Generate Buzz on Small Business Saturday
Does Small Business Saturday sneak up on you every year? If you’re like many small business owners, you are so overwhelmed with your daily responsibilities that you might not be able to take advantage of the yearly event.
Small Business Saturday started in 2010 and is held on the Saturday following Thanksgiving. With the attention the event gets, especially on Social Media, you have an excellent opportunity to get some extra business. Consider the following ideas:
Host a Free Seminar On-Site
Opening your doors to potential customers and providing free information is a great idea. Whether your business is service- or product-based, I’m sure you answer the same questions often. Turn those questions into a class, and help your clients navigate a purchase. The upsell is easy, right? Either they’ll be dazzled by the items in your store or they’ll be impressed with the information you’re offering them on your services. Turn It Up A Notch By….Inviting a Guest Speaker
Run A Raffle or A giveaway and capture some leads
Encourage your audience to sign up for a giveaway online or in person. Make sure their contact information – especially an e-mail address – is a required part of entering the contest. You’ll be building your contact list for an e-mail newsletter and now you’ve got an opportunity to follow-up with your contest winners to offer a special discount for those who didn’t win. Turn It Up A Notch By….Requiring Social Sharing for Contest Entries
Big Discounts Mean Big Business
Small Business Saturday is sandwiched between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, so the deals have to be good! If you offer a service instead of a product, consider offering a voucher at half-price. Customers can purchase a voucher at $50 for $100 worth of service in the future. When I had my first business, this was a promotion we ran once each year during our slow season and it gave us a significant boost when we really needed it. Make sure it’s a discount you’re comfortable offering. Turn It Up A Notch By….Offering The Deal On-Site Only To Get Customers In The Door
Take Part In A “Crawl”
Partner with like-minded small businesses in your area to offer a contagion of ideas. Imagine this: you’re a yoga studio owner and you partner with a fitness apparel store, a smoothie shop, and an organic grocer. If customers visit each of these businesses, they can receive a special offer. When they visit your business last and prove their participation in the Small Business Crawl, they can receive something extra special – I’ll leave that to you! Turn It Up A Notch By….Adding An Extra Reward For Social Media Check-Ins