LIMESTONE Coast residents will be encouraged to shop local first through a campaign spearheaded by Wattle Range Council to help reduce the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on regional businesses.
The Go Local First social media initiative encourages Wattle Range residents to support the regional economy through a targeted social media campaign.
Council has developed a number of social media templates for council and business use to enhance circulation of the messaging.
Welcoming the initiative, Di’s Gifts and Flowers owner Diane Williams hoped the campaign would be expanded beyond social media and into other mainstream media forms to reach all demographics.,
“That would help get the word out there because the more help the better,” Ms Williams said.
“We will not know how successful the campaign will be until it is over but any help is good help.”
Ms Williams believed most businesses within Penola had been able to cope recently despite COVID-19 and the South Australian-Victorian borders being shut.
“We are fortunate enough to have the seven day a week trading that a lot of locals in the Limestone Coast know about and we have had some visitors from outlying areas come through and visit us during the week and on weekends which has been good,” she said.
“The campaign will have that flow on effect like when someone shops local here it will flow-on through the accountant, hairdresser or retail work and will continue to support that circle that supports the entire community.”
Ms Williams said the campaign was a positive step to highlight Penola businesses to the region during the pandemic in a short amount of time.
