Promote your deal on holiday shopping sites. Find out if your local papers and news sites are promoting Small Business Saturday deals, and if they are, prepare a media alert or get your information to the editors post haste. Another idea from Schitter: For all of Small Business Saturday’s growth, this is still an event that’s not widely touted. Make a photo collage. A marketing idea that Spencer X. Smith, of Madison, Wis., has remembered since his days of running a band is to find ways to use your existing social media channels to help someone else. The vendor and employees will naturally share and engage with the posts, bringing visibility to both you and team. Notes Riviere, American Express (one of the primary creators and proponents of Small Business Saturday) provides a variety of resources such as the ability to list a store or site on the Small Business Saturday website, boosting the brand’s SEO and also drawing more shoppers. Social media is a great way to spread the word about what you’re doing during Small Business Saturday. Another idea from Riviere: Offer Saturday shoppers an extra discount if they’ll tag your business on social media with #ShopSmall. This will increase your social media impressions and boost SEO for your website as well.
- Offer a deal. This is one of several ideas from Lori Riviere, of PR Couture: Provide a discount or a gift with purchase that can lure additional eyes to your website or footsteps into your store. Promote your deal on holiday shopping sites. Find out if your local papers and news sites are promoting Small Business Saturday deals, and if they are, prepare a media alert or get your information to the editors post haste. Promote your deal on your social media properties as well. Speaking of which:
- Spiff up your Facebook page, now. Alex Schitter, marketing specialist and communications coordinator for In Touch Credit Union, in Plano, Texas, says, “I think the best advice you can give folks participating in Small Business Saturday is to get their Facebook page polished, now. Have the hours displayed prominently and post photos to showcase the business and products offered. Don’t worry about costly video—it’s not a necessity.” This approach is not limited to “last minute” shoppers or “impulse buyers. Savvy shoppers do their homework before shopping and will do the majority of their decision making online, Schitter says. They also share what they’ve found, so make your posts interesting and visually appealing as well. Direct them to the people living nearby, and extend the courtesy of mentioning popular shops, salons, restaurants near your business as well, as it will also help to increase interest in a particular neighborhood. Another idea from Schitter: For all of Small Business Saturday’s growth, this is still an event that’s not widely touted. ShopSmall.com provides resources to help, but at the current late point, Facebook, online advertising, event guides and town websites (if they’re willing to include the shops and services who participate)…
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