Got Local?  Flaunt it!

Local is one of those words (like green, sustainable, and eco-friendly) that has become a very popular buzzword.  Support local, buy local, source local - it’s all about creating sustainable, self-supporting economies that enable communities to take care of their own. Yes, there is a great deal of environmental good done in the process (healthier bio-regions, less use of fuels for unnecessarily schlepping of goods all over the place, etc) but you don’t need to be so big-picture about it.  There’s a lot to be gained right there in your own backyard.  A healthier local economy means a more robust clientele for you, and it means that you’ll have better options when it comes to resources, employees, support networks and more.

Flaunting Local
If you are sending out an email newsletter that reaches a largely local audience, jump right in.If you have a more geographically diverse audience, it might be time to sift through your readers and create a locals-only readers list. This can be a future sign-up category for new readers too, enabling not just locals but frequent (or wishful) visitors to tune in.

Content for Locals
Draw attention to your community involvement. Are you sponsoring an event, participating in a fundraiser, or really excited about something that’s happening in your community? Share important news that affects members of your community and use the opportunity to shine a light on what makes you proud, happy and excited about where you live.

It’s important that you remember that a local audience can do more than just open and read your email newsletters in a nearby zip code. They can also easily join you in real life, whether that takes place in a brick and mortar store or at a wildly popular community festival. A locals-only newsletter can include a call-to-action for your readers to join you in your store for a special newsletter-subscriber discount, or so that you can demonstrate the charms of a new product line in person. You might even team up with other local businesses; sharing customers via special offers can build strong relationships all around!