Have a small business and want to win some local PR? Getting the word out about your small business is crucial. But what’s the best way to do that with so much noise – especially on a local level?

The answer lies in mastering the Art of Local PR. Navigating public relations might seem a little challenging, but with the right strategies, you can make a big impact in your community.

Let’s look at 15 local public relations strategies for small business and why they work.  

But first, why is local PR so important?

Local public relations (PR) is key for small business growth. It goes beyond mere visibility; it’s about creating genuine bonds with those around you.  Small businesses flourish with local backing, and a strategic PR approach makes sure you’re perceived not just as a business entity, but as a cornerstone of the community.

Benefits of Local Public Relations:

• Encourages local engagement
• Solidifies customer loyalty
• Reinforces digital media
• Lets your target market promote your value
• Supports your brand by word-of-mouth advertising

15 Local PR Strategies and Why They Work

1. Understand Your Local Audience
2. Highlight Special Moments from Your Business
3. Build Genuine Media Relationships
4. Don’t Just Publicize Community Engagement
5. Collaborate with Local Influencers 
6. Create Hyper-local Content
7. Design a Hyper-local Social Media Strategy
8. Honesty is the Best Policy in a Crisis
9. Amplify Genuine Customer Reviews
10. Lead By Example
11. Build Trust Through Knowledge
12. Cultivate Brand Equity
13. Collaborative Promotions Grow Your Business
14. Learn SEO Strategies to Get Found Online
15. Feedback Provides Continuous Improvement

Let’s dive into each local public relations strategy.

1. Understand Your Local Audience

Focus on Psychographics over Basic Demographics  

Make it a point to understand your local audience far beyond just knowing their age or location. Dive deeper into your target market’s psychographic data and look at a person’s values, attitudes, interests, and personality traits to see how they view the world.

Example: A local artisanal bakery in your town caters to people who value organic and traditional baking. It’s not just about what they buy; it’s about why they choose it.

Why This Works: When you shift your focus away from surface-level demographics and toward psychographics, it allows you to craft marketing strategies that resonate on a deeper level. Align your messaging with your audience’s values and lifestyles, and you can establish not just customer relationships, but genuine, lasting connections.

In Simple Terms: Instead of just targeting “people who eat bread,” focus on “people who appreciate handcrafted, organic bread.” It’s more personal and meaningful, and forms a stronger bond, turning customers into advocates, who love you and your products, and become lifetime customers.

2. Highlight Special Moments from Your Business

Craft More Than Just a Story

In your journey as a business, don’t just tell a story—share the special moments that have shaped your unique adventure and challenges through the years. Every business has a story – but there’s do much more.

Example: Picture a family-owned bookstore that opened during World War II. To an entire generation, it was more than a local bookstore; it became a beacon of hope in the middle of adversity.

Why This Works: Sharing personal, genuine stories not only promotes trust but also creates powerful emotional connections with your audience. These connections set you apart from impersonal big-box stores and allow you to build meaningful relationships with your customers.

In Simple Terms: Think of it as the difference between being just another bookstore and becoming “the bookstore with a powerful family history,” a place where stories transcend the pages of books and become part of your brand’s identity.

3. Build Genuine Media Relationships

Engage Beyond Press Releases

When it comes to shaping your brand’s image, it’s not enough to rely solely on press releases. Instead, build authentic media relationships that go beyond formalities.

Example: Extend a warm invitation to a journalist and provide them with an insider’s view of your event or product launch preparations. It’s more than just news; it’s a personal connection.

Why This Works: Engaging in personal interactions helps create genuine rapport, and a foundation of trust and believability. This, in turn – and in time, translates into more organic and favorable media coverage. Audiences are more likely to connect with stories that feel authentic, too.

In Simple Terms: Instead of just sending out news updates, build real, mutually beneficial relationships with the media. These kinds of connections add value to both sides and will help tell your brand’s story as one that’s trustworthy and real.

4. Don’t Just Publicize Community Engagement

Hosting Meaningful Local Events

While it’s important to publicize your community engagement efforts, it’s equally important to take action and host local events that have meaning to your target audience.

Example: Picture a local gym buzzing with energy during its annual holistic health fair. The event caters to and serves a community of health-conscious older adults and demonstrates a genuine commitment to the town’s well-being.

Why This Works: When you engage directly with your community, it enhances your brand’s visibility and shows that you care. It’s not just about saying you care; it’s about actively showing up and proving it.

In Simple Terms: Don’t just announce your events and community involvement, take the initiative, and show that you’re committed to the outcome. Actions speak louder than words – all the time – so show up and make those powerful connections.

5. Collaborate with Local Influencers 

Share Values Over Transactions

Want to collaborate with local influencers? Prioritize shared values over mere transactions.

Example: A sustainable store wants to team up with an eco-conscious influencer. Both are dedicated to saving the environment. For collaborations to work, they have to be more than a business deal, but a shared commitment to a cause.

Why This Works: Collaborations rooted in genuine engagement and shared interests reinforce brand consistency. When your partners align with your values, your brand message rings clear, and you’ll connect with your audience, naturally.

In Simple Terms: Look for collaborators whose purpose and mission align with your brand’s values. This allows you to promote your cause more genuinely plus gain impact. Partnerships should be more than just a business arrangement, but rather an alliance to drive your shared mission forward.

6. Create Hyper-local Content

Look at Community-Specific Trends

When it comes to content creation, look at the nuances of your local community’s interests.

Example: Say you have a café and your blog traces the journey of coffee in your city – going well beyond the coffee bean to become part of the local culture.

Why This Works: Featuring hyper-local content strengthens your presence within the community and showcases your commitment to preserve its heritage and honor its culture.

In Simple Terms: Share stories that resonate with your community’s heart and soul, and you’ll capture their attention and loyalty. It’s about connecting through engaging content that matters – and mixing that content up.

7. Design a Hyper-local Social Media Strategy

Connect with Local Digital Trends

To truly connect with your local audience on social media, come up with a strategy that supports local digital trends.

Example: What makes a pizzeria stand out? Their social media posts that feature their unique pizza creation, inspired by Los Angeles traffic jams. With your business, it could be a local theme that sparks conversations within the digital community.

Why This Works: When you tap into the local digital culture, you can create community engagement that meets your goals, but also shows your fun and quirky brand personality. This boosts your brand’s visibility and gives you content for a robust back and forth online conversation.

In Simple Terms: Use the power of social media and digital marketing to engage with your audience and be bold!  Promote your brand in a way that welcomes local trends and interests and communities (and builds buzz). It’s about becoming a part of a trendy online dialogue that gets you noticed. You have to pay attention to gain attention.

8. Honesty is the Best Policy in a Crisis

Prioritize Community Feedback

In crisis mode? The value of honesty can’t be overstated. Make it a priority to address community feedback directly and honestly.

Example: A boutique messed up with its ad campaign. The only thing to resolve the issue was to openly address their customer’s concerns and show genuine commitment to fix the problem.  A forum like this becomes a platform for honest dialogue and problem-solving.

Why This Works: When you address community issues directly and transparently, you show your commitment to uphold your brand’s values. It’s a testament to your integrity and a way to rebuild trust during challenging times.

In Simple Terms: When mistakes happen, own it. It happened and it’s done. Your audience will not only appreciate your honesty but also respect your dedication to making amends and improving the situation. 

9. Amplify Genuine Customer Reviews

Spotlight Real Customer Stories

When you want to build trust and credibility, don’t underestimate the power of genuine customer reviews and stories.

Example: Say you’re a health spa and want to share real-life client transformation stories. This lets potential customers connect with real experiences that go beyond marketing fluff.

Why This Works: Real stories serve as powerful testimonials, and on a far deeper level audience than traditional advertising ever could. They evoke trust and show the value that your business is known for.

In Simple Terms: It’s all about being genuine. Instead of manufactured or polished content, focus on what’s real—honest customer experiences and their stories. This builds trust with your audience, creates community, and attracts interested visitors to find out more.

10. Lead By Example

Drive Community Initiatives

Leadership isn’t just about guiding. It’s also about participating in projects that matter to your community.

Example: Take for instance, a tech startup that takes the lead in organizing a local tech day for minority high school students interested in IT. This is a perfect opportunity for the tech startup to become a catalyst for students to explore their tech passions.

Why This Works: Active participation in your community shows that you’re committed to growth and making a difference. It positions your brand as a socially conscious business leader, someone who doesn’t just talk but takes meaningful action.

In Simple Terms: Instead of just joining community groups, be a mover and shaker within them. Lead by example, champion initiatives, and make a positive impact on your community. 

11. Build Trust Through Knowledge

Offer Free Value-Added Sessions

To build trust and credibility, provide free educational workshops that benefit your community and highlight your business acumen.

Example: An accounting firm who specializes in tax preparations for entrepreneurs wants to host a workshop. This event will generate leads and reinforce the firm’s expertise. Topics could include new rules, loopholes, possible tax savings, and what items may be flagged by the IRS.

Why This Works: When you genuinely and generously share your expertise, you position your brand as a trusted source of knowledge. That goodwill and trust helps you build a solid reputation.

In Simple Terms: Offer your time and expertise to educate your target market. You’ll earn their trust and establish yourself as an expert authority. 

12. Cultivate Brand Equity

Encourage Customer Story Telling

If you’re looking to build brand equity, encourage your customers to become storytellers for your brand.

Example: An eco-friendly clothing store is new on the block. Their website is beautifully designed with UGC, photos and videos, and testimonials are overflowing from happy customers.

Why This Works: Involve your customers in your brand’s narrative. That way, you build trust and sincerity. If the stories, photos, and video are genuine, it will make other customers with similar values want to learn more – or shop more.

In Simple Terms: Your customers can be your best brand ambassadors. Invite them to share their experiences and become advocates for what you stand for. There’s no cost and so much to gain.

13. Collaborative Promotions Grow Your Business

Co-host Events and Initiatives

To grow your business, team up with complementary, non-competitive brands to co-host events and initiatives.

Example: A top fitness club and health food store in the same neighborhood want to get more publicity. They might want to co-host a wellness workshop to increase media interest and brand recognition.  

Why This Works: When two brands unite, they can tap into each other’s customer bases, expand their reach and create a win-win situation. Plus, they can refer each other business – online and at each of their physical locations – and on social media.  

In Simple Terms: It’s like having two brains (or brands) working together; synergy enhances your impact and both parties’ win.

14. Learn SEO Strategies to Get Found Online

Prioritize Local Keywords and Citations (NAP)

Every business wants to be discoverable, so invest in SEO strategies that prioritize local keywords and maintain consistent Name, Address, Phone Number (NAP) information.

Example: A new high-end florist in Salem, Massachusetts, wants to appear prominently on Google, and other search engines. For them, and every business owner, it’s key to learn SEO tactics and follow best practices to get found online – and take full advantage of free online directories.

Why This Works: Potential customers often search for local services, so when you optimize local keywords and maintain accurate NAP information, you become more visible to them.

In Simple Terms: Make it a top priority to make sure your prospects and customers can easily find your business online when they search for relevant products or services. Choosing the wrong keywords can bring business to your competition, and who wants that?

15. Feedback Provides Continuous Improvement

Seek Input from Your Community

If you want to succeed, improvement isn’t an option. One good way to do that is to collect feedback from your target market, customers, vendors, and partners.

Example: You know the neighborhood café that you love? They regularly survey customers about menu options; what they like, what they’d like to see on the menu – and what definitely has to go.

Why This Works: When you ask and listen to your customers, it helps you stay up to date with their needs and desires. And it helps you adapt, improve, and evolve what your offerings.

In Simple Terms: The key is to keep the feedback loop open—keep asking, keep learning, and keep improving based on what your community tells you. (The doing something about it part, is up to you).

Bottomline: Local PR Isn’t Just About Visibility

Local PR isn’t just about visibility, it’s about integration. Each strategy is rooted in understanding and serving community needs, establishing trust, and reinforcing your business’s role within the community.

If you’re wondering if these 15 local PR strategies can work for your business, the answer is yes. You can master DIY PR without a $4,000 a month publicist. Have a genuine interest in your community, follow these guidelines, and then this:

Practice, pitch and be proactive. Oh, do your research, too.