As Thanksgiving draws nearer, so does Small Business Saturday. The day after the big box store focused Black Friday presents a tremendous business opportunity for mom and pop and independent shops all over the country. According to American Express, consumers spent an estimated $5.5 billion at locally-owned stores and restaurants on Small Business Saturday in 2012. With many big name department stores starting to leak their Black Friday sales, and some retailers planning to open at 6 am on Thanksgiving, SMBs need to let their customers know now and often that they’ll be participating in Small Business Saturday. Here are a few ways to help boost your biz’s visibility this Small Business Saturday.
Utilize the appropriate hashtags.
Although Facebook is a bit of a hashtag wasteland, they’re still alive and effective on Twitter and Google Plus. By seeking out and using tags like #shopsmall and #smallbizsat, you can give your promotional posts more visibility than they would normally receive. Be sure to follow and engage with the official Small Business Saturday Twitter account (@ShopSmall) for the chance at extra exposure.
Use targeted Facebook advertising.
Sponsored stories are a great way to promote your content beyond your normal Facebook audience. By creating a post around your Small Business Saturday specials, and including an image of one of your special items, you’ll have a sponsored piece that is visually appealing as well as informative. To make your post as effective as possible, though, be sure to target your audience reach. Seek out users who are interested in the categories your products fall into, as well as users who live in or very near your city.
Highlight your team with photos and posts.
One of the major goals of Small Business Saturday is getting the community reengaged with the mom and pop shops it may have forgotten about. Chances are, your team is made up of friends and family members of your customer base. Take the time to highlight them in social posts or site posts. Highlighting your team members will help build that sense of community, help build a connection between you and your would-be customers and inspire support from shoppers who are seeing the faces behind the storefront.
Remind your customer base through email blasts.
Craft an email blast that highlights your specials and emphasizes your participation in Small Business Saturday. Emphasize how the shopping day as a whole benefits the community, and feel free to carry over your team promotion into the email itself. This is a great way to reach users who aren’t interested in social media, but look forward to email blasts.
What other strategies will you be using to promote your SMB on that Saturday? Share them with us.
