What "locals" say about Local Store Marketing

Not only do I live and breathe local store marketing, I live in an area that relies heavily on it as well. Most of my neighbors are experts in LSM, but from a different perspective: they know what it takes to get them through the door and to keep them coming back. As customers.

I thought it would be helpful to show just how empassioned your neighbors can be about their local businesses. Below is a flyer, printed by the neighborhood association entitled "Think Local First" - a Top 10 list of reasons to "Think local, buy local, be local".

This is an interesting point because it was the residents who put this out, not businesses. The members of this community, East Atlanta Village (located, you guessed it, just East of downtown Atlanta), realize that when businesses succeed the community thrives.

To underscore that, just try to criticize one of the older establishments in the village on a neighborhood discussion board, EAVbuzz.net. Community members will come out of the woodwork to defend any slight.

And it's not just blind loyalty to the community. The amount of defense is in direct proportion to the amount of community service of the business and how well known (and liked) is the owner. You can criticize the food and service at one establishment that is fairly new, with an owner who lives in the neighborhood but isn't very well known, but don't bother making the same criticism to a 10 year old establishment with similar quality food and service. Everyone knows the owner and they (rightfully) stick up for him.

The successful local store marketer knows that the more people you know, the more people there are to defend your product and service when you're not around. Let's face it, mistakes happen within your store. The question is whether people care enough about your business to stand up for you, give you the benefit of the doubt.

Top 10 Reasons to Support Local Business:

1. Significantly more money circulates in the neighborhood when purchases are made at locally owned, rather than nationally owned, businesses.
   
   
2. Our one of a kind businesses are an integral part of our distinctive character.
   
   
3. More new jobs are provided by local businesses.
   
   
4. Public benefits far outweigh public costs.
   
   
5. Encourages investment in East Atlanta Village.
   
   
6. Competition and diversity leads to more choices.
   
   
7. Reduced environmental impact.
   
   
8. Better customer service. [Editor's note: Not necessarily, but clearly the perception is that service is better. Maybe because when you know the owner you're more forgiving because you know you can always "go to the top".]
   
   
9. Non-profits receive greater support.
   
   
10. Local business owners invest in the community.
    

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