Know a great local business in town? Don’t be silent about it. Small businesses need your help, so open up and help spread the word any time you’re impressed by a Grays Harbor owned shop.
In many ways, it’s the small things that make the best local shops stand out. They might greet their customers by name, stock products that no other stores offer, donate their time and money to worthy local causes and provide a more unique shopping experience that the cookie-cutter chain stores can’t match.
Look for these things when you’re out shopping, and let your friends know when you find them. You’ll be helping your friends out and doing your part to keep your favorite businesses open and thriving.
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest have opened new doors for spreading the word about your favorite businesses. In fact, online is where a lot of word-of-mouth marketing happens these days as friends share and photograph their everyday shopping trips — for better or worse.
If you run across a local business that’s doing a great job, snap a picture and write a post about it. A few good words on social media can have a positive impact for the “shop local” movement in our community.
Studies have shown that buyers trust recommendations from their friends and family far more than they do messages from strangers. Your opinion carries a lot of weight with the people you know, so you can play a big role in helping people avoid the bad shops and flock to the good ones.
So this Christmas, don’t do your shopping in a communications vacuum. Look for the best products and experiences in our community this holiday season and share them with the people of Grays Harbor.
Your friends — and some small-business owners — will thank you.
Stan Woody is the publisher of Sound Publishing, Inc.’s Grays Harbor Newspaper Group
Editor’s Note: You might also consider submitting a short Letter to the Editor for placement in the South Beach Bulletin, to let a whole lot more folks know where the great local places to shop are.
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