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Dave Loveland wasn’t planning on starting Keep Local Alive. Then COVID-19 happened.
Once Dave and his business partner realized their initial business wouldn’t be viable during a pandemic, they decided to start a movement that would help out local entrepreneurs.
Since then Keep Local Alive has become a platform that allows business owners to share their voice and helps educate the public on the benefits of shopping local (and just hit 10,000 Facebook followers). Luckily for us, he came on this edition of “Give An Ovation” to share some insights with Ovation CEO Zack Oates about local business:
1. Get Those Reviews
As a local establishment, you don’t have the budget of a national chain. But you most likely do have a group of loyal customers who love your brand. Further more, they are probably willing to promote your brand, either online or via word-of-mouth, but they just need a reminder. So leave signs, offer incentives, and encourage guests in person to talk about your business.
2. Tell Your Story
Stories resonate with people. Especially during the aftermath of COVID-19, it’s crucial to keep customers updated on what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, and how you got there. Dave pointed out that nowadays people don’t expect highly produced videos on social media, they just want to see authenticity.
3. Use Facebook Groups (in a non-annoying way)
Facebook groups can be a great place to make connections and get involved with your community. There’s probably a few active groups in your area and industry. Dave brought up one in Oklahoma that chooses a restaurant a week to eat at, and then group members flood it and post a picture of their meal online with the hashtag #mobbed. A word of caution: it’s important to be an active participant in these groups that contributes to the conversation, and that you don’t spam the page with self-promotions.
4. Ride The Local Wave
One positive outcome of COVID-19 has been the overwhelming amount of support for local businesses. People are realizing that “shop local” doesn’t mean resorting to higher prices for lower quality. As Dave said, local businesses “almost always have something really special”, so show your community what that is.
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Thanks for reading! Make sure to check out the whole podcast, as well as other interviews with restaurant/business gurus by checking out “Give an Ovation” on YouTube, podcast.ovationup.com, or your favorite place to listen to podcasts.
And don’t forget to visit facebook.com/keeplocalalive to join the movement!
