many local businesses face expanding competition from a growing number of big box stores and online retailers. It has become all too common for local consumers to visit a local business, benefit from the knowledge of sales person and the opportunity to examine stock, only to leave the store and go buy online. How can local businesses compete against online giants and national chain stores? One way is to woo buyers by touting the advantages of buying local.

Shopping within one’s own neighborhood offers buyers an opportunity to invest in their local economy and build community. When reaching out to prospects through marketing messages, local businesses should talk about more than a product – especially if big box or online competitors are selling the same, or a similar item. Local businesses should remind buyers that buying local means face-to-face customer service and support. The advantages of buying local can be promoted even further by integrating community benefits into the list of selling points. Social media postings can offer a great opportunity to do this.

For example, here are four reasons for buying local that you can include in your local business marketing messaging:

• Supporting local businesses helps to build character of the community, giving it a distinctive identity that stands out from generic image of cookie cutter retailers.
• Buying local helps to build stronger communities, benefiting neighbors in a network of economic and social relationships, and contributing to local interests.
• Locally-owned businesses mean that business decisions are made locally by people who live in the community and who will feel the impacts of those decisions.
• Local owned businesses provide more jobs locally and often provide better wages and benefit than chains do. They also contribute a much larger share of their revenue into the local economy.

Need help crafting your local business marketing message? Give us a call!