Get Some Press!

Promote Your Community Card with Local Media

Shopping local is always a meaningful story — especially during the holidays and community-focused seasons. Local newspapers, bloggers, and social media creators are often looking for positive stories about supporting small businesses. Your Community Card program is a perfect example.

This guide walks through a few simple ways to generate local press and awareness.

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Send a press release to local news outlets

Reach out to local media with an update on the Shop Local movement in your community. A press release helps journalists quickly understand your program and why it matters.

You can start with the Holiday Press Release included in the Holiday Marketing Kit, which contains recent trends and data you can localize for your community.

Consider:

• Adding quotes from participating merchants

• Including program impact (number of businesses participating, funds circulating locally, etc.)

• Offering interviews with a local merchant, chamber representative, or city leader (like your mayor)

A quick follow-up phone call to the newsroom can also increase the chances of coverage.

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Reach local audiences through community platforms

Many cities already have communication channels that highlight local businesses and events. These can often be easier to access than traditional media and still reach a large audience.

Examples include:

• Parks and Recreation newsletters or websites

• Town calendars

• Community blogs

• Nextdoor

• Patch

• Chamber newsletters

You can:

• Share your press release

• Offer to write a short article

• Highlight participating merchants

• Share how Community Cards support the local economy

This type of storytelling helps residents connect the program to real businesses in their community.

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Partner with local influencers

Local influencers can introduce your Community Card to audiences who may not follow traditional news sources.

Some communities provide Community Cards to influencers so they can:

• Run social media giveaways

• Visit participating merchants

• Share their shopping experiences

This approach helps expand awareness while keeping the focus on supporting local businesses.

If you choose this strategy, remember you can set expiration dates on gifted cards to ensure unused funds return to the program.