Chamber Announces New Online Solution for Shopping Local
July 13, 2017, OAK PARK, IL: The Oak Park - River Forest Chamber of Commerce sent the following letter to Chamber Members today.
Chamber Members -
We have some good news!
For those wanting to take advantage of the “shop local” momentum, the Chamber will be presenting you with a FREE online solution developed by a local tech firm and designed expressly for local, independent businesses.
The solution is called “Poaster” and is launching this month in the Oak Park - River Forest area. The Chamber has had an opportunity to collaborate with Poaster; they are looking forward to working hand-in-hand with us to deliver something truly impactful to you. Business members pay nothing to market and sell with Poaster, so it’s effectively The Anti-Groupon. It’s a way for OPRF independents to offer locals exclusive online opportunities.
Customers find and shop for your deals on a proprietary “OPRF PoasterBoard” live feed or through social media. They’ll redeem offers onsite in your restaurants, businesses and shops (also at no extra cost to them). Poaster will promote the OPRF PoasterBoard throughout Oak Park and River Forest - again, at no cost to you. (The Chamber pays for the right to offer this solution to businesses in our community.)
Briefly, it works like this: you snap a photo of a product or of your business, type in a short description and choose a call to action - either Buy Now, Call Now or Book Now (it works for all B2C businesses whether you are a retailer, restaurant or service provider.) Hit submit and the “poast” / post is active for up to three days, promoted through social media, an online “OPRF PoasterBoard” website and a consumer app. If you already are posting your daily specials or ads to social media, this is one more free channel for you to use.
Since there is no delivery option, customers who purchase your product online must come into the store to pick up. Service business and restaurants customers will be directed to your current online booking system or will have the option to call you directly. Poaster is designed to drive traffic into your business.
Next week, you will receive a link to join Poaster via an email from me. Because this is sponsored by the Chamber, you must get an invite from us to be part of the merchant circle of “poasters”. On Saturday I will send you a follow-up email with a link to a video and some information about how it works. In the coming days, you’ll read more about what Poaster is and does in the local press. You’ll also receive an email including a few details necessary to your participation.
Please look for the emails to come - and especially your invitation to Poaster. I think you’ll agree this click-to-mortar idea offers everyone in our community the shopping convenience of an online marketplace while at the same time enlivening our streets and enriching our local entrepreneurs.
For questions or comments, contact Cathy Yen, Executive Director, 708.205.4766 or email her at cyen@oprfchamber.org