For the past four years, the first Saturday after Thanksgiving has been recognized as Small Business Saturday. Originally conceived by American Express (AMEX), this movement has grown quickly with thousands of business participants and millions of AMEX users taking advantage of a one day $10 credit for purchases of $10 or more.
Additionally, participating business are oftentimes offering discounts and promotions in conjunction with the event.
The idea was to help the small, locally-owned businesses to create buzz for holiday shopping as it falls between Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Since its inception American Express has offered free marketing materials including in-store signage, social media posts, and email templates to promote business. According to a survey conducted on behalf of the National Federation of Independent Businesses and American Express, $5.7 billion was spent by consumers aware of the initiative on Small Business Saturday in 2013.
So, what does that mean for your business?
You should consider taking part in this one day promotion. Why, you ask? Because it is a true promotion, meaning that it is limited in time, and measurable. Best of all, Small Business Saturday is a promotion with a track record and a huge partner that brings discounts and financing to your offerings, making sales even easier. Here are just five tips for launching a successful #ShopSmall promotion:
- Offer door buster special(s) that are hard for customers to ignore.
- Use outdoor signage to convey the specials.
- Make your specials easy to find.
- After customers purchase, provide bounce-back coupon/certificates.
- Enter-to-win a ____ (high value item/service you sell) and collect email addresses.
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