How Maybe* supports local High Streets’ increase in digital skills, sales and footfall

by Amy Rountree

Supporting local High Streets is nothing new to Maybe*. We've been helping local High Streets drive and increase sales and footfall since 2017. In our early days, Maybe* was all about using social media conversations to drive physical visits in place. We built a campaign around the hashtag #WDYT (What Do You Think?).

The #WDYT campaign evolved into the Maybe* platform of today. We might look different, but the goals are still exactly the same. We support local High Streets and their businesses increase sales through social media activity.

Our success in Stafford lead us to develop the Maybe* platform and most recently the Local Rewards module.

In 2020 Maybe* became official Partners of the UK Government High Streets Task Force to which Maybe* supplies the social media data for all town dashboards. We are now working with a wide range of Local Authorities, BIDs and Placemakers across the UK to support high street businesses.

Here's how we got started in Stafford.

22%

YOY overall footfall increase

Up from 120th to 47th position

In the UK Digital Influence Index

13%

Average weekly increase in footfall throughout campaign

How Maybe* helped

Maybe* believes that all UK High streets are the sum of their digital parts and saw a direct correlation between how much conversation about a place was online, and the footfall it received.

So back in 2017 we created the Digital Influence Index which scored the UK towns and cities based upon how many businesses were on social media and how active they were. Stafford sat in 120th place. Over the six week campaign, Maybe* helped Stafford move to 47th place by getting 100s of independent businesses to increase their social media output.

The WDYT campaign supporting the local High Street for Stafford drove an average increase of 13% in footfall each week it was live. And by the end of 2017, the town had seen a 22% YOY growth in its footfall.

“The response from those businesses who have decided to get on board this positive campaign has been phenomenal".
“It is a tough retail environment but the High Street is evolving and I am pleased that so many of our businesses want to be part of that evolution rather than burying their heads in the sand".
“The TCP and Stafford Borough Council have backed the #WDYT campaign and it is great to see how well we are performing in the digital world.”

-Chris Lewis, Stafford Town Centre Partnership chairman

“It must be more than a coincidence that the period the #WDYT has been running has seen week-on-week footfall in the town centre increasing compared to last year.
“I congratulate all those businesses who have supported this initiative and those who have taken advantage of free workshops aimed at helping their trade. It is great to see more people in town and I hope those businesses who have come on board will be rewarded for their drive and enthusiasm.”

-Francis Beatty, Stafford Borough Councillor

Supporting local High Streets in 2021 with Local Rewards

Fast forward to 2021, and Maybe* is still supporting High Streets sell more with social media. The world has changed since the COVID-19 pandemic and with most businesses locked down, businesses need more support than ever to stay connected and sell to customers.

At the end of 2020, to help High Streets recover from COVID, the Maybe* team has created Local Rewards. Local Rewards is a nationwide program that increases local spend by connecting shoppers, local businesses and places via social media, transactions and chat.

Local Rewards connects every UK High Street with:

> A live local shopping guide that updates automatically

> A way to reach shoppers when they are nearby

> An infrastructure that rewards shoppers for their local spend

? Get involved during Lockdown and be ready to re-open .

Discover the Local Town Guides

How Maybe* supports local High Streets’ increase in digital skills, sales and footfall

22%

Up from 120th to 47th position

13%

How Maybe* helped

Supporting local High Streets in 2021 with Local Rewards

Read more case studies from Maybe*

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