Just over a month remains until consumers will go out to show their support for Small Business Saturday on Nov. 24. If the trend continues, that will mean over 100 million people shopping at small and local businesses in their communities. To make the best of this event, you should take the following steps in planning your marketing strategy:
- Determine your goals. What do you want to get out of SBS exactly? Increased revenue? Heightened brand awareness? More new customers?
- Hook them in. Create a compelling promotion to attract customers. Evaluate what tactic works for you: discounts, freebies, or extra services?
- Gather your tools. Now that you’ve created the incentive, it’s time to let people know about it. But how? What communication channel is most effective in reaching your customers? Email, mobile, social media, or voice?
- Promote! Design and execute your marketing campaign. Get the word out with message blasts on your selected channels. Post print collateral on your storefront, in-store, and throughout the community.
