Crafter’s Companion founder Sara Davies MBE with some useful hints and tips on how to win more local engagement…
Engaging with your local community is both beneficial for your business and very rewarding.
In this digital age, it’s so simple to connect nationwide – and even worldwide – making it all-too easy to forget the community we have on our doorsteps.
So why should we look closer to home and engage with, and give back to, our local community?
Shop local
Despite the rise of online shopping, many people still like to shop local – they want to interact with someone at the point of purchase.
By embedding yourself with the locals, you’ll get insider knowledge on what the local community wants to buy, so you can really target your offerings accordingly.
Active
Being an active member of your local community will raise your company’s profile, bringing increased footfall and helping to boost sales. After all, the people living in your local area are the ones who are going to come through the door, so it’s definitely worth spending some resources closer to home.
Online
If you don’t have a physical store, use your online presence to tailor offers to people in your region. You could create a themed offer to tie in with a local event, award or celebration. If a local charitable group is celebrating an anniversary, you could put together packages to match their brand, with a percentage from sales going to their cause. If you have a local sports team, you could sponsor them, or run a fundraising event.
Promote
Whatever you plan, make sure you promote it well. Get in touch with local publications with the details and promote through local social media groups. Be sure to put posters up in your community centre and local churches, and think about doing leaflet drops or direct mail promotions to your closest postcodes.
It may seem like a lot of effort to engage with your local community, but remember how important those personal relationships are, and enjoy getting to know the locals, as they get to know you and your brand!
Sara Davies MBE
Founder, Crafter’s Companion