Boomerang Consignment and Resale and Gaia Gifts Owner Anna Dillane displays the Places and Spaces’ Local Love Snap, Tag & Share Holiday Promotion at her business, 1247 Central Ave # A. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com
BY KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com
In looking at key issues that affect local businesses, the nonprofit organization Places and Spaces saw the difficulty businesses have in marketing themselves and decided to do something about it.
Thus, the Local Love Snap, Tag & Share Holiday Promotion was born. The promotion runs through Jan. 9, and its premise is simple: go to any locally owned business and document your visit or purchase with a photo or video. Then, put this in a social media post that includes two tags: #lalocallove and @placesandspacesla.
Each week, the posts made under these tags will be tabulated and entered in a drawing where a winner will be selected at random. The winner will receive a $100 gift card that is good at any locally owned business. Any entry not selected will continue to be eligible for subsequent drawings. Even after Jan. 9, there will be additional prizes given in various categories such as most posts submitted, most unique item bought and best-looking meal. In total, more than $1,500 worth of prizes will be awarded.
The complete contest rules, listing of prizes, and listing of local businesses is on the web at www.tinyurl.com/mylocallove.
The first winner was Karen Anslinger Holmes who was a shopper at Boomerang Consignment and Resale and Gaia Gifts and the second winner was Christy O’Brien, who visited Sugar & Cream Cafe.
“We are very excited that Karen was selected as the first winner,” Boomerang Owner Anna Dillane said. “We love to participate in any local incentives that help our customers and help drive people to local businesses. We find that our customers are excited by the way this particular promotion is being managed (due to) the fact that people get rolled over to the next week if they don’t win.”
Kevin Holsapple of Places and Spaces said the promotion aligns with the organization’s mission.
“In the mission of Places and Spaces is helping with the creation, improvement and activation of places and spaces for community life in our County,” he said. “Local businesses are important places for community life.”
He added that when the Los Alamos Business Coalition identified key issues for local businesses and Places and Spaces learned about them, it decided to help.
“Looking at those issues, we said, ‘Is there something we can do’ and ‘if we did it, there are a couple of important things to consider’,” Holsapple said. “One is, we can’t put more of a burden on the local businesses, so it can’t cost them money. That’s why (the promotion) is a completely free thing for businesses. It shouldn’t cause them a lot of work to take part in the promotion.”
Holsapple added that the idea got a big boost when Margarita Ryan, founder of Beehaus Design and Marketing, volunteered to help.
“It’s really been great to have Beehaus’ help because Margarita and her company understand social media stuff way beyond my understanding of it … that’s been a really important help,” he said.
Ryan added she decided to contribute to the promotion because of her expertise.
She explained as a small business owner who works in graphic design and marketing “it makes a lot of sense for me to participate because it is a way to show what I can do; also, because I am part of the community, I want to help …”
In addition to bringing more customers to local businesses, Holsapple said the promotion is a great way to market them. Local business owners and their staff can participate, too, but they can’t win prizes for posts about their own businesses. One main thing that this promotion touches on is “how difficult it is to market as a local business in the community,” he said. “It is very hard for a local business to figure out how to let people know they exist.”
Leading up to the promotion, Holsapple said he posted on Shop Local Los Alamos, asking how many businesses people think are in Los Alamos and a common answer is 10-15. Actually, he said, there are more than 100. To get their names publicized and to make the promotion successful, businesses are encouraged to register at www.tinyurl.com/mylocallove.
Holsapple said while the core of the list are restaurants and retailers, any locally owned business can register. Businesses’ response so far has been positive.
“For me, it’s been 100 percent positive,” Holsapple said.
Ryan agreed, adding, “I only had one that really wasn’t receptive but 99 percent of the others were happy with it … with the community, I think we are seeing a good reception, too.”
The promotion ends Jan. 9 but that doesn’t mean it will not reappear. Holsapple described it as a test run that Places and Spaces is learning from. The hope, he said, is to run the promotion several times throughout the year so more people are brought to businesses’ doors and to heighten awareness that they are there.
“It’s about increasing awareness … there’s a real reason to tune into our local businesses because they’re very meaningful to our community life … businesses are a place where community happens,” Holsapple said. “The contest gives the community prizes for visiting them and showing Local Love.”