In the first part of this two-part blog, we put together a list of small businesses in Pittsburgh that the Cosmitto team loves. Here, we’re reminding you of a few ways that you can support the small businesses in your community—a few of them won’t even cost you a dime! Learn how you can show your favorite local businesses you care with these five tips below. 

How to Support Local Businesses

1. Shop Local 

This may seem like a no-brainer, but the best way to support local businesses is to SHOP at local businesses! If you’re looking for a place to pick up lunch or dinner, consider a locally-owned and operated restaurant over a chain. When you’re shopping for clothing, consider a local boutique over a department store. 

Although you may have to go out of your way to visit these places, or stop at multiple to find everything you need, the effort is worth it knowing that your money is going back into the local economy and supporting the businesses that form the backbone of our community. 

2. Buy Gift Cards

If you don’t have anything on your must-have list currently but still want to support local business, consider buying a gift card to use later, or give it to someone else so they can also support your favorite businesses in the community! 

3. Promote Businesses on Social Media

You don’t have to spend money to support local businesses. If you don’t have money to spend on non-essentials right now, that’s okay—consider sharing social posts, websites, and other information about your favorite local businesses on your own social platforms. A little promotion can go a long way, and many people still rely on “word of mouth” marketing and recommendations when making decisions about where to spend their money! 

4. Volunteer Your Services

If you have marketing or graphic design experience, consider offering your services to small, local businesses who may not have a solid online presence (or any at all!) or the capacity to focus on marketing while their team focuses on the day-to-day. This could include posting on their social media channels, writing blog posts or newsletters, or even designing flyers and other marketing collateral that they can hang up and distribute. 

5. Leave a Review 

Like the tip about promoting local businesses on social media, it’s also important to leave reviews for places you frequent. Think about the last purchase you made (big or small). Before you made a decision, what did you do? Besides comparing products/services, you likely read reviews on the website, Google, Yelp, Facebook, and/or other review sites. Reviews matter—according to an article from Search Engine Journal, 91% of consumers between the ages of 18 and 34 trust online reviews just as much as personal recommendations. After you finish reading this article, our task for you is to go leave a review or two for your favorite local businesses! 

We hope that you check out some of our team’s favorite local Pittsburgh businesses! Even if you aren’t local, check out their websites—some have online stores and offer shipping for customers who don’t live nearby. If you happen to be a small business owner yourself and are looking for some digital marketing support, check out our customizable services and fill out the contact form to connect with our team.