On September 1, Ally Bowersock settled in before her phone’s camera and hit record. On the first of the month, Bowersock, the owner of RunAbout Sports in Roanoke, VA, presented a new challenge, one prompted by the closure of a beloved local coffee shop.
“Pick a small business you haven’t visited in a while, or ever, invite your friends to join you there and support them before it’s too late,” Bowersock sais.
In supporting a small business in the area, Bowersock reminded, customers were helping a local family contribute to the community’s liveliness.
“This is a small ask for one choice you make this month that could mean the difference between a small business paying its bills or shutting its doors,” Bowersock wrote in the caption.
Making its case
The video – titled Buy Local or BYE Local – was the latest in an ongoing series of Instagram posts Bowersock has created to spotlight the importance of shopping local, if not directly touting the liveliness and expertise of her 11-year-old running shop.
From announcing Best Running Store nods to detailing the economics of shopping local to sharing Yelp reviews, run specialty shops often take to social media platforms to tout their value to customers and the community at large.
At RunAbout, Bowersock has simply made it routine.
She has created videos highlighting her store’s expertise and providing a peek behind the RunAbout curtain to show the shop’s character and competence. She has developed content to promote her business as one locals should know. And she has outlined the varied benefits of shopping at an independent run specialty shop.
“It’s important to establish trust and become someone people can rely on,” Bowersock says.
Much of Bowersock’s content originates from questions or comments she receives from customers or friends. While promoting RunAbout is certainly a goal, so, too, does she want customers to feel confident about RunAbout as a credible, welcoming operation with a service-oriented mission.
“If we can weaken the intimidation factor that can often accompany a trip to the running store, particularly among those new to the sport or at the start of the fitness journey, that’s a real plus,” she says.
Bowersock regularly shares online reviews from RunAbout customers, particularly those praising a staff member. This July 26 post highlighted Katie, whom customer Kathy called “knowledgeable and a terrific help.” Kathy went on to celebrate RunAbout as a “true value” in the community.
“Great inventory and I am impressed with the individual attention given to the customer,” Kathy wrote in her five-star Google review.
Bowersock says posting customer reviews provides valuable social proof of RunAbout’s quality and also gives her a chance to shoutout great staff members like Katie, who heads up the local Special Olympics track program in addition to working at RunAbout.
Bowersock’s informational video was prompted by a comment from a running neighbor. He was convinced footwear at RunAbout carried a premium cost, which led him to shop around for his newest running shoes.
“If he didn’t understand this, then who knows what others think?” reasoned Bowersock, who created this video to attack a common misconception run specialty shops across the country hear.
Using the Hoka Bondi as an example, Bowersock explained how MAP policy created a universal, price-protected cost for current running models. Yet more, the local running shop delivered “a warm fuzzy” with each purchase, such as a complimentary gift, hug or follow-up email.
“When you purchase a shoe, you are literally voting with your dollars, whether you want that $174.95 to go to a small business, to go to Amazon, to go to Zappos, to go to a franchise with 174-plus locations … that is your vote,” Bowersock says in the video. “[But] you are not paying any more.”
In this carousel post, Bowersock emphasizes the validity and coolness of shopping local. The post highlights RunAbout’s numerous points of pride and reminds that “small is chic.”
For instance, RunAbout is a woman-owned small business that gives back to its community, participates in local events, rallies friends around great causes, teaches kids healthy living and offers inclusive run/walk clubs.
Bowersock herself didn’t create this content but rather collaborated with a local runner (@LaurenRunsLong), who walked into RunAbout, detailed fun, helpful products and touted RunAbout as a woman-owned small business.
“If you haven’t been to RunAbout lately, you’re missing out!” LaurenRunsLong wrote in the caption. “From fun spring colorways for shoes to cool gear and top-tier nutrition products, Ally and her staff have you covered! RunAbout also hosts FREE training groups for distances from 10K to marathon and a ton of other events like strength training classes and socials. They’ve built the coolest community of both trail and road runners.”
While Bowersock isn’t making the case for RunAbout herself in this video, there’s undeniable power in someone else championing her store as a must-visit destination.
The caption to this short video pinned to RunAbout’s Instagram feed begins: “We’ve got a lot of new [eyeballs], so a little intro is in order!” The video then spotlights RunAbout’s group runs, community outreach, staff and store while inviting visitors to learn about activities, resources and products the store has to help people enhance their fitness journey or enjoy the outdoors.
“This video puts a face to the store,” Bowersock says. “We’re not a nebulous building, but a living, breathing vision of something greater than retail.”
Noting that “upselling wellness is everywhere,” Bowersock created this post to counter influencers peddling half-truths and products. She promoted maximizing sleep, finding genuine social connections, moving daily and drinking water as the fundamentals of healthy living. While acknowledging RunAbout carries items – footwear, hydration mixes and insoles among them – with a clear purpose and benefit, she reminded that a closet full of products isn’t the goal.
“We want to be as transparent as powerful because we want people to trust us,” says Bowersock, who designed the post to position RunAbout as a credible operation offering thoughtful guidance and expertise.
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