Small Business Corner

What is Small Business Saturday?

Small Business Saturday is a shopping holiday in the U.S. that’s celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2019. The holiday was launched on Nov. 27, 2010, as an effort to increase sales for smaller businesses during a time of year when big box stores (Black Friday) and e-commerce (Cyber Monday) dominated. The day was unanimously supported by the U.S. Senate in 2011 and is now also known as the Shop Small® movement.

When is Small Business Saturday 2019?

Falling on the last Saturday of November — right after Thanksgiving and Black Friday — this year’s Small Business Saturday lands on Nov. 30. However, the business hours you keep that day are completely up to you, and can even act as an incentive to shop — and increase sales — if you open earlier or close later than your competition.

How to promote Small Business Saturday 2019

The 2018 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey provides insight and can inspire great ideas for Small Business Saturday 2019.

Look for Small Business Saturday 2019 to break records. In 2018, shoppers spent an estimated $17.8 billion on Small Business Saturday — a record high. With a booming economy and the National Retail Foundation forecasting 2019 holiday sales to increase 3.8% to 4.2%, you may see an organic boost in profits. But spending a little on advertising could help increase sales even more.

Take advantage of online shopping opportunities. According to the survey, of the 104 million U.S. consumers that took part in the Shop Small movement last year, 41% reported that they shopped online on Small Business Saturday. Most businesses already have a website. But with eMarketer forecasting most online purchases will be made via smartphone by 2021, it’s not only a good idea to use hashtags for Small Business Saturday to reach users browsing social media, it’s imperative that your website is responsive to mobile screens so you aren’t locking out potential buyers.

‘Tis the season to tap into holiday shoppers. Among participants in the Shop Small movement, 92% of participants said their business stands out during the busy holiday shopping season because of Small Business Saturday, and 59% said the day is a significant contributor to their holiday sales every year, according to the Consumer Insights Survey. This could be the perfect time to kick off your pre-holiday sales or tease even bigger sales later in the season.

Plug into your local shopping community. The survey also recorded 7,500 Neighborhood Champions in all 50 states last year, a 4% increase, supporting the Shop Small movement. in all 50 states. These organizations put together Small Business Saturday events you might want to be a part of, such as shopping passport programs or holiday pop-up markets. You can find your local Neighborhood Champions here. Additionally, the Small Business Saturday Coalition had 615 organizations spreading the Shop Small message last year. Reach out to them through Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) to see how you can participate and benefit.

Use hashtags for Small Business Saturday. Social media is a powerful advertising tool so it’s no surprise the survey found that in the three weeks leading up to last year’s Small Business Saturday, more than 715,000 posts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter used the #ShopSmall and #SmallBizSat hashtags. That’s almost 20% more than 2017, and a figure that is likely to rise in 2019. Use these hashtags for Small Business Saturday to plug your promotions, events and activities taking place on Nov. 30, but consider other avenues as well. For example, you might offer a customer who tags your store and uses hashtags for Small Business Saturday a discount or free gift.

Last minute ways to get ready for Small Business Saturday 2019

Even though it is quickly approaching, you still have enough time before the 30th. Ensure your business is part of the celebration. Here are a few easy to manage, last-minute ideas for Small Business Saturday just in case your you haven’t made plans yet or you want to go that extra mile.

Remind customers about Small Business Saturday when they come into the store.

Take advantage of the Shop Small Studio to create free, branded and customized posters, emails and small signage for Nov. 30.

Hand Out Coffee, product samples or other small tokens to get shoppers attention.

Check that your prices are in line with other local sales so you stay competitive.

Make sure you’re properly staffed for an increase in foot traffic and web traffic.

Tighten up online and in-store data security to let your customers know their transactions are safe.

Consider co-marketing with other local businesses that compliment your products or service.

Don’t forget that eateries also participate in Small Business Saturday — send business to each other.

Feature your small business on social media every day from now until the big day. Either hold a drawing for it or do several postings a day to get customers pumped.

Share Your Story. Throw together a quick infographic about the history of your small businesses. Add a couple of fun facts about when those pictures were taken. Post nostalgic pictures. Show pictures of your staff or favorite customers. If you are a family business, share family photos. If you’ve grown significantly, renovated or changed locations show pictures of the way things used to look.

Use Facebook Live. Go Live ahead of time and talk about your specials and/or broadcast that day to build excitement. Interview your favorite customers. Ask them  ask them what they like about you. and ask them what their specials are Be live for more than 15 minutes and you’ll be able to take advantage of Facebook Live’s increased reach.

Small Business Saturday will be here soon. Hope you have a great turnout!

© 2019 American City Business Journals. All rights reserved. View original article here.