We are just shy of two weeks from Small Business Saturday and if you haven’t already, now is the time to make the most of your marketing efforts as a small business owner. Inspired by Entrepreneur’s 21 Simple Ideas for a Successful Small Business Saturday, the following five suggestions are easy to tackle in the time remaining before November 24.
Leverage more support for your small business by connecting with your customers with these five marketing moves…
Tack on Extra Time
We know the holiday season is hectic, perhaps more so for small business owners than anyone else. While you might feel like an elf in Santa’s workshop, rushing to fill last minute orders, you need to tap into your energy reserves and tack on extra time to your workday. Stretch your regular business schedule to accommodate Small Business Saturday shoppers a little longer. They’ll appreciate it and you’ll have time for more sales. It’s a win-win.
Of course, extra time only works if people know about it. Make sure you announce your Small Business Saturday hours on social media and update your website to reflect the change (just make sure you switch it back on Sunday). Posting ahead of time on social media gives shoppers the chance to plan and will generate interest in attendance. Speaking of…
Incentivize Attendance
Giveaways are a great way to get people in the door and gather more names and addresses for your email campaigns, flyers, postcards, etc. Consider what signature item or service best represents your brand and feature that as the giveaway goodie for those who come through your door.
Deny Deep Discounts
Deep discounts are best reserved for Black Friday mega-retailers. Seriously slashed prices are the sole reason shoppers brave the cold and chaos on Black Friday. For that reason, discounting merchandise is the only way these big businesses can compete with each other. Offering discounts as a small business defeats the point of Small Business Saturday. Shoppers come out in support of small business, not psychotic savings.
Celebrate Charitable Giving
‘Tis the season, after all, and a smart way to connect with customers is to show them where some portion of their money spent will go. Think about which local charities and organizations matter to you, your team, or your community, in particular. Pledge to donate a percentage of profits from Small Business Saturday to the charity of your choice and share the plan on social media and signage throughout your store.
Be Savvy About Social Media
Solicit selfies from shoppers during your Small Business Saturday event and invite your customers to share them on your social media channels. Remind them to post using the Small Business Saturday hashtags, and make sure they tag your business in the process. Some small businesses have even provided a reason to check-in on social media channels, offering shoppers a small prize for doing so while shopping.
Have fun with Small Business Saturday, but take some steps to secure the most support possible. From one small business to another, we salute you and wish you your best Small Business Saturday yet!
