In this article, you’ll discover new research that shows why small businesses should maintain a consistent social presence all year long, and why small- and medium-sized businesses should participate in larger, holistic holiday campaigns. The survey of 1,653 people showed that: 58% of respondents are aware of Small Business Saturday (up from 55% the previous year). Small businesses should post regularly about Small Business Saturday in November and use popular event hashtags. When you consider recent surveys of how small business owners use social media along with surveys of what customers find most useful during the holiday season, you can gain insights into what social media efforts are most effective. The BIA/Kelsey’s Local Commerce Monitor (Wave 20/Q3 2016) survey of 1,000 small business owners discovered that 77.6% of the respondents use social media for brand awareness and general promotion. The 1,342 small business owners surveyed said that their primary reasons for using social media are: Increased awareness (34%) New business development (20%) Recruiting (19%) More than one-third of small business owners recognize increasing brand awareness can lead to more sales. According to this survey, only 35% of consumers find information about holiday specials on social media. Consumers still think it’s important for a small business to have a social presence. ), between the two studies, a percentage of small business owners appear to be on Facebook despite not finding the platform to be entirely useful. Although every business is trying to increase sales during the holidays (when consumers are more likely to open their wallets), surveys show that consumers just aren’t looking to social media for information regarding holiday sales.
Do you run social media campaigns for the holidays?
Wondering if social media efforts during holiday seasons impact sales?
In this article, you’ll discover new research that shows why small businesses should maintain a consistent social presence all year long, and why small- and medium-sized businesses should participate in larger, holistic holiday campaigns.
#1: Small Business Saturday Hashtags Increase Visibility for SMBs
You’ve probably at least heard of Small Business Saturday, but do you know about its roots? American Express created the event in 2010 to drive shoppers to local small businesses the day after Black Friday. Over the years, Small Business Saturday has grown into a kind of social movement where communities support their friends and neighbors who own local shops.
Both awareness of and participation in Small Business Saturday are growing. In November 2016, American Express and the National Federation of Independent Business conducted the fifth annual Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey. The survey of 1,653 people showed that:
- 58% of respondents are aware of Small Business Saturday (up from 55% the previous year).
- 76% of Internet users plan to shop at a local small business.
- 33% plan to do all of their holiday shopping at local retailers.
- 67% of Small Business Saturday participants plan to spend $100 or more.
Social media helped drive the increased awareness. Two days after Small Business Saturday, American Express published a press release with data about social media’s role: 135 million social media engagements (likes, comments, shares, video views, etc.) supported Small Business Saturday. The number of engagements increased 63% from 2015, which had 85 million engagements.
Hashtags were a large part of the overall social media strategy. From November 1 through the day of the event (November 26), nearly 250,000 social media posts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter used the hashtags #ShopSmall, #SmallBizSat, and #DineSmall.
Of those posts, more than 150,000 were posted on Small Business Saturday itself. Other popular hashtags used were #SmallBusinessSaturday, #ShopSmallForAll, #ShowSmallSaturday, and #ShopSmallBusinessSaturday.
These social media posts came from a variety of people and covered a range of topics. Business owners talked about promotions and activities. Celebrities encouraged their followers to shop small. Customers showed their support by touting the benefits of small businesses.
Takeaway
Small Business Saturday has become a social campaign of sorts. When small businesses participate, they’re pretty much guaranteed an audience of consumers on social media.
To participate, small businesses need to help drive awareness. They need to not only reach out to consumers in their immediate community, but also join forces with American Express and the larger community of small businesses on social media. To drive awareness, key tools include posting regularly about Small Business Saturday in November and using popular hashtags related to the event.
However, social media strategies (even those specific to the holiday season) work best when they’re part of a larger end game. The boost from a publicly promoted event such as Small Business Saturday is helpful, but small businesses should have a social media presence in place long before the seasons change.
#2: 35% of Internet Users Find Holiday Specials via Social Media
A business with limited resources has to do more with less. Employees of small businesses often wear multiple hats and don’t have the time to manage numerous social media accounts and run various campaigns with different objectives.
When you consider recent surveys of how small business owners use social media along with surveys of what customers find most useful during the holiday season, you can gain insights into what social media efforts are most effective.
Like most small business owners, you’re likely to know that…
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