The holiday season is a crucial time for businesses, especially small businesses. According to the National Retail Federation, holiday retail sales in 2020 reached nearly $800 billion. That’s a lot of potential customers out there looking for the perfect gift for their loved ones (or themselves)!

But with all of that potential comes competition. Big box stores and online retailers are vying for attention and dollars, so how can small businesses make sure they are getting their fair share? By promoting their shop local campaigns!

A shop local campaign is a great way to not only increase foot traffic and sales during the holidays but also to build community and support other businesses in your area. Here are some tips from the CT River Valley Chamber of Commerce on how to make the most of your holiday shop local campaign.

Kick Off Your Holiday Shop Local Campaign

The key to any successful marketing campaign is planning, and that’s especially true for holiday campaigns. Start brainstorming your shop local campaign ideas now so you can hit the ground running when the holidays roll around.

Here are a few things to consider as you plan:

-Your campaign budget

-Your target audience

-Your goals for the campaign (increased sales, foot traffic, brand awareness, etc.)

-How you will promote your campaign (social media, print ads, co-marketing with other businesses, etc.)

-What incentives you will offer (discounts, free shipping, etc.)

Once you have a good idea of what you want your campaign to look like, you can start putting together your promotional materials. Make sure your campaign messaging is clear and concise, and that it highlights the unique aspects of shopping at your small business.

Promoting Your Holiday Shop Local Campaign

Now that you have all of your materials ready to go, it’s time to start promoting your campaign! There are several ways to get the word out about your shop local initiative.

Social media is a great way to reach your target audience with minimal effort or expense. Utilize platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to post about your campaign and drive people to your website or brick-and-mortar location. You can also use social media to run targeted ads that specifically promote your holiday shop local campaign.

Consider offering a gift guide via social media. A PDF gift guide is a great way to attract local shoppers by featuring products in your store. If you don’t know how to create PDFs, don’t worry. Just write your guide in your word processor of choice, then this PDF converter tool will do the trick. Once you have your guide ready, post it online and encourage your audience to share it with friends and family.

Businesses Can Support Each Other Through Joint Marketing and Co-hosting Events

Another great way to promote your campaign is by partnering with other businesses in your area. You can co-host events, cross-promote each other’s campaigns on social media or in print ads, or even team up on joint marketing initiatives. By working together, you can pool resources and ideas to create a more impactful holiday shopping experience for everyone involved.

Giving Back With Your Holiday Shop Local Campaign

In addition to promoting shopping at small businesses in your area, you can also use your holiday shop local campaign as an opportunity to give back to those in need. Many small businesses choose to donate a portion of their proceeds from holiday sales to charity, a cause that is sure to resonate with customers looking to do some good this season.

You can also partner with a local charity or nonprofit organization and promote their work as part of your holiday shop local initiative. This is a great way to raise awareness for a worthy cause while also helping out another local business. Win-win!

The holidays are an important time for small businesses—but they can also be very competitive. To make sure your business gets its fair share of foot traffic and sales this season, consider promoting a shop local campaign. By following these tips, you can create a successful marketing initiative that will bring customers through your doors and help give back to the community at the same time!

Access even more great resources to help your business grow and thrive in our community by joining the CT River Valley Chamber of Commerce.