Get your digital marketing strategy ready in time for Small Business Saturday

If you're looking to maximise your sales this Christmas, 'Small Business Saturday UK' (4th December) is the perfect day to target. The day is designed for small businesses to exceed sales expectations while recognising the impact that a good marketing strategy has throughout the year.

As experts in digital marketing strategy building, we're going to explain what the day is all about and how you, as a small online business owner, can create your ideal marketing strategy for the future.

Small Business Saturday – the ideal day to think about your digital marketing strategy

Small Business Saturday was founded by American Express in 2010, evolving into an annual holiday shopping tradition on Thanksgiving (the last weekend in November). Thanks to its success being amplified by the online shopping markets, it is now part of a global 'Shop Small' movement that is dedicated to supporting different types of small businesses.

Inspired by the original American event, Small Business Saturday UK is a grassroots, non-commercial campaign which highlights the success of small businesses and encourages consumers to shop local and support small businesses in their communities. Taking place on the first Saturday in December, the campaign aims to have a more lasting impact on small businesses – outlining ways in which it can use digital marketing strategies to connect with a local, national and international audience.

So, if you are indeed looking to increase the visibility of your business, it's well worth at least checking out, understanding and taking on board tips to take advantage in the future.

How can I take advantage of Small Business Saturday?

As experienced digital marketing experts, the team here at Promote have worked with many kinds of businesses to improve their online advertising. Be it direct selling from their eCommerce website, search engine and social media promotion or e-mail marketing, we understand the necessary steps that any online firm needs to attract their ideal audience.

As such, here are some great ways in which you can take advantage of Small Business Saturday:

Get your eCommerce site ready.

While Small Business Saturday originally placed an emphasis on in-store shopping, it soon expanded to include eCommerce and online sales. After 2020, this may not be a surprise to anyone, but the pandemic aside, the stats back the shift up:

• In 2020, worldwide eCommerce sales increased by 24.1% from the previous year – jumping to $4.29 trillion.
• This year, it has been estimated that some 2.14bn people will buy their goods and services online.
• Mastercard, has said they expect to see Christmas holiday eCommerce sales increase by a further 7.6% from 2020.

With so many customers, comes more competition – this is why it's so important for all businesses to build a digital marketing strategy, regardless of their size and target markets. As the first port-of-call that many new customers will have with your brand, it's vital that you optimise your eCommerce site – it is your online shopfront, after all. Small Business Saturday UK is the perfect reminder to do so.

Welcome omnichannel shopping.

It can be easy to assume that after the last two years, the future of shopping will be entirely online – in fact, it's far more likely that a blend of the online and physical store will be the more prevalent. While consumers want to order items quickly and easily, a physical shop will give them the opportunity to do things they cannot online; pick items up at their convenience, make direct queries and exchange items. This is omnichannel retailing – by enabling it, you will be giving your customers complete control of their shopping experience.

You should give your customers the choice of having items shipped to their home or picking them up in store – they'll no doubt appreciate being able to choose an option that works for them, creating a seamless customer service experience that they'll value.

Offer promotions and deals.

It's no surprise that customers will be browsing at this time of year for the best deals – so why not use Small Business Saturday to promote them? Some great examples of promotions and deals you can offer, include:

• Discounts for mailing list sign-ups.
• Buy-one get-one-free deals.
• Raffles and giveaways.
• Future discounts.

Regardless of what type of promotion you can offer, Small Business Saturday is the perfect opportunity to improve your digital marketing strategy to create and maintain trusted and positive relationships with customers new or existing.

What are your best promotional channels?

For each company that gains customers through expensive advertising campaigns, there are hundreds of small businesses that draws in browsers with a localised digital marketing campaign.

A good place to start would be a Google My Business page – as the undisputed leader in online browsing (the first port-of-call most people would go to search for things on the Internet), having a presence on a Google search is crucial to establishing your brand in your area. A page on My Business can increase your visibility from searches that reference a range of different aspects – your business name, the products you sell, or even keyword-led '[what's] near me' results. You can also get discovered more frequently by setting up PPC ads that place you at the top of a search.

Social media is also a great (and free) way to promote your brand – you'll be able to inform people of the products you have on sale, the offers you have, and even engage with shoppers directly to boost the customer service aspect. The use of hashtags on posts is a great way to attract new customers too – relate them to the products you sell or any special day that may be occurring. On Small Business Saturday, take advantage of using #ShopSmall and #SmallBizSatUK to connect with people searching for deals.

There's always a more direct line of communication that can be used to communicate with your established customers – your e-mail marketing list. Put together a campaign in the lead-up to Christmas to remind those who have already shown interest in your brand that they can get more great deals.

Interested In Learning More About Digital Marketing? Promote Your Business With Us!

Here at Promote, we can help your business to establish a pitch on the vastly competitive marketplace offered by the Internet. Having helped many clients throughout the UK, we have a proven track record of improving the rankings, reputations and sales of all kinds of businesses – from long-established companies, looking to reach a new audience, to brand-new start-ups who are needing to hit the ground running.

If you would like to learn more about Small Business Saturday or need advice on improving your digital marketing strategy for the long-term, we would be pleased to hear from you. You can get in touch with us directly by calling 0118 380 1002 or by sending an e-mail to hi@promote.agency