We're all familiar with Black Friday, the “unofficial” start to the holiday shopping season that takes place the day after Thanksgiving, or even on Thanksgiving Day itself for some retailers. But what is Small Business Saturday and why is it good for your business?

Small Business Saturday began in 2010 by American Express as a way to encourage consumers to shop in their small, local brick and mortar stores instead of the national chains and big box stores that tend to dominate Black Friday with their massive advertising budgets and incredible discounts.

Since its inception a decade ago, Small Business Saturday has become an anticipated event in many neighborhoods, towns, and cities where local businesses often find they can draw more customers as a collective group than they can by offering their own promotions and discounts.

But, it doesn’t necessarily take a group effort to make Small Business Saturday a success. Many businesses have had great luck on their own, especially when they plan ahead and properly promote the event across their social media platforms.

Small Business Saturday has become a terrific opportunity for local businesses to boost sales and reconnect with customers. In 2022, Small Business Saturday saw an estimated $17.9 billion spent by consumers, a significant increase from the $13 billion reported in 2018. This figure comes from the Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey commissioned by American Express. In terms of participation, nearly 6 in 10 holiday shoppers, or 59%, planned to participate in Small Business Saturday, which is a higher participation rate than Black Friday in the same year. Additionally, 72% of shoppers reported that Small Business Saturday encourages them to shop and dine at small, independently-owned retailers and restaurants throughout the entire year. Another source reported that 42% of consumers planned to shop on Small Business Saturday, while yet another source cited that 53% of consumers indicated they would shop small on the day.

With so many holiday shoppers ready to start crossing items off their list as soon as they wrap up Thanksgiving, it’s a smart decision to take advantage of this special sales event – not only as a way to promote small local businesses, but also as an opportunity to piggyback off of Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions which draw shoppers out in droves.

Here are a few ways your shop can participate in, and promote Small Business Saturday:

Make sure your online information is accurate. It’s easy to forget to update your media profiles but that’s where shoppers will likely be looking for information about your shop. The best way to do this is to view your website as a customer. Is it easy to navigate? Are your promotions listed prominently on your homepage? Are you store hours and address correct? If not, now is the time to make corrections or changes so everything is ready before you get busy.

Make customer service a top priority

Since this event focuses the spotlight on small local businesses, now is the perfect time for your staff to shine. Connecting with customers and creating personalized experiences for them will create repeat customers who find that they enjoy the in-store experience more than they do shopping online. Be sure to give your staff the training and tools they need to solve problems and assist customers.

Plan incentives, but don’t try to compete with big box stores

While major retailers offer huge Black Friday discounts and “doorbuster” sales, this strategy isn’t recommended for Small Business Saturday. People who shop on Black Friday are looking for bargains, but Small Business Saturday shoppers are out to support local businesses. Instead of huge discounts, consider more personalized in-store incentives and fun activities like raffles or contests that give shoppers a reason to come to your store.

Partner with other small businesses or charities in your area

If your store is located somewhere with other shops or restaurants nearby, consider a cross-promotion or some other incentive to give shoppers more reasons to visit. If your community or chamber of commerce is promoting a Small Business Saturday event in your area, registering as a participating business can help build relationships with other merchants and allow you to benefit from the free promotion you’ll get through your city.

Get the word out through social media

Get your customers excited by posting pictures of displays and some of the incentives you’ll be offering before the event and be sure to take lots of pictures at the event to use for your next in-store promotion. Event-specific hashtags will also help shoppers find you when they’re searching for Small Business Saturday events. Consider boosting Facebook posts for greater reach and reward social media likes, comments, and check-ins with discounts or promotions.

Let Bloomerang Solutions help you make Small Business Saturday a new holiday tradition! We can help you promote the event through social media and even make sure your online listings are all identical when people search for your shop. Give us a call today at (941) 806-1911 or drop us a line here if you would like some help promoting Small Business Saturday 2023 on November 25.