How to Keep Your Local Reputation Alive During Uncertain Times

Let’s face it, due to the coronavirus pandemic, “business as usual” won’t resume for some time. That’s why it’s important to keep your local reputation alive: so your customers know how they can utilize and support your business.

As a local business, tap into your neighborhood, where your closest customers live, with these tips and tools. Establish your local online presence, begin engaging with customers, and target your advertising at the neighborhood level in 3 easy steps.

1. Make sure local customers can find your business

While stay-at-home orders have been lifted in most places, many neighbors are choosing to stay close to home anyway. That means they’re primed to purchase and utilize the nearby goods and services you offer – but first they need to be able to find you and find out what you’re up to during these uncertain times.

According to a Nextdoor survey, 72% of members believe they will frequent local businesses more often after this crisis. Why not make sure neighbors can find you when they’re looking?

According to a Nextdoor survey, 72% of members believe they will frequent local businesses more often after this crisis. Why not make sure neighbors can find you when they’re looking?

Claim your free Business Page on Nextdoor to establish your local online presence and enable your neighbors to discover you.

Further, make sure your social media presence accurately reflects what your business is up to. Target your ads on Facebook and Instagram to the areas closest to your business since those are the customers most likely to visit your storefront or use your services.

2. Share updates and build relationships with your closest customers

Now more than ever, neighbors want to hear from you and better understand how they can best utilize and support your business.

Curious if neighbors want to see different menus or product offerings? Ask them! Do you require face masks inside your business? Make sure customers know. With 2 free Business Posts on Nextdoor each month, you can reach the customers closest to you. Neighbors can reply to your posts, opening up an opportunity for 1:1 communication.

An e-newsletter is a great way to share updates, ask questions, and just let customers know you’re thinking about them during this time.

Don’t forget about your email lists. An e-newsletter is a great way to share updates, ask questions, and just let customers know you’re thinking about them during this time. Remember that the pandemic is affecting everyone differently, so take varying situations into account when drafting your communications. If you’ve been holding off on sending emails during the pandemic, seeing your familiar business name in their email inbox can help bring back a sense of normalcy to customers.

3. Target your advertising – and think outside the box

While the “new norms” inflicted by the pandemic – many people working from home and commuting less, to name just one – have necessitated day-to-day lifestyle changes, it doesn’t mean that your customers have disappeared. It’s just that their needs may have changed a bit. Try to meet your customers where they’re at.

Can you offer a discount on local delivery or pickup, are you encouraging customers to purchase online with a buy-one-get-one deal, or do you have something new or different to offer to customers – like a care package for parents trying to manage a job and homeschool their kids? Be creative when considering what you can offer that can make a difference for your customers while helping your business’s bottom line.

Be creative when considering what you can offer that can make a difference for your customers while helping your business’s bottom line.

Once you’ve landed on your new, unique offering, it’s more important than ever to communicate these special promotions to your local customer base.

One way to do so is with Local Deals. Get hyperlocal with your advertising to achieve your business goals. Target your deal to just one neighborhood, or cast a wide net to reach all neighborhoods within ten miles of your business.

In these uncertain times, making sure you stay top-of-mind for local customers is critical to ensuring the lasting success of your business. By establishing or bolstering your online presence, you can reach the customers closest to you, your neighbors, and tap into the support of your community.