8 Last Minute Social Media Marketing Ideas For Small Business Saturday

11/30/2016

If you own a small business, it’s not too late to generate some extra PR for Small Business Saturday, on November 26. This week I tapped the social media universe for creative ways entrepreneurs are using the occasion to capture additional holiday sales. Here’s what they’re doing this year:

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.
Spiff up your Facebook page. Alex Schitter, marketing specialist and communications coordinator for In Touch Credit Union, in Plano, Texas, says, “The best advice you can give folks participating in Small Business Saturday is to get their Facebook page polished, now. Have your business hours displayed prominently and post photos to showcase your featured products. 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, it 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) are probably your best bets for stirring up last-minute interest.
Make a photo collage. Doug DeVitre, of St. Louis (author of Screen to Screen Selling) suggests you make a photo collage of the influential people in the community who’ve visited your business. You can post the pictures online and share information about what the prominent customer purchased or enjoyed most about their visit.
Get cooperative. 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. Use your posts or even your wardrobe to tout a customer, vendor or nonprofit that you’re passionate about. The vendor and employees will naturally share and engage with the posts, bringing visibility to both you and them.
Use marketing materials from American Express. Riviere notes that 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. The site also offers printable sign templates for store window displays for graphic elements you can embed in your site.
Go social. Social media is a great way to spread the word about what you’re doing during Small Business Saturday. You can spread the energy even further by including the tag #ShopSmall. 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.
Host a small-business soiree. Consider holding an in-store event at your retail location, or partner up with another business that complements yours. If there’s time, mail out a holiday flier to your customer base and offer refreshments, a photo booth and extra deals to guests. You could also hire a local blogger or social media celebrity to host the event and promote it on their blog and social media channels.
Alert the media. Be sure to take photos of the event and send an after-event press release to news outlets who cover small business or local retail. For an online store, use photos of your employees packing and shipping the goods. Make sure the coverage you pitch will compel readers to come back to see you during the continuing season. Remember that the best win of all is a new set of customers who will bring you business during every time of the year.