If you haven't heard, this past Small Business Saturday was a huge success. According to data released by American Express last week, the second annual Small Business Saturday inspired an estimated 103 million Americans (about a third of the U.S. population) to shop independently-owned small businesses. Amazing!
It helped that American Express offered a $25 reward to card users when they used their card at small, local shops, and that public figures, such as President Obama, advocated and supported Small Business Saturday.
Now, how do you keep the Small Business Saturday momentum going through the holidays and throughout the next year? Here are 3 tips that can help.
Stay in touch with your customers.
Social media makes it easy to stay in touch with your customers. If you don't have, at least, a Facebook, now is the time to invest in one. And you won't have to invest much, considering it is a free resource that can be set up in minutes. Twitter, Google+, and a blog are other great social media tools that can help you stay current with your customers.
Use your social networks to post updates, photos, and a menu/products you sell. Perhaps most importantly, use your social networks to display basic information about your business (e.g. hours/days of operation, address, and phone number).
Remember to continuously post on your social networks! If you can't post daily, try to post/update every other day or weekly.
Offer discounts and special events.
A great way to continue the momentum of Small Business Saturday is to continue offering discounts, incentives, and special events. A good example of a special event happening in a Trail Town this month is Midnight Madness in Cumberland.
Downtown Cumberland will keep the Small Business Saturday momentum going with Midnight Madness.
Twenty-five shops and businesses in Downtown Cumberland will stay open until midnight this Thursday, December 16. Shops will offer special sales and discounts. Shoppers can also enjoy free illuminated carriage rides and other downtown happenings. This event, though local, still advocates shopping small much like the bigger-scale Small Business Saturday did.
Remember to post any discounts, special events, and/or promotions on your social networks!
Sell unique merchandise.
If you're a small, local, and independently-owned shop, it probably isn't hard for you to sell unique merchandise. Stock merchandise that shoppers can't find anywhere else, and especially not in big box stores, so that they will want to come to your shop for that special item.
Some merchandise considerations include hand-made and/or locally made items, including food items, knitted hats/scarves, pottery, and more. Such local items can't be found in a big box store.
Youghiogheny Station Glass & Gallery in Connellsville offers unique, locally sourced and crafted glassware.
When you stock such merchandise, be sure to advertise the fact that it's locally/hand made, made of organic or locally sourced materials, and/or if the proceeds benefit an organization.
Remember to express how important buying local is! Buying local helps put money back into communities, which helps to boost your business, the economy, and the health and sustainability of our small towns.
How will you keep the Small Business Saturday Momentum going? Share your ideas below!
For more on Small Business Saturday, check out: