Plan now to encourage folks to shop small as the busiest shopping season of the year begins.

Black Friday will be here in a few weeks, and that means it’s time to start planning for Small Business Saturday. This year it’s November 30. Here are tips to encourage folks to support your small business during the busiest shopping season of the year.

Prepare your social media

Boost your visibility online with advance planning of social media. Some ways you can drive engagement include:

• Ask followers to tag their favorite small business
• Offer a Small Business Saturday discount or special for your followers
• Pay it forward: Designate a portion of the day’s sales to a charity or non-profit
• If applicable, let shoppers know about extended holiday hours

Don’t forget your hashtags like #SmallBusinessSaturday. Check out more hashtags from best-hashtags.com.

Also, consider highlighting other small businesses in your posts. Ask fellow small business owners to do the same. By tagging each other, you’ll both generate more views.

Host an event

Encourage people to visit your business with an event. Retail stores might invite shoppers to “sip and shop.” Restaurants can offer special tasting plates or limited-time-only cocktails. To generate more ideas, ask your employees and customers what would draw them in.

Incentivize check-ins

Online reviews on platforms such as Yelp and Facebook, as well as Google, carry a lot of weight because people trust recommendations. Reward customers who check in or leave a review with a special offer.

Remember to bank locally, too!

We’re proud to be part of many local communities where we provide personal and business banking services. Our employees live and work where you do. We invite you to come into one of our offices where we’re always ready to share a smile and offer you a free coffee.

 

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