Preparing your business for Small Business Saturday: A comprehensive guide

The holiday season brings a lot of festive days and opportunities to give back to customers. One special day that businesses big and small should not forget is Small Business Saturday. This day falls on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and it celebrates and supports local businesses. 

Just how important is this day? Well, it is estimated that over 104 million people shopped and dined small on Small Business Saturday in 2018 - generating a record of $17.8 billion. To ensure your business makes the most of this opportunity, thorough preparation is key. Our team is here to share a comprehensive checklist and provide invaluable tips to prepare your store, website and marketing campaigns for Small Business Saturday.

Start early

It’s never too early to start preparing. Be sure to prepare a few weeks in advance for how you will tackle this Small Business Saturday. Start by looking at your inventory and ensuring you have enough of your popular items and special holiday-themed products or bundles. Small Business Saturday requires careful thought and execution. It’s essential to begin planning and preparations well in advance. 

Website readiness

Aside from preparing your physical storefront, you should also be optimizing your website for holiday shoppers. You want to make the customer's shopping experience as smooth as possible. Some recommendations include:

• Mobile optimization: Ensure your website is mobile-friendly, as many customers will shop on their smartphones.
• Website speed: Optimize your website's loading speed to prevent customers from leaving due to slow load times.
• User experience: Test your website's user experience and fix any navigation issues or broken links.

Craft a social media strategy:

If you want to promote a sale or drive more foot traffic through your doors, you should be using social media to your advantage. It is an easy way to reach your target audience. When creating a social media campaign for Small Business Saturday, our experts recommend using: 

• Promotional calendar: Create a content calendar for your social media platforms leading up to the event.
• Hashtags: Incorporate relevant Small Business Saturday hashtags to increase visibility.
• Teasers: Begin teasing special offers and promotions to generate buzz.

Email marketing:

Another great way to reach your customers and retain them is through email. For your existing customers, send them emails promoting your Small Business Saturday sales or specials for products/services. Also, be prepared to receive a whole new set of email subscribers. For your new subscribers, be sure to segment them. 

In-store preparations

Do not forget to show your physical storefront as well. More people will be walking through your stores around this time. A good tip is decorating your store with holiday and Small Business Saturday-themed decor to make it feel more festive. Also, make sure your store is following safety measures. Ensure your store complies with safety guidelines and communicates them clearly to customers.

Increase your small business visibility with our digital marketing services!

By following this comprehensive checklist and implementing these tips, you can make the most of Small Business Saturday and set your business up for a successful holiday season. If you need an extra pair of hands to increase your business’s visibility, contact us! We provide digital marketing management services that can help increase your visibility!