This past year has been hard. For all of us. At Metta Digital Marketing, we are grateful for the loyal clients with whom we’ve adjusted to new plans and new ways of conducting business. Continuing to work together has been mutually beneficial; we really are all in this together.
As the business community has learned to pivot and embrace new ways of reaching and serving customers, those customers have also taken a new look at where they do business and spend their dollars. We’ve seen a renewed interest in local businesses that contribute to our community’s vibrancy.
How does this relate to marketing? In several key ways:
Unity with the Community
Community is all about connection. Putting faces and names together when participating in community-supportive activities is a great way to build a professional network, as well as community loyalty. Do you or your team belong to civic clubs, non-profit boards, or attend local festivals? While many meetings moved to Zoom, people are looking for connection more than ever. How do you give back to the community? Your social media channels are made to tout your people and your passions. Photos of people or behind-the-scenes at your organization nearly always increase engagement.
User-Generated Content
Every company’s online presence has been more vital than ever. People want relatable content and pleasant experiences when they interact with you. Making those personal connections can lead to more user-generated content (UGC) as customers want to show support for local businesses. (Ex: customers post on Instagram about their experiences with your products or services, and then you share their original content, too.) Photos and testimonials are immensely popular and provide easy content that is uplifting and community-building.
A Focus on Sustainability
Today’s consumers are concerned about environmental impacts, and they appreciate businesses that share their interest. This might range from changing product packaging to using hybrid delivery vehicles or to organizing a volunteer clean-up crew around a neighborhood park or lake.
Diversity and Inclusivity
Does your organization actively seek out diverse members, employees, consumers? Do you listen to people of varied backgrounds and include their viewpoints in your products or services? The market has seen large percentages of consumers willing to switch brands when they don’t see their views represented adequately. And on the positive side, those companies that actively embrace diversity and inclusivity in actions, products, and marketing will build stronger customer relationships and loyalty.
A few client success stories:
- IGM, a golf course maintenance contractor, is committed to environmentally conscious products and methods. Sometimes this means working to preserve wildlife habitats on a golf course or even maintaining bee hives near a property. These stories speak to their target market and attract attention.
- Red Door Lakeland’s Chef Lucy is participating in Achievement Academy’s Top Chef competition, which provides plenty of social media mentions and promotes awareness of both organizations for a win-win collaboration.
- Lipson Pain Institute is a woman-owned medical practice. They see engagement increases when sharing profiles of employees, and Dr. Lipson recently shared video of herself assisting with Covid vaccines in partnership with a local surgery system.
As a small woman-owned business, Metta Digital Marketing strives to follow our own advice. We’ve worked with non-profit agencies, arts organizations, and independent entrepreneurs, as well as large companies with international reach. We love working with other authentic brands also striving to do well by doing good.
You can start with a clear, appealing, up-to-date website and grow your social media from there. Maintaining these communication channels can be time-consuming, but Metta Digital Marketing can help. We’ll partner with you, so you can do the things you do best, while we spread your company’s story.
