In 2010, American Express started Small Business Saturday, a day dedicated to supporting small businesses during the holiday season. In 2011, Small Business Saturday was officially co-sponsored by the Small Business Association (SBA), and has since grown to become one of the busiest shopping days for small businesses. In 2022, spending among U.S. consumers who shopped at independent retailers and restaurants on Small Business Saturday reached an estimated $17.9 billion.
Each year, Small Business Saturday is celebrated on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. This year, that day falls on Saturday, November 25th. In order to get the most out of Small Business Saturday, you should ideally be coming up with a plan to promote special offers at least 3 weeks ahead of time. If you haven’t come up with a promotional plan yet, here are some things that you can do:
Offer special discounts and promotions
Similarly to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday is a great opportunity to draw in more customers with special deals. According to a survey by Infusionsoft and Pollfish, some of the most popular Small Business Saturday promotions include: limited-time offers, free gift offers, coupon discounts, and “buy one, get one free” offers. Creating these kinds of deals can help drive sales, attract new customers, and encourage customer loyalty beyond the holiday season. Determine which kind of discount or promotion is best for your business to influence Small Business Saturday spending, and don’t forget to stock up on any items included in such deals.
Partner up with other small businesses
Small Business Saturday also provides a great opportunity to connect with other small businesses in your community. If there are businesses close to you that work in similar industries or have complementary products, partnering up to promote your businesses can be an innovative way to bring in new customers. In your partnerships you can create special bundles or offer discounts for customers who shop at both stores. Or you may consider teaming up to host an event to draw people in. No matter what your partnership entails, creating these kinds of connections with other small businesses around you can strengthen your overall sense of community and build important relationships within the business world.
Promote on social media
Social media is a cost-free way to spread the word about Small Business Saturday and your business’s deals. Creating captivating and informative posts to share leading up to the holiday can be an easy way to build momentum and get people excited to shop with you.
While putting together your social media marketing plan, you should be considering three things: what platforms you want to use, what you want to post, and what you want to get out of it. Social media can be used to create awareness of your business and your products or it can be used to drive more traffic to your site andr physical store. Make sure you have specific goals in mind when crafting your posts.
In order to best build momentum for Small Business Saturday, you should be posting about your promotions once or twice a week leading up to the day. Your posts should have all the necessary information that your customers need to participate, such as your location or any relevant promotion details.
Utilize other marketing strategies
Social media marketing is important, but don’t neglect your other marketing efforts. The holiday season provides another great opportunity to revamp your marketing strategy and put out more advertising, so that you can draw more attention to your business. For Small Business Saturday, you may consider beefing up your local marketing strategy to make sure your community is aware of your business and any special promotions you’ll be offering.
Regardless of the direction you take in your marketing strategy, ensure that overall your messaging is comprehensive and easy for potential customers to understand. Being clear throughout your marketing about what you offer and what makes your business special can help influence more people to shop with your business this holiday season.
Small Business Saturday can be a big day for your business, so make sure you’re taking advantage of it. You don’t want to miss out on potential business because you weren’t fully prepared. Take the time to get yourself and your business ready now, so you can get the most out of the holiday when it arrives!
By Michaela Lenahan in Small Business
