This column is sponsored by BizLaunch, a division of Arlington Economic Development.
With 2020 being an incredibly difficult year for small businesses, it is important for our community to come together and support our local businesses this holiday shopping season and #ShopARL when possible.
As an Arlington resident, there are many ways you can support small businesses this holiday season, the most important to remember is to #shopsmall and #shopARL whenever possible. To help you search for local businesses, BizLaunch has compiled a list of small businesses on our business directory or check out our story highlights on Instagram to see the businesses featured as part of our holiday takeover.
American Express has also developed a handy tool that puts small businesses on the map, literally. When you shop local don’t forget to use #ShopARL, we’ll reshare.
As part of our marketing efforts for Small Business Saturday (November 28), we’re giving Arlington small businesses the opportunity to take over our Facebook and Instagram story feed for an entire day. What is a social media takeover? A social media takeover is your opportunity to highlight your small business on our Facebook and Instagram. All through November and December, small businesses can submit video and photo content to be included in our Facebook and Instagram stories.
More than ever, consumers want to support small and local businesses, and we want to help small businesses reach them. Ready to take over @aedbizlaunch? Follow these three simple steps to help you prepare for your takeover day.
- Create Your Content: Think about what you what you want to share with potential customers. Your story could include the products you sell, holiday specials, or even your entrepreneurial story. For more tips and ideas of what to include, check out our filming guidelines. Don’t forget to film your video vertically for best results. For maximum exposure submit at least three different videos, each no longer than one (1) minute. Also check out our Instagram for a sample takeover to get your creativity going.
- Submit Your Content: Have all your content and ready to submit? Use this form to upload your content. Feel free to include additional content such as pictures, logos, etc., that you also want included. The BizLaunch team will reach out to you to schedule your takeover date. Currently, takeovers are scheduled on a first come first served basis.
- Sit Back and Relax: In reality, it’s only two simple steps, but with e-commerce dominating the retail landscape, here are some simple tips to help your business.
We hope you join us in sporting small businesses this holiday season and we look forward in featuring Arlington small businesses all throughout the holidays.