“Local awareness” – information and guidance about local businesses and their owners – happens through a local advertising and marketing investment in local media. Those media provide and create the information
resource and marketplace for the community through local news and advertising.
As a local business professional, you know the importance of investing in your hometown or community. What about your customers and clients, associates and neighbors?
Here are five community benefits to share with your network about the importance and value of shopping at home in your community with local retailers and service providers:
1. It’s an investment in your community. Shopping and buying in your community is an investment. Your dollars spent locally for goods and services stay in your community, helping to build schools and hospitals and to fund essential services like police, fire, parks and recreation.
2. It fosters economic growth today and tomorrow. Dollars spent locally help small businesses – owned and operated by your neighbors and friends – grow. New businesses, both retail and service providers, start up when encouraged by the vitality of the local economy. Business growth and new business startups increase variety, offering a broad assortment of goods and services at a competitive price.
3. It’s giveback. When you shop and buy locally you’re helping local businesspeople support a wide range of needed community services and charitable projects, including senior centers, local food banks and daycare facilities, with time, talent and money.
4. It’s fun, it saves time and energy and it’s personal. Running errands can actually be fun, easy and convenient when you know the local merchants and service providers. In addition, they know you and your community, and are available to help meet your needs when it comes to solving life’s little problems. The best advice and the best value will always come from someone you know.
5. What goes around comes around. Shopping at local businesses fosters growth in your community, adding additional employment opportunities for your family, friends, neighbors and maybe even you. Money invested locally stays in your community, funding essential services while reducing your tax dollars.
Helping the retailers in your community create a public awareness of “who they are”
and “what they do or sell” helps your community, and you, grow. Through a local environment of news and advertising, your local media create the marketplace for your community and best represent it.
Chuck Nau of Murray & Nau Inc. is a Seattle-area publishing consultant and sales and management trainer. He can be reached at murnau@nwlink.com or 425.603.0984.
