Small Business Saturday is a shopping holiday created by American Express in 2010. It’s the day after Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and it’s meant to encourage shoppers to support small businesses.
51 million people participated in Small Business Saturday sales last year, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF), and 71% of them said they were doing their Christmas shopping expressly to support local companies. Therefore, on the day following the customary Black Friday deals, savvy shops are seeking ways to differentiate themselves and increase their share of the Buy-Local Movement.
Unfortunately, a lot of recommendations are merely meant to promote storewide deals and significant discounts. If you own a small business, taking part in the festivities might significantly increase your revenue over the Christmas season. Let’s examine 20 suggestions for Small Business Saturday that you might employ to grow your company this year.
Top Small Business Saturday Marketing Ideas
- Bundle your merchandise
Offering 20% off your whole store is just as simple. Shoppers will be out and about spending their money, and you want to draw in individuals who aren’t simply seeking a deal. Online or on the street, there is always someone less expensive. Find things instead that you can purchase as a package. Even if it’s only a gift card to your retail location, that deal is far superior to a huge storewide discount since it encourages people to return and use their gift cards there.
- Give back to a local charity
Gather donations. Have your Main Street invest in a park, prune the trees, plant new outfits for the high school chorus, you name it. When consumers witness companies improving the planet, it makes them feel good. Giving back builds trust and goodwill. This way, individuals represent 67% of total charitable giving, showing the power of collective generosity.
- Cooperate with other small businesses
Gather your neighborhood businesses together to develop a humorous marketing plan. You can watch how a scavenger hunt was held in Canyon, Texas. You may make a passport, like Detroit did one year, or find additional retail marketing suggestions here.
- Get shoppers’ names
Take advantage of this chance to invite visitors to your website to like your Facebook page. Have them register on a special iPad to get your newsletter. It’s imperative to get their names and social media handles because you must continue to interact with these customers even after the Thanksgiving leftovers have been consumed.
- Create and share positive energy
Share examples of kindness, good deeds made by your customers, or maybe about some pleasant encounter you had the day before. This contributes to the development of a positive retail environment. That is crucial when attempting to convert busy buyers into devoted patrons.
- Use free or low-cost resources for marketing campaigns
For Small Company Saturday, business owners have access to a wealth of services. For instance, American Express provides a center for marketing resources that includes posters, unique social media postings, and more for various sectors. On Canva or Desygner, you may also get template tools for producing eye-catching marketing pieces that would best work for your small business ideas.
- Stay loud on social media
For brand exposure, social media company marketing might be useful. To engage users, you may include comedy, promotions, sneak peeks, “behind the scenes” glimpses, and product details in your status updates.
- Place a newspaper ad
Newspapers are a great way to connect with your neighborhood. Promote your company in your neighborhood newspaper to get the word out. The weekend entertainment component is beneficial for pubs, cafés, and restaurants. Service providers, meanwhile, typically have more success concentrating on classified advertisements.
- Rent a billboard
Although digital advertising now predominates, you shouldn’t discount the power of a billboard. You may still get a comparable, but modest effect if you don’t have the funds for a full-fledged billboard by distributing leaflets across the area in public places like parks, community centers, local stores, libraries, and supermarkets.
- Use Instagram or Facebook ads
You most likely already have a presence on social media if you run a small business. Instagram and Facebook advertising may be effective marketing strategies to draw in new clients. Your costs can be as little or as much as your budget will allow since you have control over how much you spend.
- Make use of hashtags
A hashtag is a word or phrase that has the hashtag sign (#) before it. It’s a method of organizing information around a theme that enables marketers to plan and interact with people through social media postings.
- Send email blasts
Email marketing allows you to stand out and is a great option for small businesses looking to have a significant effect. Beginning at least a week or two before Small Business Saturday, email newsletters should be sent out. Customers will then be informed of any impending sales or coupon codes that may be associated with the event.
- Segment your email list
Keep in mind that you do not need to send the same email or offers to everyone on your email list. For instance, you may reach out to consumers you haven’t spoken to in a while with a unique offer to revive them as customers.
- Host a giveaway on social media
You may run a giveaway if you already have a following or want to grow it. Depending on whether you want to grow your business or get fans, there are several ways to achieve this.
- Offer a special discount
Try to be smart rather than just giving a general 20% off storewide deal. For those that subscribe to your company newsletter or follow you on social media, for instance, you may offer a discount.
- Create an advance purchase discount
Are you a gardener, or a tennis coach, or do you provide services comparable to those in a slow season? You may designate a unique discount for in-advance purchases that you can use later. This makes it more likely that your clients will contact you when the weather warms up once more.
- Make it a party
Shoppers enjoy being motivated and engaged. What better way to accomplish that than with a celebration? An event, such as a hands-on, interactive activity or an in-store product sample display, might be planned in advance.
- Feed your customers
Have you ever agreed to let someone buy you lunch only to spend the entire day helping them move? Or made a five-mile detour to use a voucher for a free cup of coffee at a certain coffee shop? Providing snacks for families out on the town is a fantastic Small Business Saturday concept since people adore free food. You might inquire about safe food practices at neighborhood eateries to obtain some suggestions or perhaps to cross-promote your companies.
- Have an open house
Open houses allow potential clients to learn more about your company and its offerings without making a purchase decision. Additionally, it’s a great opportunity to meet your neighbors. You may share electronic business cards, provide discounts, refreshments, raffle tickets for prizes, and other incentives in exchange for individuals joining your email list.
- Tie your marketing efforts to the season
How do other company owners stand out when the retail and food and beverage industries are naturally on everyone’s mind at this time of year? If you’re a hairstylist, you may give hairdo suggestions for Christmas gatherings, for instance. Or perhaps bundles for post-shopping relaxation from massage professionals, while financial advisors can hold a course on planning a holiday budget
Conclusion
Small Business Saturday can become a great opportunity to work toward illuminating and uplifting your neighborhood. You may maximize the benefits of Small Business Saturday by utilizing both digital marketing strategies, such as social media ads and email campaigns, as well as more conventional strategies, such as print advertising.
Andrej Fedek is the creator and the one-person owner of two blogs: InterCool Studio and CareersMomentum. As an experienced marketer, he is driven by turning leads into customers with White Hat SEO techniques. Besides being a boss, he is a real team player with a great sense of equality.