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How to get customers in the door of small town and rural retail stores

By Becky McCray

A shopkeeper and a customer share a laugh in a small store packed full of interesting home wares.

  If you have a retail store in a small town, you know how difficult it can be to attract customers in the door. With so much online competition and limited resources, it is hard to get people in the store and buying your products. In this article, we’ll share some of our best ways […]

February 19, 2023 Filed Under: Best of, marketing, rural, shop local Tagged With: effective marketing, entrepreneurship, experience economy, retail, shop indie local, shop local, shop small, small business, small business success, store

Local reviews on Google Maps drive enduring value

By Becky McCray

Screenshot of Google's Marketing Kit for local businesses. Text says, "Free stickers, posters, social posts, and more from your Business Profile on Google". Graphic shows a sticker that says, "review us on Google"

While they were pointing out HipCamp to us, our friends at Marketing Delmarva also brought up the enduring power of Google Local reviews and photos. (I added the bold for emphasis.) If you love a local place, put it on Google. Following our first pick-your-own experience at said blueberry world, while sitting in the car in […]

December 17, 2022 Filed Under: entrepreneurship, marketing, rural, tourism Tagged With: effective marketing, entrepreneurship, Google local, Google maps, marketing, reviews, service businesses, shop local, shop small, small business

Holiday 2022 marketing: Tell your founding story

By Becky McCray

There's still time to Shop Indie Local, the Santa Cat says

We’re all using the same marketing theme this year: Shop Indie Local. When we work together to spread the word, we’ll multiply how many customers we reach. Learn more from AMIBA, the Shop Indie Local lead sponsor. Let’s do a throwback. Tell your founding story.  How did your business come into being? How were you founded? Who was […]

December 1, 2022 Filed Under: entrepreneurship, marketing, rural, shop local Tagged With: shop indie local, shop local, shop small

Holiday 2022 Marketing: Tell your customers’ stories

By Becky McCray

Tis the season to Shop Indie Local

We’re all using the same marketing theme this year: Shop Indie Local. When we work together to spread the word, we’ll multiply how many customers we reach. Learn more from AMIBA, the Shop Indie Local lead sponsor. Your customers matter a lot to you. And they have great stories. Now, the story doesn’t even have to be related […]

November 30, 2022 Filed Under: entrepreneurship, marketing, rural, shop local Tagged With: shop indie local, shop local, shop small

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