Too often local business fail to embrace their "smallness." Instead, they opt to replicate their national competitors' because it feels like less of a risk - "well XYZ does it, so it must work." Wrong. This is about focusing your local business on the micro market and playing to your local strengths. Cultivate a local audience- the only one that matters.

1. Community Building
Playing to your local strengths
Incredible Marketing
Drew Leahy

2. “Before you promise to
change the world, it makes
sense to do the hard work
of changing your
neighborhood.”
– Seth Godin

3. “Community building means taking
advantage of your local strengths to cultivate a
loyal audience in your own backyard.”

4. Mama
gonna
knock you
out.
It’s thinking like a small business,
not a big business

5. It’s Emphasizing shared values

6. It’s creating an “In-Group” (social
identity theory)

7. It’s establishing something meaningful at
the core of your business beyond money

8. It’s engaging your local audience (the
only one that matters)

9. How?

10. Cultivate a local audience

12. ● “Ultherapy & Neocutis Event: July 14th, 2015 ”
● “Introducing Laser Tattoo Removal”
● “20% OFF Injectable Party, April 11th”
● “Welcome Lindsay, Our New Aesthetician!”
News & Specials (25%)

13. ● Local events or news
● Commentary on local politics and economy
● Photo Journal: “local photo of the week”
● Patient feature: local residents share their industry-local
tips
● Announcements: sponsored charity event, food drive,
soup kitchen
Pure Local (25%)

14. ● “Man-Power: Botox For Men”
● “How To Choose The Right Injectable”
● “Lipo Vs. Tickle Lipo: What’s The Difference?”
● “Consciously Plastic: Gwyneth Paltrow Had Recent
Plastic Surgery ”
● “Full Tummy Tuck Vs. Mini Tummy Tuck”
Pure Industry (25%)

15. ● “7 Moderate Hikes in Denver For People With Venous
Deficiency ”
● “19 Unique Ways To Lose Weight in Miami”
● “Skin Care Tips Only A Northerner Would Understand”
● “Why New Yorker’s Do Aging Better”
● “9 Foods That Turn Back The Hands Of Time (and
where to find them in Orange County)”
Industry-Local (25%)

16. Co-produce content with
other businesses

17. ● 4-6 Chapters
● Split authorship
● You post their chapters
on your site, they post
yours on their site
● Both use PDF guide for
lead capture, email
campaigns, social posts

18. Contribute your goodwill

19. 1. Host a local event #instameet
#streetcleanup
#instameet

20. 2. Sponsor a local fundraiser

21. 3. Donate your time to a local charity
F*ck Cancer Foundation (Orange County)

22. 4. Offer a scholarship
Like, noooo
way, bud!
Gnarly!

23. Hyper-personalize your
patients’ experience

24. Handwritten thank you cards

25. Post-Op Phone Calls (from you, Doc)

26. Meet local journalists &
write for local publications

27. “Is that who you
spell botulinum
toxin? Botch-u-line-
um...”

28. Start an exclusive
“Ambassador” members-
only group

29. ● 20-25 of your best patients
● Meet once a month for an
exclusive dinner party
● Allowed to bring one friend to
dinner meeting
● Let your Ambassador club
brainstorm ideas for business
development within the
community
● Utilize your patients’ network
to build your own connections
(they’ll have a ton in your locale)
● Give the an exclusive
“members-only card

30. How can you fail?

31. Authenticity

32. Consistency

33. Patience

34. “Small is the new big, if
you act that way.”

35. Key takeaways
- Communities grow and form when there is something meaningful at the core of
the business beyond money.
- There has to be passion and authenticity at your core to attract and foster a
community around your brand.
- Community building is thinking about the people who care, not the masses.
- You’re a local business, so start acting like one. It’s where the opportunities
reside.
- Attract a stronger community -> grow your audience -> increase your bottom
line