Small Business Saturday is returning again this year, on Saturday 4^th December.

American Express first brought this concept to the US back in 2010, but now in its ninth UK year, the campaign to support small businesses in the lead up to Christmas is promising to be bigger than ever.

Last year, amidst the covid measures that were rolled out in tiers, Small Business Saturday resulted in £1.1billion spent with small businesses on that single day, a record amount which surely can only be succeeded this year.

Are you ready to help promote Small Business Saturday and encourage people to shop locally this Christmas?

We’ve come up with some top tips for selling on this occasion, but that could be used whatever the season...

Do something special

• Offer a limited time incentive - you can think about this in a wider sense than a simple discount, what about tiered money off the more that you buy? Or perhaps a product that is relatively cost-effective is reduced to go alongside every purchase?
• Host an event simultaneously
• Offer a charity donation based on custom that day
• Run a competition alongside
• Have a raffle on the door, each person can pick a ticket, and it could be a % discount on their purchase for that day
  
  

Local promotion

• See if your local paper or radio station are running any coverage which you can get involved with
• Make sure any local Facebook groups are on-board, if they’re not already helping businesses for Small Business Saturday, why not ask the question
• Promote in advance using your window display
• What about partnering up with a complementing business - perhaps a nearby coffee shop or other small local businesses to pool your resources for promotion
  
  

Digital promotion

• Make sure your Google My Business page is up-to-date
• Use any email databases that are relevant and share the good word about Small Business Saturday
• Add a pop up or banner to your website in advance
  
  

Preparation

• Make sure your most popular items are stocked up
• Ensure your window display is appealing as possible
• Are all prices and promotions clearly displayed
• Is your premises looking inviting?
• Do your Saturday opening hours present enough opportunity to visit? What about extended hours for one day only?
• What about pre-writing personalised notes to drop into shopping bags along with the items - Small Business Saturday is about boosting local businesses for the season, not just the one day, or perhaps a little treat on the till or in with their shopping? A tub of chocolates can go a long way and remain Covid friendly if individually wrapped...
  
  

Social Media

• Use #SmallBizSatUK on Instagram and Twitter
• Make sure your opening hours are prominently displayed, along with your address (website or physical)
• Make sure you have the most appropriate link in your bio
• Build anticipation - showcase gifts, a range of products and services in advance, then make sure your content starts early and carries on through the day
• Go live - why not use this as a chance to go live on social media, either the day before or the morning of, after all, social media platforms give premium presence to accounts that do so you might reach a wider audience on a day where people are likely to be more engaged with you
• Share deals and promotions - if you have any special offers or incentives available, make sure people know about them!

Be sure to tag us in your social media activity and we’ll share all Small Business Saturday content on our SiGNAL channels!