Marketing for Small Business Saturday and Beyond

Small Business Saturday is the first big shopping day of the holiday season directed at getting people to shop locally.

Falling on Saturday, November 26, 2016, the day after Black Friday, Small Business Saturday is sponsored by American Express and has created a campaign where consumers are encouraged to “shop small”. As we all know Black Friday is the shopping day where many larger chains and retailers offer deep discounts. Holiday shopping overall is the largest revenue generator of the year for retail businesses. In 2014 the National Retail Association reported that holiday sales reached just over $616 billion. Is your small business leveraging this increase in spending to maximize sales?

By now you should have an idea of what special offers and deals you want promote to current and potential customers. But what is your plan to reach them? Ideally, you should be advertising your promotions before the holidays start. It is a busy time for everyone, spending more time with family, and friends takes precedence so people want to plan their shopping outings. Also, many people have to work during the holidays likely not leaving time for shopping. Giving them an opportunity to save as well can really earn you new loyal customers. The competition over the deep discounts on Black Friday and Cyber Monday can seem insurmountable but not if you have a good strategy and start implementing it early!  If you haven’t started thinking about your plans it’s not too late. Here is a list of ideas to get you started.

1. Develop a campaign strategy. Have a plan! Set realistic, measurable goals and create a plan that will help you get there.
2. Design your marketing for both niche and mainstream holidays. Don’t just focus on holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. There are many ways to draw in the customer even after the new year.
3. Produce holiday-themed offers. Keep your message timely and updated.
4. Create a social media plan. Having a plan and scheduling will help keep your message on point and consistent.
5. Rethink ad copy. You can reuse ad copy with some tweaks that mention holidays to save some time.
6. Organize an event or party. Consider having a customer appreciation event for you best customers. Let them shop before the general public.
7. Prioritize customer delight. The holidays can be stressful don’t add to that stress by making things complicated. If people have to jump through a lot of hoops to get the deal, you will lose them.

The Vail Valley Partnership is a Neighborhood Champion offering resources and support for Small Businesses to have the best possible holiday season. If you are still looking for some guidance, Mobloggy will be presenting on October 12th from 9am – 10pm on the best practices for getting your message out there. We will be presenting at the Vail Valley Partnership Offices in Avon, Colorado.

Join us by registering here! Space is limited.