Fresh Nostalgia is so grateful for all of our faithful customers. They have been a true beam of light during this uneasy time. As I write little notes of thanks and also encouragement to go out with every order placed, I thought of sharing these small and easy efforts that really make the day of a small business owner like myself.
Here is a list of FREE ways you can support your favorite small business, without even leaving the house!
- Like AND follow their business page on social media. I often find myself that I have a favorite local stop that I'm not actively following on Facebook or Instagram (my two go-to). Boosting their follows helps their online exposure and all small businesses need that right now!
- Like and share their posts regularly. Just how liking and following business page can increase online exposure, liking and sharing posts regularly does the same. If there’s a small business you’d be sad to see close due to COVID-19, share their content. And make sure to tag them if you show the ways you support them right now on social media. This is another little step as you scroll through your news feed that takes just a click of a button.
- Comment on their posts, even if it's just with an emoji. Add a heart, a thumb's up or just a smiley face. This also increases their visibility due to the algorithms of social media.
- Invite your friends to like their page. This will also help broaden their following and everyone who is stuck inside could use an introduction to a new favorite!
- Add their product or services to your birthday or holiday wish list. Oftentimes in the age of shopping online and sharing links as ideas for gifts, it's easy to forget that we can ask for gifts from that local favorite, whether it be goods or services.
- If you are a position to make a purchase, shop online. So many small businesses have had to shift gears recently to selling online. They have to do so to stay afloat and that means many are offering perks like free shipping and free delivery. Many are offering drive through and contactless pick ups. Check online if your favorite is offering any of these and then treat yourself! You can take a break from cooking or treat yourself to a cozy new sweater for your life indoors. This means cash in your local retailer's pocket to help them stay open and keep their employees working!
- While you are on their website, sign up for their newsletter. This will help them grow their list and will help you to keep informed on any updates, promotions & specials. Win-win!
- Purchase a gift card directly through them.* This can be used by you at a later date as a fun pick-me-up when it is safe to go out into the world again!
- Write a positive review. This should only take a couple minutes and has a huge impact on the success of a small business in the age where shoppers rely heavily on reviews. In addition, Google prioritizes those businesses with the most reviews during a search. This will help your favorite small business become more visible in searches, thus leading to increased revenue.
* Currently, another fabulous way to purchase a gift card for participating downtown Pittsburgh local businesses is to purchase through the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership here: DowntownPittsburgh.com/GiftCard. For every $25 you spend (up to a maximum of $100 per business) the PDP will add a bonus 25% to every Gift Card. That means for $100 – you get $125 to spend!
As you can see, it can be really easy and inexpensive to support your favorite local business. Here at FN, we are grateful for each and every review. If you would like to leave us a Google review, please click here. Your review means so much to us, especially during this time. Please also leave us a comment with any thoughts/suggestions on how you like to support your favorite local business! Be well! xoxo Beth
