How To Fully Monopolize On Small Business Saturday

American Express founded Small Business Saturday in 2010. Its purpose is to empower small businesses and brick-and-mortar stores as a boost and clever PR strategy to gain shoppers’ attentions between Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Small Business Saturday will take place on Saturday Nov. 25 this year.

Since its founding, it’s been a powerful opportunity to reconnect with customers and boost sales. Last year, 112 million shoppers participated spending more than $15 billion.

So, as the big day quickly approaches, it’s important to make the most of this special sales event. Think strategically and deploy simple tactics that hopefully which can strengthen relationships and business all year long.

Three Tips To Monopolize Small Business Saturday

One: Utilize social media and hashtags. Tell your brand’s story on social media. Document your preparation for the big day and get your customers rooting for you. Take photos of your displays to whet appetites and on Saturday share images of your fastest selling products and the ways excited customers are enjoying your store. And don’t forget to add specific event hashtags to accompany your posts: #SmallBizSat, #ShopSmall and #SmallBusinessSaturday.

Two Reward check-ins. To get customers to spread the word about your small business to their friends, ask them to check-in through social media. Offer discounts or promotions for those who show they’ve checked in on a platform like Yelp and Facebook. A 2015 Nielsen study found that 83 percent of people surveyed found they trust the recommendations of their friends.

Three: Think beyond Saturday. Although it’s important to utilize Small Business Saturday to boost sales and drive traffic, your thinking should go beyond this day of shopping. After the holiday season has ended, take stock of what worked and what didn’t. Chances are, many of these strategies can be repurposed beyond the holiday season, allowing you to strengthen the relationships you created with customers and partners all year long.