Using AI to Highlight Your Community: The Smartest Content Strategy You’re Not Using
- Brooke Silva
- Sep 18
- 5 min read
Think about the last time you discovered a new coffee shop, festival, or family-owned restaurant because someone shared it online. That’s the power of community content — it spreads because people care.
When it comes to creating content, most small businesses and professionals run into the same problem:
What do I post next?
The answer is right outside your door. And I’ve made it even easier for you — read on for links to two custom GPTs I created. The first generates 20 interview questions you can send to any business, event planner, or charity organizer. The second takes those questions and answers and turns them into a polished, SEO-friendly blog that shines a spotlight on your community.
I use this exact process to help real estate agents and small business owners build trust, grow visibility, and strengthen their local brand. And it works — because people are always curious about the stories behind the places they love.
Spotlighting your community isn’t just a feel-good exercise—it’s one of the smartest, most sustainable local business marketing strategies you can use. It builds relationships, earns organic reach, and gives you an endless pipeline of stories your audience actually cares about.
Meet Your Two Community-Highlighting Tools
Step 1: The Local Interviewer
When to use it: After you’ve had a conversation and identified a local business, charity, or event you want to feature.
How it works:
Open the GPT using the link above. You should see Rosie the Puppy Reporter in the icon.
Tell it the type of business or event you’re spotlighting (for example: “a family-owned restaurant in Austin, TX”)
Receive 20 thoughtful, professional interview questions you can send directly to the business owner, event planner, or charity organizer
It will also craft an email you can copy, paste, and send to the business owner so reaching out is quick and professional
These questions cover everything from their passions and why they started, to favorite products, services, community involvement, and even special events or discount codes they want to promote.
Step 2: The Local Storyteller
When to use it: Once your interview questions come back answered.
How it works:
Open the GPT using the link above. You should see Rosie the Puppy Blogger in the icon.
Copy and paste the interview questions and the answers into the GPT
Add all of the business’s contact information when prompted (phone, email, address, social links, website)
The GPT creates a gorgeous, positive, SEO-friendly blog that highlights the business and positions them as a key part of your community
Get 5 SEO-ready blog title options and a suggested meta description
Paste the finished copy into your blog, hit publish, and you’re ready to go
1) You never run out of stories
Every coffee shop, dog groomer, festival, and fitness studio has a story. When you interview them and share it, you’ve got meaningful material for blogs, social posts, and newsletters. It’s a win-win: you get content; they get visibility.
2) It builds real relationships
Interviews create genuine connection. You’re not broadcasting—you’re showing up for the people who make your town special. That goodwill lasts longer than any ad campaign.
3) It positions you as a community leader
When you consistently champion others, people start to associate you with being helpful, plugged-in, and trustworthy. You become the “go-to” for what’s good locally.
4) It boosts engagement (for free)
People love to share content that features them. Highlight a local shop, and they’ll post it to their channels. Feature an event, and attendees will pass it around. That’s organic reach built on real connection.
5) It works everywhere
One interview can be repurposed into a blog, a carousel for Instagram, a LinkedIn post, an email spotlight, and even short-form video. One conversation fuels a full week of content.
How to Research Local Businesses to Spotlight
Before you start interviewing, you’ll need a list of businesses in your area. Here’s a simple research prompt you can use in ChatGPT (or another AI tool) to build a list fast.
Prompt Template (Copy & Paste): “Create a list of local small businesses in [CITY, STATE or AREA] that fall under the category of [TYPE OF BUSINESS].
For each business, include:
Business name
Address
Phone number
Website link
Social media links (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc.) — include only if available.”
Examples:
“Create a list of local small businesses in South Austin, TX that fall under the category of coffee shops.”
“Create a list of local small businesses in Boston, MA that fall under the category of pet grooming services.”
“Create a list of local small businesses in Denver, CO that fall under the category of family fun centers.”
This gives you a clean, ready-to-use list you can pull from when deciding who to interview next.
Local Businesses to Spotlight
Every community looks different, and every person has their own priorities. For some it’s a trusted dentist, for others it’s a go-to yoga studio, or a Saturday morning farmers market. These categories aren’t meant to be one-size-fits-all — they’re simply a way to spark ideas and get your brain moving about the kinds of small businesses you can highlight in your own area.
Everyday Community Services
Everyday Life | Home & Repairs | Health & Wellness | Pets |
Coffee shops & cafés | Electricians | Pediatricians | Vets (general & emergency) |
Childcare & tutoring | Plumbers | Dentists | Groomers |
Local banks & insurance | Roofers | Chiropractors | Dog walkers |
Cleaning services | Painters | Fitness coaches | Pet boarding/daycare |
Community Lifestyle & Fun
Restaurants & Food | Family Entertainment | Sports & Fitness | Nightlife |
Family-owned restaurants | Trampoline parks | Gyms & studios | Neighborhood pubs |
Food trucks & cafés | Skating rinks | Yoga & pilates | Craft breweries |
Farmers markets | Escape rooms | Martial arts | Wine bars |
Bakeries & dessert shops | Museums & art studios | Youth leagues | Live music venues |
When you shine a light on your community, you never run out of content. Every interview you share becomes more than just a blog or a post — it becomes part of the story of your town. Start by choosing a category above, use The Local Interviewer to create your questions, then paste the answers into The Local Storyteller. Their stories are waiting to be told — and by telling them, you’re building a stronger, more connected community.
Pro Tip:Once your blog copy is finished, copy and paste the entire blog post into ChatGPT. Then ask the following:
Prompt (Copy & Paste):“Write 3 separate social media posts for this blog.
1 for Instagram (conversational, engaging, tell readers to head to my blog at [insert website name] since links don’t work in captions)
1 for Facebook (community-focused, warm tone, encourage comments/shares, include [insert blog post link])
1 for LinkedIn (professional yet approachable, highlight value for local networking, include [insert blog post link])
Each post should end with this line: Do you have a local business, event or charity you want featured? Reach out to [insert your contact info here].”
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