You want to jump on the “shop small” train, but money is tight and you’re prioritizing needs over wants. How can you continue to be frugal while helping small businesses thrive?
We’re outlining four easy (and completely free!) ways you can help your neighbors and continue to impact your local economy:
1. ONLINE REVIEWS. Leave positive Facebook reviews, of course. But also be sure to Google the business and leave a review on their Google listing. This is huge and helps all types of businesses. Also, depending on the type of business, Yelp reviews or TripAdvisor reviews could also be beneficial. TripAdvisor is especially good for hotels, attractions and restaurants… basically anything a visitor to your community might be interested in. Many people make decisions about where to eat, shop, bank, and more, based on other users’ reviews. And often, only unhappy customers leave reviews. Spread positivity and help your favorite small businesses by sharing your excellent experience!
2. SOCIAL MEDIA INTERACTION. You may be aware that liking and sharing posts helps a business get the word out to more people, but commenting on the original post is key! Facebook algorithms favor posts that are generating interaction. They like posts with plenty of comments and they help those posts show up in more newsfeeds. Again, people who don’t have anything nice to say tend to comment more, so help offset the negativity and help the post reach more newsfeeds by leaving a positive comment that others may want to reply to!
3. WEBSITE SHARES. Help your favorite business’s website show up higher in search rankings when you attract more visitors to their web pages. You can do this by sharing their website or blog posts to your social media pages, or linking to their website from your website if you happen to have one. Does your favorite local boutique now have an online store? Share a link to their website on your social media profile and tell your friends about it!
4. ORIGINAL POSTS. Really want to inspire others to support your favorite businesses? Don’t be afraid to post your thoughts to your own Facebook or Instagram story. Example: Those sunglasses you purchased months ago at your favorite boutique? Take a selfie wearing the glasses and tell your friends where you found them; tag the boutique while you’re at it.
While these four options may seem simple and take only seconds to accomplish, they can make a world of difference to a small business, nonprofit, or… even your favorite bank.
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