Publicity & Marketing

We’d been working together behind the scenes for months, so we wanted to make a big splash when we opened the doors of Church Fenton Community Shop for the first time...

However, in truth, we had more than one opening! We took over existing fully operational business premises, and were keen to put our mark on the shop as soon as possible (and start putting cash in the till!) so we opened before all the renovations were complete, and then bit-by-bit, unveiled different areas of the shop as our vision came to life. 

So these numerous ‘soft’ openings were a great opportunity for us to talk to customers, share our plans, and find out what products and services they wanted – we never waste an opportunity for market research!

It goes without saying, the mood board was front and centre during these chats! It also gave the whole community a feeling of being involved, seeing a vision come to life, week by week, shelf by shelf – and encouraging our tireless band of volunteers to keep going with words of support from our future customers.

When it came to revealing the finished product, we did of course make a day of it – bunting (of course!), press releases, invitations to local dignitaries, refreshments, and a full turnout of CFCS branded aproned volunteers!

Don’t be afraid to shout about your achievements – confidence = customers – and your community will genuinely want to share in the success and be a part of your ‘Grand Opening’ or just get sneaky peeks along the way.

Whatever you do during any opening days or launches, remember to keep the momentum going and let your community know every step of the way moving forwards.

Open the Doors

When to open

A weekend is often the best time to get maximum attendance from the local community. Consider waiting for the official Grand Opening some weeks after trading has actually commenced in order to give you time to iron out any teething problems. 

Don’t worry if absolutely everything is not fully completed – your community is keen to see where you have come so far, and will be more happy to see any ‘work in progress’. It may even encourage them to jump in and help finish the project if they have not been involved so far?

Soft openings also give your volunteers (or staff) the chance to familiarise themselves with the procedures and stock so effectively building their confidence shift by shift.

Who to invite

The short answer is, as many people as possible from your community! Encourage them to bring their extended family (grandparents, children – even their dogs!) 

Local dignitaries (MP, Mayoral office, councillors – possibly a local ‘celebrity?) plus any tradespeople or supporters who have contributed to getting you ready for the opening would appreciate being included. CFCS invited one of their ‘vintage’ long-standing supportive residents to ‘cut the ribbon’ for the new shop who was delighted to be our very own VIP for the day.

Elderly residents should be top of the invite list, especially those who live alone, and make sure there is wheelchair access available and offer any assistance if needed with transport or mobility issues. 

Neighbouring communities who may be thinking about starting a community shop project should be invited as well as media representatives (journalists & photographers) including newspapers, radio, local tv news channels – even if not all attend the day, they will like a good news story and may ask for more details to put in a feature report about the opening.

How to promote it

Social media, leaflet drops, posters and word of mouth are all important in letting people know your proposed opening date.

Consider short handwritten notes (always a winner!), typed letters or even direct email messages for those ‘VIP’ guests you would like to attend e.g. local dignitaries, celebrities.

Invest in some balloons! These are relatively low cost yet impactful and can be dotted around the exterior area as well as hung as ‘sign posts’ on lampposts and posts close to the shop. It goes without saying to include the CFCS necessity... bunting, bunting, bunting!

If you have a local band, or budding musicians, see if they would be willing to spare an hour to provide a little unplugged background music to help create a celebratory atmosphere? 

What to offer

A good browse by guests is essential so make sure all your shelves are fully stocked and accessible, and ensure the ‘back of house’ areas are tidy and presentable – some guests may want to get a full tour of the premises!

Consider some treats for children – low cost lollipops are always welcome for kids, or if a hot day, make this a small ice lolly?

Make sure there is a large bowl of water for the four-legged members of the community – and a jar of small low cost doggy treats will be well received!

Don’t worry about providing hot drinks or special food for the grown ups – often if their kids (and dogs!) are happy, then they are happy! A nice touch would be jugs of diluted juice and possibly a homemade biscuit or bun if you are lucky enough to have keen amateur bakers in your community.

Have some small printed or photocopied leaflets ready to hand out and try to include your Mission Statement and/or ethos and values.

Social Media

Setting up a shop social media page from the outset is a good idea (Facebook has proved to be the most accessible and popular for CFCS). This acts as a platform to share your opening date, new stock items, special offers, updates on community activities, and even recipe ideas with photos – with most ingredients available in the shop of course! It can promote any planned fund raising events as well as encouraging more volunteers to become involved. Used wisely, with quality content, social media is a fantastic way to keep the whole community involved.

Leaflets, Posters and Advertising

Even in this digital age, don’t forget the power of the occasional printed leaflet or promotional poster. Carefully positioned or distributed, these can generate interest and keep your community aware of the services you offer – especially for those elderly members of your community with no access to the internet or social media.

At CFCS leaflet drops were particularly crucial in reaching those residents who were isolating during the COVID-19 pandemic. As we offered free delivery to shielded residents and ensured they had regular supplies of essential fresh produce (milk, bread, fruit & veg) and store cupboard items, details of how to order and pay were included.

We also offered a free prescription delivery service in consultation with our local GP surgery and could securely let residents know the days and times that deliveries would take place.

A small team of willing volunteers, and their families, should be enlisted to distribute leaflets to all households in your community. Leaflets do not have to be large (A5 is sufficient) nor printed in colour, yet can be a valuable tool in letting your community know key information such as opening hours and contact details such as the shop telephone number or email address.

• Design-wise, most images and fonts you will need will be readily available on a standard PC
• Make sure you include your community shop logo or brand, and always ensure there are contact details available
• Always try to include your Mission Statement, or at the least, your ethos if possible.
• As with your leaflets, posters do not have to be large (B4) or in colour and always include your brand logo
• Choose your poster locations carefully and where they will have most impact and a captive audience e.g. GP surgery, community centres, churches, libraries etc
• Don’t forget to display posters in the shop itself – on notice boards, or in windows.

Advertising

• Advertising in free distribution local periodical publications and newsletters is generally low cost, and will ensure your message is getting directly to your community through their letterboxes
• Find out what publications are available in your area, make contact and share your plans with them as early as possible (that mood board will be coming out again!). Not only will they be interested in asking you to advertise, they may even consider writing an editorial feature about your community shop = free publicity!
• Be aware that local periodical publications may have longer deadlines so take care with the content of your advert – for example the Christmas edition may be compiled in October, so make sure you only include details that you know will be correct at the time of distribution.

Local Press

• Now, more than ever, we all need good news stories in the press and your community shop can certainly be regarded one of those! 
• Since opening our doors, press releases are regularly sent to local radio, newspapers, news channels and other publications such as regional magazines 
• During the COVID-19 pandemic particularly, CFCS were pro-active in letting local media sources know of the great work we were doing in our community – all those contacted picked up the story and were delighted to share our news with a wider audience
• It’s a good idea to make a list of your local media sources, and a quick internet search will easily reveal the name and contact details of the editorial team members (email address and telephone number)
• Aim your press release at the person responsible for ‘features’ or ‘community news’ if possible, although a copy should also be sent to the Editor in Chief as well for good measure! 

Keep the Momentum Going

There will always be news and updates as you go from strength to strength with your community shop. Keep your community, and the wider audience, in the loop via press releases, leaflets, posters, social media and your apps. This is all about the community (the clue is in the name!) and you have taken on a level of responsibility to serve your local residents, so keep them engaged and encourage their support.

Next - Open the Doors >