Three more local authorities – including Sheffield City Council – have signed up to a pioneering new scheme that is helping local retailers around the UK develop and optimise their social media presence as a way of boosting sales.
In addition to Sheffield, Shropshire-based tech SME, Maybe* Tech, has also secured contracts with West Lindsey District Council in Lincolnshire and St Helens Borough Council for the roll-out of its Local Rewards programme.
The programme, which allows businesses to communicate with, and reward, shoppers when they hit their local High Streets, is already in use in areas including Warwickshire, Kent, Bristol, and the Cotswolds. Currently more than 30,000 businesses feature in the combined Local Rewards programmes in the UK.
The Local Rewards programme has been created with the intention of ‘levelling the playing field’ between local retailers and bigger organisations. The scheme aims to help retailers around the country recover from the impact of COVID-19 and give them a route to reach more customers and make more sales. Businesses can also cross-promote and support their High Street neighbours to create an online network of connected traders.
The technology enables shoppers to see businesses near them, view and engage with their social media content and shop with them via Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp. The platform also rewards shoppers for their spend with local businesses and gives them the opportunity to win back their spend with weekly competitions. Any business that has a Google My Business listing and is active on social media will be visible on Local Rewards. The social media posts that are performing best at any one time will be boosted to prime positions in the guide.
Councillor Paul Turpin, Executive Member for Inclusive Economy, Jobs and Skills at Sheffield City Council, said: “The potential for more businesses to get discovered by local shoppers and visitors alike is huge - and that’s exactly what Business Sheffield has set out to achieve in collaboration with Maybe*. The Local Rewards Guide is available nationally and we’ll be using it to encourage locals and visitors alike to use Sheffield’s shops and businesses in the festive period.”
Leader of West Lindsey District Council, Councillor Owen Bierley has also urged businesses to sign up for the free support.
He said: “We are delighted to have brought Maybe* on board for the next 12 months to support our businesses. The impact of Covid 19 changed the way businesses operate and following discussions with local businesses we recognised that we needed to offer additional support. Maybe has proved to be successful in other areas and we want our businesses to benefit too.”
Councillor Kate Groucutt, the St Helen’s Borough Council’s cabinet member for education, skills and business, said: “The Covid-19 pandemic and a shift in consumer behaviour has changed the way we shop.
“This programme with Maybe*looks to support our high street businesses to adapt to a new way of shopping.
“Maybe* provide extensive support through training and tools for all types of businesses, and we hope our local economy take up this exclusive offer of free support for the first 12 months.”
Polly Barnfield OBE, CEO of Maybe* said: “Around two thirds of shoppers regularly look online for inspiration and the Local Rewards programme groups all social media content by location to encourage people to browse their local high street and then rewards them for their local spend.”
These local authorities recognise the importance of their local retailers communicating with shoppers in real-time and showcasing what they have available in the town. To compete, High Street businesses need to up their digital game, promote their physical stores and collaborate. Local Rewards helps them to do that, and we are excited to be partnering with these authorities to deliver a positive impact for their towns."
For Local Rewards, retailers and shoppers can access the platform online at https://www.localrewards.chat/ and just search for their area and can also sign up to reap the benefits via Messenger or WhatsApp.
