6. In-person events
Turn shopping into an experience worth leaving home for. Here are a few ideas to make your store the place to be:
- Set up interactive product demos.
- Create an Instagram-worthy holiday photo spot.
- Bring in favorite local musicians to help draw a crowd.
The key is to make it interactive. When customers participate, they tend to stay longer and spend more.
7. Food and drink partnerships
Team up with local food businesses to add flavor to your event. A coffee cart, food truck or local bakery can go hand-in-hand with great shopping. You can support your local restaurant’s marketing plan while enticing their regulars to become your customers. You also get the aroma of fresh-baked goods or coffee, creating an irresistible atmosphere.
8. Contests and giveaways
Who doesn’t like winning free stuff? Create a contest that gets people excited before Small Business Saturday begins. You could set up a photo contest featuring your products or a creative challenge that shows off what customers can do with your merchandise.
This is a great opportunity to upsell your audience and grow your business. Plus, it gives you content to post on social media and generates excitement around the prize (as well as your business). It’s a win-win.
Big promotional moves with high impact
These strategies require more resources and planning, but they’re designed to create a lasting impact beyond Small Business Saturday. Think of these as investments in your business’s long-term growth.
9. Community partnerships
Show up for your community all year, and they’ll show up for you. Sponsor youth sports teams, support local arts programs or be a neighborhood champion by backing improvement projects.
These partnerships establish relationships that transform supporters into customers (and customers into advocates).
10. Press and media coverage
Local media outlets want local business stories. Share what makes your Small Business Saturday plans worthwhile — whether it’s a special event, a milestone celebration or an unusual collaboration.
11. Traditional advertising
Think beyond your storefront. Even though digital advertising dominates these days, don’t discredit the influence of traditional marketing channels like radio ads, flyers and billboards.
A drive-time radio spot catches commuters heading to work, while a well-placed billboard turns heads on busy streets where your target customers travel. Flyers on doors or in mailboxes let locals know that you’re nearby and part of their community.
12. Organize a pop-up marketplace
Create something bigger than a single-store promotion. Organize an event for other local vendors who complement your business. For instance, a cleaning service could host local carpenters or HVAC providers, a bookstore could bring in local authors, or a cafe could feature local food producers.
This way, you become more than a single shop. You’re a hub for discovering the best local small businesses.
13. Create a community holiday stroll
Small businesses are an integral part of the community. Why not create a closer connection? Network with other business owners to bring your neighborhood together with an annual evening stroll.
Create a “shop small map” as part of a cross-promoted marketing campaign. Then, string lights between shops, set up warming stations with hot chocolate and cider, and fill the sidewalks with live music. The goal? Give people a reason to say, “Oh, we have to go there – it’s a tradition!”
