Local retailers often struggle to get noticed in the retail sector, where they compete against big national or international brands. However, local retailers have a lot to offer to their community and can completely transform the local economy:
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- They are independent
- They can provide employment
- They can source from local suppliers
- They offer something different that people are unlikely to come from when they only shop from big brands
- They are more environmentally friendly as they are unlikely to rely on imports for business
- They bring the community together
Unfortunately, they often lack the marketing expertise to establish their brand in their market. Yet, a knowledgeable marketer could help with strategic services. As a result, supporting small retailers is an indirect way to improve your local community and bring more money and residents to the area.
4 Marketing Business Ideas To Support Small Retailers
Provide a simple website build
Small retailers are reluctant to build a website because they are worried about costs. Many rely on their social media page to make announcements or share their products. However, a website would make them appear more professional and could help get noticed in local searches.
You can offer your services as an independent consultant if you are a professional web designer. But there’s no need to know how to code to provide a website builder service. For example, Franchise Direct has many web franchise businesses that are designed for people with no web-building experience. It can be a great opportunity for someone who can provide dedicated marketing expertise and complement their services with a web builder.
Put them on the map
Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is a free tool that many small retailers are not aware of. GMB enables shops to become visible on Google Maps, which is going to support their local growth. Google Maps allows retailers to share their opening hours, their photos, their news, their website, and even their reviews (via a 5-star system). So it’s the perfect tool for small stores to generate more foot traffic!
Digitize their hyper local courier service
Quick commerce, or Q commerce for short, is the new ecommerce solution that can transform the retail industry. For small retailers who struggle to cover the shipping costs with ecommerce offerings, Q commerce is a hyper local alternative. Orders can be made via an app and are passed to a fleet of two-wheeler couriers. Q commerce deliveries happen within the hour of order in the most common cases.
For entrepreneurs, it’s a fantastic opportunity to provide digital support for the courier service that can pick up orders in store and deliver them to local customers. The service is popular with restaurant, grocery, flower, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, and packaged food deliveries.
Manage social media
Small retailers often create a social media profile because it’s what every brand does. But not many have the time or the expertise to manage their presence on Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, Twitter, etc. As a social media manager, you can support brand awareness through content generation. You can create content related to their offers in-store or the latest stories, ensuring the business remains visible to the local audience. The role needs to tackle multiple tasks:
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- Content creation and scheduling
- Engagement tracking and monitoring
- Answering queries when relevant
- Reaching out to local micro influencers
- Reporting on activities
As a trained marketer, there’s a lot you can do to lift small retailers and help them grow their brands in the local economy. Consider these marketing ideas as you expand your service offerings!
Ciao,
Miss Kemya
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