May kicks off with National Small Business Week. That is usually a cause for celebration for those brave enough to set out on their own and start a business using their creativity and ideas. However, this year, everywhere I turn, I hear about product-based small businesses panicking over tariffs impacting their ability to afford the materials and inventory they need for their products and stores.
So, I wanted to do my part as a service business to provide marketing tips to help bring in and retain more customers through marketing.
Here are three ideas to help your customers understand the tariff situation. Share these on social media posts, emails and your website
1. Tell Your Story As It Is Right Now
You are human, your customers are human. By telling your story, be honest about your worry about rising costs due to tariffs that will cause you to raise your prices. Your customers may not know what goes on behind the scenes to get a product in your shop.
Explain how tariffs are impacting you; even show the receipts.
A great example is one of my favorite retro clothing makers, Classic Rock Couture, who told their story on Instagram. See here. She was worried her customers would leave her due to raising her prices. When they found out why, they rallied behind her in the comments.
Telling your story:
- Humanizes your brand.
- Show how dedicated you are to your customers.
- Builds long-term loyalty.
2. Share Behind the Scenes
Your customers may not know all the hard work that goes into getting a product into your shop. Whether you make it yourself or source inventory, show them what it takes to make your product—from beginning to end—and how those costs are affected. When people see the value, they’re more willing to pay for it.
Behind-the-scenes content could include:
- A video tour of how you make your product.
- A day-in-the-life journal-style entry of how you source materials or products.
- A post highlighting a supplier or artisan you partner with.
- A breakdown of cost categories (labor, materials, shipping.)
3. Let Them Know Your Values
With potential rising prices on goods, people are also holding back on spending and looking at how to spend more “intentionally.” Instead of buying cheap, disposable products, they will look at what and who provides the most value. If they see your small business aligns with their values, such as being honest and transparent, striving for sustainability and ethical production or being a well-liked contributor to the community, they are more likely to support you during this difficult time.
This content could address:
- Why shopping small matters.
- How the money shoppers spend goes back into the business.
- How you source ethically even when prices rise.
By using storytelling in your marketing content and sharing your story right now, customers will see you as human and be understanding of price increases. And they may be more compelled to shop from you now and in the future.
If you need help finding your story and creating content around this difficult time, contact me. I’m happy to assist!
Photo by Mike Petrucci