Find Holiday Success with a Shop Local Campaign For Your Old Saybrook, CT Business

'Tis the season of giving, and what better way to give back to your community than by launching a holiday shop local campaign? Not only will this benefit local businesses and the local economy, but it will also help strengthen the bonds within your community. Keep reading to learn more from the Old Saybrook Chamber of Commerce about how businesses can give back during the holidays, launch a successful shop local campaign, and promote it to ensure its success.

How Can Businesses Give Back During the Holidays?

There are many ways businesses can give back during the holidays. One way is by donating a portion of their proceeds to a local charity. This not only helps those in need, but it also gets your business's name out there as one that cares about its community. Another way businesses can give back is by hosting an event or donation drive. This is a great way to engage with your customers and make them feel good about supporting your business.

Getting Your Shop Local Campaign Started

The first step in launching a successful holiday shop local campaign is to come up with a catchy slogan or hashtag. This will be one of your campaign's most important elements as it will help people remember your campaign and promote it on social media. Once you have your slogan, you'll need to create marketing materials like flyers, posters, and social media graphics. Be sure to include your slogan on all of these materials! Next, reach out to other local businesses and see if they're interested in participating in your campaign. The more businesses you have involved, the more successful your campaign will be. Finally, start promoting your campaign! Use social media, email marketing, and even traditional methods like word-of-mouth to get people excited about shopping locally this holiday season.

How Can Businesses Promote Their Campaign?

There are many ways businesses can promote their holiday shop local campaigns. Social media is a great way to reach out to potential customers and get them excited about your campaign. Try creating social media graphics with your campaign's slogan or hashtag and post them often leading up to the holidays. You can also promote your campaign through email marketing by sending out periodic newsletters with updates on participating businesses and special deals or discounts available only to those who shop locally. And don't forget about traditional methods like flyers and posters! Place these in high-traffic areas like grocery stores or coffee shops so that people can't help but see them.

Incentivizing Local Shopping During the Holidays

One of the best ways businesses can incentivize shopping locally during the holidays is by offering special deals or discounts that are only available to those who shop at participating businesses. For example, you could offer a 10% discount on all purchases made at participating businesses or a free gift with a purchase (like a mug or T-shirt) when shoppers spend a certain amount of money locally. You could also host special events where shoppers can enjoy refreshments while they browse through participating stores' holiday offerings. 

Another idea is to create and share various gift guides featuring your products. PDFs make this easy. Just write up a document with the lists on each page. Separating pages in your PDF is quick with this tool, and once finished, you can offer the guides on your website, use them in marketing emails, and have printed copies available in your store. Your shoppers are sure to appreciate it. Whatever you do, make sure it's something that will entice people to shop locally!

How Can Joint Marketing and Co-Hosted Events Help Businesses Support One Another?

Another great way businesses can support one another during the holidays is through joint marketing initiatives or co-hosted events. You could team up with other local businesses to create joint marketing materials like flyers or posters advertising all of the participating businesses' holiday deals in one place. Or you could co-host an event like a holiday craft fair or festive open house where shoppers can enjoy complimentary refreshments while they browse through participating stores' wares. Whatever you do, make sure it's something that will get people excited about shopping locally!

The holidays are fast approaching—are you ready? If not, don't worry! Help give back to your community by launching a successful holiday shop local campaign. By following our tips on giving back during the holidays, promoting your campaign effectively, incentivizing shopping locally, and supporting one another through joint marketing initiatives and co-hosted events, you'll be well on your way to making this holiday season one for the books!