1. Are you signed up to participate in the American Express Marketing campaign? IT’S FREE!

Small businesses can freely participate in the Small Business Saturday 2020 campaign with American Express, which includes free marketing materials. Marketing materials such as posters, email templates, and social media posts are all at your disposal.

Side note, if you’re on social media, make sure to use the hashtags #SmallBusinessSaturday and #ShopSmall for national attention.

2. Sharing is caring- boost your engagement through your customers.

Host a virtual Small Business Saturday contest by having individuals who purchase items on Saturday, November 28 share their post on social media and tag your store in it. Based on those who posted, the participants are entered to win a gift card, a small gift, or a future discount. The more people buy, the more they can share online boosting your engagement.

 

3. Holiday cheer needs to be shared for all to hear.

Although Small Business Saturday is the big day, if your budget and time permits, consider running unique holiday programs throughout the season. For instance, start with a Small Business Saturday discount which extends the first week of December. From there, offer a free gift for those who purchase over a specific amount for the second week of December, and the third week, consider doing a BOGO event, etc.

Bonus Tip, create a little check-out insert identifying all of these deals and place the check-out bags as well as place signs around the store.

 

4. We all have it, so let’s flaunt it!

Whether you are a coffee shop with a seasonal latte, a restaurant with an award-winning Christmas dessert, or a retailer with a special-edition candle or scarf collection, consider creating a signature item that is unique to your business and promoting it for what it is: a specialty item of limited supply and only here for a short while. Unveil this on Small Business Saturday as a treat, and then feature it on social media while supplies last. Create urgency for buyers to come and experience what makes your business so unique.

5. We are all in this together.

At the end of the day, no one understands a small business like another small business. Utilize your peers and partners in this local community and help cross promote one another. Create partnerships and collaborative efforts with other local small businesses to help share your market with their market and vice versa.

 

References: https://www.uschamber.com/co/grow/marketing/small-business-saturday

References: ISBDC’s Webinar: Leveraging Holiday’s For Sales as presented by Angie Stocklin