The holidays are a special time of year when people come together to celebrate. What better way to show your community some love than by supporting local businesses? Shopping locally has so many benefits for both businesses and shoppers alike. Keep reading to learn more from the Eden Chamber of Commerce about how a holiday shop local campaign from your business can benefit your community and strengthen the local economy.

How to Kick Off a Shop Local Campaign for the Holidays

Starting a shop local campaign is easier than you might think! All you need is a group of like-minded businesses who are willing to promote the campaign. Once you have that, you can start spreading the word through joint marketing and co-hosting events. You can also give back to the community by donating a portion of the proceeds to local charities. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

1. Create eye-catching flyers and posters that promote the campaign and list participating businesses. Distribute these throughout the community, including at local schools, community centers, and religious institutions.

2. Work with other businesses to co-host holiday-themed events. For example, you could host an ugly sweater party or a holiday gift-wrapping event.

3. Make sure your social media channels are promoting the campaign. Use relevant hashtags and post regularly leading up to and during the holidays.

4. Donate a portion of proceeds from sales made during the campaign to local charities. This is a great way to give back to those in need during the holiday season.

How Businesses Can Promote a Holiday Shop Local Campaign

There are lots of ways businesses can promote a holiday shop local campaign. In addition to distributing flyers and posters, consider sending out e-newsletters and email blasts to customers and clients promoting the campaign. You can also promote the campaign on your social media channels and website. And don't forget about good old-fashioned word-of-mouth! Make sure your employees are aware of the campaign and encourage them to tell friends, family, and neighbors about it.

How Businesses Can Incentivize Shopping Local During the Holidays

Incentivizing shopping local is a great way to increase participation in your holiday shop local campaign. Offer discounts or coupons that can only be used at participating businesses, or enter customers into a raffle for every purchase they make during the campaign period. You could also host special events or sales exclusively for those who participate in the campaign. Get creative and have fun with it!

One creative idea is to write PDF gift guides for various potential customers. Write several guides in one document featuring lots of your store’s products. Here are the steps to split PDF pages into separate docs. Once you have your separate guides completed, share them with your customers on social media and your website.

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

One of the best things about running a holiday shop local campaign is that it provides an opportunity for businesses to support each other through joint marketing and co-hosting events. By working together, businesses can pool resources and reach a wider audience with their marketing efforts. Co-hosting events is also a great way to build relationships with other businesses in the community while promoting the campaign. Win-win!

How Businesses Can Give Back During the Holidays

Giving back is one of the most important things businesses can do during the holidays (or really any time of year). There are many ways to give back, but one easy way is to donate a portion of proceeds from sales made during the holiday shop local campaign period to charity. This is an excellent way to show support for those in need while also promoting your business as one that cares about its community. Everybody wins!

The holidays are fast approaching, which means it's time to start planning for the holidays and thinking about how your business can give back to the community by participating in a holiday shop local campaign! Just find other local businesses to partner with. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and show your community some love this holiday season!

If you’re ready to grow your business with the help of great local resources and partnerships, join the Eden Chamber of Commerce.