Buy Local Or Bye Local.
The holiday season is an important time for small businesses. For many, Christmas and holiday shopping accounts for a BIG portion of annual sales. So, when holiday gift-giving budgets are shrinking thanks to tough economic times, it’s bad news for small business owners–and our communities. For people like you and me, it’s more important than ever to show up and support local businesses online (and in person) this Christmas.
Shopping Local Is Easy And Makes An Impact.
Choosing to spend your holiday dollars locally is a great way to support small businesses this Christmas. Whether you’re shopping in person or online, every purchase can make a big difference to the business owner behind the scenes.
➡️ Shopping small promotes a “purchase with purpose” mindset
➡️ Buying your gifts from a local business is an investment in your community
➡️ Locally made goods are unique and come with a story
A silver lining for shoppers that came out of the on-again-off-again pandemic lockdowns is the fact that most small businesses have made online shopping very easy. So, if you’re looking for the convenience of shopping from home, you can still shop small and local!
6 Ways You Can Support Small Business Online This Christmas (Without Spending A Dollar!)
If you’re on a budget this holiday season, you can still support small business online. Remember, word of mouth means everything to small businesses. And that means you can help out your favourite shops, makers, markets, venues and restaurants with a few words, pictures and clicks!
Here are some ideas for how to support small businesses online this Christmas without breaking your budget.
Share your favourite local purchases on social.
Next time you buy from a local biz make sure you share about it online. Snap a photo or film a quick video and tell people about your bomb.com new sweater or that delicious croissant you inhaled. Make sure you tag the business in the post or story so they can share your content, too! (P.S. If you’re looking for a wildly good, locally made pastry and you’re from Peterborough or the Kawarthas, you have to visit Kit Coffee downtown Peterborough. They are *chef’s kiss* perfection! 🥐)
Share A Small Business’s Posts To Stories
If you see a business you love posting about sales, promotions, or updates, spread the word by sharing the post on Facebook or in your Instagram stories. Every time you share you’re helping that small business boost its signal and reach more people on social!
Tag Friends In Comments
The algorithm loves engagement! So if you can comment on a post and tag a friend, you’re doing an A+ job at supporting that small business's ability to reach people online. Plus, you could be helping your friend find the perfect wedding photographer or get the best massage of their life. When you see a small business post about a product or service that a friend or loved one wants or needs, tag them in the comments.
Create A Local Wishlist For The Holidays
Santa has the right idea. Make a list! In fact, make two. The first one can be your own holiday wishlist – complete with the names of all your favourite local businesses (and the special somethings you’ve got your eye on!). The second one can be a list of all the small businesses in town and what they sell. This one is going to make shopping locally so much easier.
You can even use social to get local gift ideas. Make a story on Instagram or Facebook (or both!) using the question sticker and ask people what their favourite local businesses are. You can level up your support by sharing the answers and tagging the local businesses that get named!
Like, Comment, Share, Save
Click! Something as simple as commenting and liking a photo on social helps business owners. The more people who engage with a post, the larger the reach. Platforms like Instagram and Facebook like to highlight the content that people are interacting with. So, double-tap, comment, share and save to support small businesses online this Christmas.
Write a Google review or a Facebook review
Good reviews help businesses get found online. Think of your favourite businesses and write them a glowing review! Your favourite coffee shop, your local home store, the clothing shop that always has what you’re looking for — whatever it is, share the love!
With the help of social media, it doesn’t take much effort to promote small, local businesses online. You’ve got this!
Spread The Word: Shopping Local Is Where It’s At This Holiday Season!
You can make a big difference by shopping small this holiday season. And, even without making a purchase, there are lots of ways to support small businesses online. Spread the word by tagging people, sharing posts, and leaving good reviews. Share photos of the things you buy locally to inspire others. And, make sure to tell your friends and family to jump on the shop-local bandwagon with you! In fact, you can start right now by sharing one of these fun holiday messages in your Instagram stories today. ⬇️
Remember, word of mouth is one of the most important marketing tools out there. Every time you recommend a product, service or business you're helping to keep a dream alive. So, whether you shop or share (or both!) support small businesses and tell everyone about it! After all, sharing is caring!