Community-Powered Small Business Development
CASE STUDY: Longwood University SBDC
A story-based marketing approach to revitalizing rural communities through small business development.
The Challenge
Increasing awareness of the Longwood Small Business Development Center’s (SBDC’s) free classes and consulting services for aspiring, new and experienced small business owners.
The Growth
The Approach
With an integrated retainer, Letterpress worked to raise awareness of regional small business success and economic impact made possible by the Longwood SBDC. Strategies included a campaign creation for social media, website management, press releases, an annual report, and client success stories shared through blog and video.
The Team
Letterpress believes in engaging input and buy-in from the community surrounding any effort. For the SBDC this included:
The Stories
We believe storytelling is key in building relationships and success. With the Longwood SBDC team, we worked to:
- Tell the stories of entrepreneurs who received support and advice from the SBDC.
- Share the impact the SBDC has had on small business growth by highlighting numbers such as jobs created, funding received and profit increases.
- Feature stories about the growth and economic development in the area supported by the SBDC.
We are a mission-driven company. We only work with organizations that we believe have a positive impact in their communities. The SBDC has supported entrepreneurial growth and economic development in Southside Virginia. In 2021, the SBDC:
The Good
The Learnings
Highlight your audience’s success.
When your audience helps tell your story, it leads to engagement and exposure for you! By highlighting small business owners who have worked with Longwood SBDC, we not only give them a platform for promoting their businesses, but we advertise the SBDC’s resources, encouraging others to sign up for classes and one-on-one consultations.
Emphasize quantitative impact.
Pointing to tangible evidence of success small business owners achieved with the support of SBDC attracts buy-in for stakeholders who support the SBDC financially.
Letterpress has helped Longwood SBDC creatively tell our client stories with more depth and greater appeal to the broader community.
— Sheri McGuire, Executive Director, Longwood Small Business Development Center
