Love LOCAL!

How to support your local businesses

Local businesses need our LOVE.  Why not drop your “2 cents” and let them hear from you? 
 
Making an impact in our Champaign and Logan county communities doesn’t always mean swiping a card or sending a Venmo payment.  These ways do make an impact, but sometimes your opinion (and love) can help boost local businesses! 
 
Write a Review 
Leaving a review for a local business is one of the best things you can do as a consumer.  Anymore, online reviews are a “go to” when researching where to eat, who to do your taxes, etc.  Whether it is positive or negative, your comment can help other customers/consumers make informed decisions about what to expect from the business you review. 

So, what is a review?  When you write a review, you share with others your experience in words; which is why it is important for it to be honest and specific.   Don’t underestimate the power of a written review.  Yes, a five-star review is great, but your two-cents can be the game changer. 

For example, if you visited Cafe Paradiso and loved your meal, the atmosphere and the service, take the time to leave a review. However, don’t just say “It was fantastic.” Explain the reason why it was great. Here’s a sample response: 
“Being a pasta fan has led me to many different restaurants over the years.  After visiting Cafe Paradiso, I have to say, it is one of the best.  The manager came out and visited with each of the tables and spoke to each of us like family.  If the service wasn’t enough, the food was delicious.  Definitely a place I will go to again!” 

While we know not every experience will be great, it’s still essential to leave a review so the business owners know what they can improve on. Think about the things you would like feedback on about your own business.  Here’s a sample response of an appropriate review to leave if you’ve had a negative experience: 
“My intent was to write a great review after all the hype about this restaurant.  Unfortunately, my order was brought out incorrectly twice and I had to ask several times to receive my check.  It has potential, but this was not the best experience.” 

Now, what if you are the one receiving the negative review?  Even though it might feel like a punch in the gut, it is important not to leave it alone.  Honesty and integrity go a long way with consumers.  Reflect on what was reviewed, take time to thank the reviewer for their feedback, apologize if appropriate and respond.  Mentioning how you will work to improve whatever the negative review was focused on is step one – the big step is taking action and doing it.   
 
When it comes time for you to leave a review, there are several platforms you can choose from! Facebook and Google are the most popular options, but you can also leave them on the BBB website or the business’s website (if applicable).  Give it a shot and use Berry Digital as your first review here. 
 
Follow Their Social Media Channels and Engage With Them 
With social media taking over communication platforms, it makes sense that we support our local businesses on their social media pages.  It is as simple as “liking: and “following” your favorite business pages on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  Once you follow these pages, you’ll be able to see updates whenever the business creates posts. However, don’t just follow the pages! Be sure to engage with the content they’re creating.  Whether it’s liking, commenting, sharing or tagging your best friend in the comments, this engagement truly does matter and helps business owners know what content to keep pushing out.  Because social media is mostly used as an awareness tool, business owners don’t always see an ROI, so your support by engaging means more than you realize. 

Before we move on, one last thing you can do is use any relevant hashtags the business uses. Let’s take Champaign Works, for example. One of their main hashtags is #ChampaignWorks. In their posts, you’ll see this hashtag used frequently.  If you were to visit Champaign County and post a picture on your social media, we encourage you to use the #ChampaignWorks hashtag in your post. Champaign Works likely follows this hashtag and by using it, they are able to easily find your post.  Make sure to only use hashtags that are relevant to the business you’re highlighting!  
 #BerryDigitalSolutions  #ChampaignWorks  #Facebook/BerryDigital #instagram/BerryDigital 
 
Subscribe to Content/Emails 
Want to stay up to date on everything a local business has to offer? Then you should subscribe to their email content!  Most businesses utilize some sort of email strategy and are always looking to add more consumers to their email list.  Email content can be valuable to you, as the business is able to reach you directly with important updates.  Most times, emails will have a little more content compared to your stereotypically social media post. If you’re really dedicated to a business, subscribing to their emails is one of the best options for you!  You also have the opportunity to forward relevant emails to coworkers, family and friends!  No matter how you do it, supporting local business betters the community you live in.  Take time to support a local business today! You can start by subscribing to our email content, located at the bottom of our home page.