| 5 Local Marketing Tips For The Holidays

5 Local Marketing Tips For The Holidays

5 Local Marketing Tips For The Holidays

By Bobbie Anne Williams, Marketing Assistant

If you’re reading this the week that it’s published, then you know the busiest shopping week of the year is upon us! Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday – all wonderful opportunities to make big sales… but how can you make sure customers know that your business is the one to shop with? I have 5 local marketing tips that you will want to use during the holidays or any peak season for your industry.

1. Get involved in business groups

A great way to stay connected to the local community and find out about opportunities to promote your business is by reaching out to local business groups. Network with other local business owners by offering to speak at one of the local or virtual events.

2. Use local hashtags

Shoppers are doing a lot less window shopping these days. Now they’re “window shopping” on social media! Help users find your business by using local hashtags and adding a location to your social media posts. Local hashtags help you populate in searches and allow your posts to be recommended to users who are not following you yet. Adding a location such as your community or shopping center assists in search as well, so don’t leave that space blank.

Check out this example of how to add a location that we shared on Facebook: https://fb.watch/1PXQt-ShXs/

3. Contact local editors

Start building relationships with local editors. They are looking for stories and you could have the perfect angle! Search your local digital publications, TV, and radio programs. You’ll see editors listed by the content they cover. Reach out and introduce yourself. Ask if there are any upcoming stories that they are working on that you could contribute to.

4. Host a collaborative open house

What’s a collaborative open house and how can you participate?

If your business is located within a shopping center or close-knit neighborhood, hosting an open house together is the way to go! This will allow you and participating businesses to benefit from each other’s marketing to promote the event and attract new customers. Get together with local business owners to decide on the date and format of your event. This can be done in a few different ways:

  • Section off your parking lot to allow for food trucks, booths, and sidewalk sales from each business.
  • Organize a business scavenger hunt where customers receive a checklist of businesses they must visit in order to receive a prize for completing the hunt.
  • Merge two complementary activities together such as a shopping + art walk event to help support local artists and shops. Click here for an example to use for inspiration.

 

To promote the event on social media, we recommend one organization creating a Facebook event, then adding the other businesses as co-hosts. This allows all businesses involved to add the event to their Facebook Page. Extra brownie points if you use tip 3 by sharing the event with local editors!

5. Find local calendars

Make sure that local shoppers know about your events and sales by listing them in local community calendars! Search for newspapers, radio stations, business groups, community apps, or even your shopping center to get your event listed. If you’re in the Hampton Roads area, check out Ghent Business Association, Shops at Hilltop, or the LOVEVA app.

Use these 5 tips to help you maximize your events, get listed on local websites, and collaborate with other companies. If you have any questions or would like to book a one-on-one virtual session contact me at BobbieAnne@germono.com

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Bobbie Anne Williams
BobbieAnne@Germono.com