Community Engagement for Small Business

At a recent awards dinner, one of the winners, a successful small business owner, said “if you’re successful in business, you need to give back to the community”.  How do you accomplish that while marketing your business at the same time?

Businesses with greater visibility tend to be more profitable. And you don't have to invest a great deal of your marketing dollars to both give back to the community and reach new customers. Here are some ideas for your small business:

Team sponsorship - Your business can sponsor a youth sport team, such as a little league team. For a fee, your logo is placed on the back of each player's shirt, giving you extended exposure to players, families and fans.

Cause marketing - Local charities often struggle financially, relying on the community to provide support. Individuals and businesses are the backbone for many organizations, providing financial backing, in-kind donations and volunteer time to help these charities thrive. Aside from volunteering your time, you can host a fundraiser or find other ways to raise money for the charity of your choice. One such example that one of our clients is using is to donate $1 for every pizza purchased on a certain night of the week. They picked a night that business is normally slow and have found that orders have increased. This fundraising event is profitable for both the charity and the business.

Print media - If your business is involved in a charity event, send out a press release to announce the event and let the community know about your company's involvement.

Social media – Your company’s social media presence can be used to promote a charity that you’re involved with. Use your Facebook page to announce an upcoming event and your business' involvement. Ask people to like your page, run a contest giving away free tickets or other prizes through Facebook. Use Twitter and other social media platforms to get the word out. Sharing tweets and liking postings are small efforts that can yield big results.

Company volunteer days - If you can afford it, allow your employees to volunteer on company time with a community group. Give your participating employees t-shirts with your company's name printed on them to wear so they advertise your business at the event.

Successful small businesses that maintain a high level of engagement with their communities benefit not only the community, but their business and their employees. You may find that your community engagement strategies are a great marketing tool.