One of the things a business should know is that no venture can succeed on its own. All businesses, whether large or small or whatever industry they might be in, are always dependent on their respective local communities to become successful. Whether you’re running a small convenience store, a pop-up restaurant, or a large shopping mall, it won’t be successful if it doesn’t have a strong community presence. If you want your business to become successful, you need to establish a strong community presence and actively contribute to the community’s overall well-being. With that said, here are ways your business can enhance its community presence.
Donate To Local Charities Or Fundraisers
Donating to local charities or fundraisers not only shows your support for the local community but also boosts your business’s profile both locally and on the internet. There are many charities that depend on the donations provided by corporations and local businesses to help them with their causes. In exchange for the donations they receive, they give these businesses an advertising space on their websites, brochures, local news magazines, and events.
Just like how sponsoring local events and providing refugee support can help bring attention and a good reputation to your business, donating to local charities or fundraisers can also do the same. The good reputation you get from donating can elevate your business’s reputation in the local community.
Aside from that, donations can also benefit your business in other ways. Donations of tangible value, for example, can be used as leverage for your business to avail of tax deductions. This will help save your business money when it comes to filing your taxes. With that said, donating to local charities or fundraisers is a win-win for you and your business. You get to earn free publicity and goodwill from the local community while your tax burden is lessened at the same time.
Show Up In Local Search Results
When people want to find a good restaurant, they usually use their smartphones to do a quick search for the nearest pizzerias. About a quarter of all the Google searches on the internet are made to finding results nearby. One of the first things you should do to enhance your business’s community presence is to show up in local search results, and it’s not something you can afford to miss. You should put your business on the map and websites such as Bing Places for Business, Google Places for Business, and Yelp. If you’re going to sign up for these services, be sure to include high-quality photos and provide as much information about your business as you can. Don’t forget to include your business’s hours of operation, contact information, and your website’s URL, if you have one. Make sure to double-check all the information you provided so that all details are the same in every place you listed your business. Lastly, include a call-to-action asking happy customers to leave feedback on websites where you listed your business.
Provide Excellent Customer Service
Bad customer service can impact your business’s local community presence, but you mustn’t let it break you down. There will come a time when a customer will have an issue with your product or service. This is inevitable as it’s impossible to please all your clients or customers. If that happens, make sure you provide excellent customer service by listening to them attentively, coming up with a solution quickly, and offering a small gift or discount as compensation for the inconvenience. Keep in mind, the way you treat your clients or customers won’t only affect their perception of your business, but all the other people they’ll tell about you. The majority of consumers are likely to share their positive experiences about a particular business with other people. With that said, keep everyone happy as soon as they come into your doors and keep them smiling upon exiting.
Earn The Trust Of The Residents
One of the best ways to get positive online reviews, referrals, and repeating customers is to be trustworthy, especially if you’re doing business with clients and customers. It’s not enough to provide high-quality products or services to the residents of your local community to earn their trust. You should also learn to develop personal relationships with these people. As much as possible, learn the names of all clients and customers that come into your door and be sure to use them. You can also send postcards with special offers to them as a reward for their loyalty to you. Being in a local community allows your business to be more connected with your customers. You can listen to their concerns and address their problems. Just make sure to keep the communication flowing and to follow up with your customers. Earning the trust of the people in your local community can go a long way towards building a good image for your business.
Use Social Media To Your Advantage
Using social media to build a local fan following can help generate word of mouth for your business, which can be very helpful in getting referrals and advertising purposes. You can start with creating an account and developing a social media presence on Facebook and Twitter. Be sure to include the address, contact information, website, and mobile URLs of your business on all of its social media accounts. You should also get your business involved in conversations. Invite your friends and contacts to visit your social media sites and become a fan or follower of other businesses in the local community. Interact with their fans and followers and promote your business’s products and services to them.
Final Thoughts
If you want your business to go a step further, it must actively contribute to its community. Businesses that engage with their respective communities earn a greater degree of reputation and respect from the public. This will then translate to greater support and also help in laying a foundation for the business to last for a long time. Consider the ideas mentioned here as you enhance your community presence.
She has spent the last 11+ years helping aspiring entrepreneurs start new businesses, raise capital and get connected to the resources they need to grow and thrive. She also spent this time helping B2B and B2C companies generate more leads and sales for their businesses via web development and the implementation of various digital marketing and advertising strategies.
She's worked with micro-enterprises with less than 50 employees, small businesses with less than 500 employees (such as Campbell Ewald) and mid-sized to large companies such as (Accenture and CDK Global). She specializes in providing marketing services to startups and micro-enterprises (with less than 50 employees) and companies in the finance and insurance industries. In addition, she has served on boards (as a Commissioner) for local municipalities including the Inkster Downtown Development Authority and Economic Development Corporation.
She enjoys writing about her experiences as an entrepreneur and using data and information from reliable sources to back up what she writes about. Through her writing she aims to educate other entrepreneurs on how to launch successful businesses and build wealth through entrepreneurship.
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