5 Social Media Strategies To Boost Small Business Saturday Sales

Business owner taking photos of her products at a pottery shop

Small Business Saturday takes place on the Saturday after Thanksgiving each year, bringing awareness to small businesses and encouraging consumers to shop local.

Consumers are gearing up to spend big this holiday season. The NRF expects retail sales in November and December to surpass $1 trillion. Furthermore, approximately 80% of consumers are planning to visit independent shops on Small Business Saturday.

Although it’s coming up fast (Nov. 29), there’s still time for business owners to make the most of consumers’ buying intentions and build anticipation for upcoming sales. Here are five social media marketing strategies you can use to help drive sales and success on Small Business Saturday.

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1. Tease Exclusive Deals Or Previews

Don’t wait until the last minute to start utilizing social media marketing. Use anticipation marketing tactics and begin posting about Small Business Saturday as soon as possible in November to help build excitement and buzz leading up to the big day. You could tease your upcoming deals, promote your in-store activations, and use the countdown sticker on Instagram.

2. Expand Your Reach With Collaborations

Increase your social media reach further by collaborating with other local small businesses or trusted influencers who align with your brand.

For example, if your business is a bookstore, you could partner with a local café and offer a discounted coffee with every book purchase on Small Business Saturday. This simple partnership can help increase foot traffic for both businesses and put your brand in front of new customers you may not otherwise have reached. Just make sure to promote the collaboration on social media in the lead-up to the day.

3. Take Your Customers Behind The Scenes

Take your social media audience on a journey prior to Small Business Saturday and share the behind-the-scenes of your preparation in the lead-up. According to Planoly, behind-the-scenes content that features the business owner and/or team members can help humanize your brand and build connection through authenticity. Plus, your audience may develop a newfound appreciation and understanding for the hard work that goes into running a small business.

4. Get Strategic With Giveaways

Giveaways and competitions can be another effective way to generate buzz and increase your engagement on social media in the lead-up to Small Business Saturday. One way to do this is to run a countdown giveaway. For example, each day leading up to Nov. 29, for five days (or whatever duration of your choosing), you could give away a $20 store voucher that can be redeemed on Small Business Saturday. You may ask your audience questions in a post or on a story, and all comments or responses go into the draw to win.

5. Ask Your Audience

Speaking of which, rather than just broadcasting your promotions on social media, have a two-way conversation with your audience. One study found that 58% of people say it’s important to see brands respond to customers on social media. People buy from brands that engage.

So, ask your followers what kinds of deals or promotions they’d love to see on Small Business Saturday. Do this by using stories, stickers, polls, and simple open-ended questions in your captions. Not only will you gain a better understanding of your customers’ needs and wants, but interacting with your audience may also help drive loyalty, trust, and engagement with your brand.

Finally, if you have the time and resources, increase your posting frequency in the lead-up to Small Business Saturday. Simply making one post is unlikely to cut through the noise on social media; you want your audience to be aware of your upcoming sales and look forward to supporting your business.

Utilize the above strategies and increase your posting frequency to improve your chances of being seen, heard and driving more sales on the big day.

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