Among the chaos of the festival season, people often show their interest in buying products from big retailers and online stores. On the other hand, small businesses must stand out with their handmade cookies and cheese, which has a legacy of more than 70 years, and wait for customers to make a purchase. When nothing seems to work out, it can feel like it's time to give up and focus on recovering their spending.
With the passion for nurturing small businesses, Small Business Saturday was founded by American Express. It's a day dedicated to helping small businesses get customers through their doors after Thanksgiving. More than just a shopping experience, it's about creating a social experience for the local community, making the neighborhood even more vibrant and showing that it matters.
Ways to Market Your Business on Small Business Saturday
Small Business Saturday is a way to connect you to the local stores you see every day. It's an occasion to support those who are the backbone of the American economy. With great deals on unique products and services, you can find them on the street.
Running Promotions
Offer exclusive deals on your products in advance, such as coupons and vouchers. This gives customers early access and makes them feel valued. You can also make them feel special with freebies on their purchases, encouraging them to look forward to your deals next year.
Join Neighborhood Events
On this day, you can help arrange events in your town to bring together regional brands and stores. Through these opportunities, you'll create brand awareness for your store and build a network of people to help scale your business.
Customer Testimonials
Get their experiences with your products or services via messages and emails, and convert them into social media posts. Spreading the word about your happy customers leads to creating trust in your store and brings new people to you.
Partnership with other Small Businesses
Collaborate with a food and drink restaurant to support their business in your store. You could create a mini-snack area in front of your store so that after customers make a purchase, you can have a friendly conversation with them.
Giveaways and Contests
Create buzz on social media platforms to grab a wider audience for your business, engaging with them in terms of comments, tags, and shares. This creates positive word-of-mouth that can bring exponential growth to your business.
Influencer Marketing
For the most impactful message, work with a micro-influencer who already has experience with your product. This approach is often more effective than using a macro-influencer and helps your audience receive the right message.
Publicity
Participate in local outlet stories conducted by the local media. Through this, you can share your special offerings, Small Business Saturday plans, milestones, and complimentary items, creating excitement for customers to purchase your products.
Reminder Message
Keep connecting with your customers on Small Business Saturday through alert emails to remind them. You can reveal a secret of your coupons little by little, prompting them to open the email.
Behind-the-scenes
Tell stories about your store's legacy and show the preparation that goes into it. You can highlight how your team works and how your products are made. This helps bring your audience closer and makes them feel like they're getting an authentic experience.
Leaving them with a sense of happiness:
Competing with prominent businesses is crucial during the holiday season, but Small Business Saturday offers a unique opportunity to gain customers who are eager to support their local community.
By creating flyers and posters and collaborating with other local businesses, you can share the message of "shop small" and "welcome to the neighborhood." This gives customers a special feeling about their shopping experience. Customers also feel that a community partnership is a win-win solution, which allows them to have lasting positive memories in your store.
