5 Ways to Gain New Business by Giving Back to Your Community

Every small business owners knows that putting up an “Open” sign or hanging a shingle outside your shop is no longer enough to make yourself known to potential customers. And even traditional marketing and social media marketing efforts may not be enough to do the trick. More small businesses are recognizing that to make an impression, you also need to get out of your comfort zone and connect with your business’s local community.

That community connection is essential for helping your small business stand out and compete against the volume pricing and billion-dollar marketing campaigns of giant corporations. Community involvement changes the game, asking customers to choose where they shop based not solely on pricing or selection, but also on personal relationships and the negative impact of corporate behavior on friends and neighbors.

If you want to get involved but don’t really know how, why not get started with these five suggestions? Let’s face it, you can’t afford to be shy.

5 ways to gain new business by giving back

1. Participate in local organizations

Participate in the local Chamber of Commerce as well as in local government, service organizations, and compatible nonprofits and industry organizations. You can even look to your kids’ Parent Teacher Associations to make contacts. Start by attending meetings, and gradually move into leadership roles. This will raise awareness of who you are, and you can later talk about what you do.

As you become more comfortable, you can garner the support of influential officials, reach out to larger companies, and connect with celebrities to expand your reach. It really does work—through reaching out to the PTA and being involved in her local chamber, Dana Rankin, owner of Exhale to Excel Jewelry in Kansas City, Mo., found more than 20 new customers.

2. Make yourself visible

Go on the lecture circuit. Offer to speak on your areas of expertise in university settings and public venues. Take advantage of television and media opportunities that let you be a spokesperson for your industry when a related news event strikes.

Public relations consultant Sam Yates, head of Yates and Associates in Jensen Beach, Fla., volunteered with the American Red Cross and soon became the local chapter’s TV and radio spokesperson. When Yates appeared on behalf of the Red Cross for a TV interview, a shopping mall manager contacted him and later offered him a contract to handle general publicity and crisis PR efforts. Eventually, more than 20 other malls did the same.

More articles from AllBusiness.com:

• The Hidden Benefit of Giving Back—Motivated Employees
• 7 Innovative Ways Your Business Can Give Back
• Is the Saying ‘All Publicity Is Good Publicity’ Still True in Today’s Media Landscape?
• 6 Tips to Manage Media Relations in the Digital Age
• The Benefits of Community Engagement for Your Business

3. Donate your products or services

Donate your goods or services. Owner Guy Somers of Somers Guitar in Atlantic, Iowa, for example, offered to play short gigs at local churches, holiday concerts, and school career days and wound up quadrupling his clientele. But when he switched to regular advertising, his client base dropped.

Similarly, Loveland, Colo.-based M & E Painting commits to painting six houses every year for underprivileged families, asking the community to nominate those most deserving in the region. The company subsequently landed on a variety of preferred business lists and has gained significant media attention.

4. Gain new business by holding a publicity event

By yourself or with another business as a partner, stage an event to benefit your city or town. In Somerville, Mass., the Gentle Giant Moving Company participates in an annual open house fair with other trucking businesses. In a party atmosphere with food and decorations, each company opens up a truck for kids and adults to walk inside. This helps the trucking company put a face to its organization.

Another example is Rancho Mirage, Calif.-based smoothie and juice company Juice It Up!, which visits schools on a regular basis to offer healthful snacks and sell its beverages, donating a dollar to the school district for each sale. The events are so popular, say owners Brent and Lori Poist, that the company sells out of tickets ahead of time.

5. Offer local discounts or donate small prizes at events

This strategy can really get the buzz going and help you to gain new business. Helen Johnson, the owner of Tiny Toes Dance Academy, a children’s dance studio in Washington, D.C., provides door prizes (usually worth less than $50 each) for community events. The prizes must be redeemed at the studio, which gets people walking through her doors. The investment has translated into new customers who might never have known about her company.

Gain new business by staying connected

These suggestions are a great beginning, but every company has different products and services to offer, and every community has different needs. You’ll do the most good—and get the best results—as you become more involved locally, and find the best fit between what you can offer and what resonates most strongly with area customers and residents.

RELATED: Small Town Marketing: How to Connect Your Business with the Local Community