Digital Strategies Small Businesses Can Use to Boost Sales on Small Business Saturday and Beyond

Why it matters:

• Small businesses list worries about the effectiveness of their social media and marketing strategies and the strength of their digital presence as their top concerns heading into the holiday season.
• The number of small businesses using social media storefronts to sell products has increased 8% over last year, and 84% of small business are using Facebook to promote products and engage with customers.
• Online engagement strategies play an important role in driving store traffic and in-person purchases, marketing experts said. These range from a camping store posting (non-sales) content on the best camping spots in a local community, for example, to any business inserting an ‘add to calendar’ button on their websites that allow customers to add store events to their personal digital calendars.

A survey by Verizon Business showed that small business owners are increasingly concerned about how their digital engagement and social media strategies will impact their sales as they head into the holiday season.

The survey found that the number of small business owners worried about having effective social media and marketing strategies in place for the holidays increased to 33%, up from 22% last year. Concerns about having a strong digital presence rose by the same amount.

Just as mass merchants have learned they need an omnichannel strategy to succeed, small businesses have seen that they need a strong digital strategy – even if they don’t sell anything online – to draw customers in 2024.

For Small Business Saturday, it is especially important for the online and in-store strategy to work together, according to marketing experts.

CO— spoke with three marketing experts from tech companies that provide digital tools for small businesses. Here are their tips for easy ways small businesses can get the digital side of their business ready for Small Business Saturday and the rest of the holiday season.

The holiday season is a great time to attract new customers, and you want to turn them into repeat customers’

Oren Inditzky, Vice President of Online Stores, Wix

In addition to being the time period when most retailers do their biggest sales volume, the holidays also are a time when people are more open to trying new brands, products, and stores, Oren Inditzky, Vice President of Online Stores at the website building platform Wix, told CO—.

“The holiday season is usually a time when you’re willing to step out of your general routines, and that means opportunities—online and on the street,” Inditzky said.

It costs six to seven times more to acquire a new customer than to keep a repeat one, he said, noting that it’s critical to keep those new customers coming back.

One way to create repeat customers is to send new customers a welcome email after they make a purchase. “You can tell them more about your store, or you can tell them about deals or offers,” Inditzky said. “We have seen around a 60% opening rate for welcome emails,” he said. “A lot of people think email marketing is a thing of the past, but it still works and is highly effective and cost-effective.”

Businesses also need to foster regular engagement on social media with their customers. But that engagement can’t simply be transactional – or all about selling something.

Instead, Inditzky suggested, a camping or sporting goods store could post content about the best camping spots in the local community.

“Get them to follow you beyond the transaction,” he said. “Earn their trust, and when they are following you, you will be able to make that second sale.”

Videos that create a personal touch — that share useful information about the neighborhood, or stories about the people who work in the store, are a way small businesses can compete with big retailers. “In social media, everyone’s equal if they have a message that connects with their customers,” he said.

[Read: 5 Big Business Strategies That Can Help You Win on Small Business Saturday]

‘So much of it for small business is keeping your brand top of mind’

Paula Drum, General Manager, Web.com

Web.com, a website development company specializing in small businesses, recently surveyed its customers and found that 70% of them weren’t doing anything to prepare their online presence for the holiday season.

Paula Drum, General Manager of Web.com, told CO— that there are a number of easy things businesses should be doing to update and leverage their online presence before Small Business Saturday.

Even businesses that don’t sell online need to realize that their company or store website, or their social media account, is the first place a new customer will interact with them, and it needs to be ready for the holidays, Drum said.

“Update your homepage graphics. Make them seasonally appropriate,” she said. “It says, ‘Hey, I recognize it’s the holidays.’”

Businesses should localize their social media campaigns to highlight their in-store promotions and discounts to draw customers into their shops, restaurants, or service companies, Drum said.

“Create an event on Facebook and encourage your followers to share it with their friends,” she suggested.

Small businesses can use local celebrities — the mayor, police chief, or other community leader — as their influencers, and create posts showing their support.

Updating a web page and creating social media posts are “not heavy lifts” thanks to new AI tools, such as Web.com’s AI Writer.

“The fun thing about some of the AI tools that are out there today is it really makes it a lot easier for small businesses,” Drum said.

In-store events such as trunk shows featuring new merchandise, or customer appreciation days with refreshments are good ways to draw shoppers, too, she said.

Every interaction online or through email during the holiday season should be targeted to remind local customers that they are supporting a local business by shopping with you, Drum said.

There is strong awareness of the importance of supporting local businesses on the part of shoppers, and businesses should be leaning into that, she said. Leverage the notion that, ‘Hey, we’re part of your community, and let’s support local.’”

[Read: AI Prompts to Prepare for Small Business Saturday]

Tell your personal story: ‘Building a community and building followers that really care about you and your brand is really, really valuable for small businesses’

Joep Leussink, Head of Growth, AddEvent

During the holiday season it is difficult for small businesses to stand out in a crowded marketplace, Joep Leussink told CO—.

Leussink is Head of Growth at AddEvent, a software company that created an “add to calendar” button that businesses can use on their websites or in emails to allow customers to embed store events in their personal digital calendars. Customers can also subscribe to a business calendar to be notified of all future events, such as new product drops or in-store events.

Leussink said that one of the smartest marketing tools small businesses can employ online is to use social media to tell their personal stories as business owners.

“When founders or owners of small businesses tell the story of ‘Why did I start this, where did I come from, what are the challenges I had building this business?’ it really builds a lot of empathy,” he said. “People will say, ‘I want to support the local business because now I know the person behind the shop.’”

“Tell your personal story. It doesn’t have to be groundbreaking. People just want to hear who’s behind a company,” Leussink said.

Another suggestion he has for small businesses on Small Business Saturday and the rest of the holiday season is to join with other companies and shops that sell complementary products or services and build a promotional campaign together.

A group of local merchants or a community organization can create a calendar button that local residents can subscribe to that sends them calendar alerts about events and new product arrivals throughout the holiday season.

“With calendar marketing, the customer doesn’t need to go to Facebook or open email to learn about an event — they look at their calendar and it now says [their] local store has new scented candles in stock,” Leussink said.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation is partnering with American Express to support small business. Are your customers proud to Shop Small? Order your complimentary "Shop Small" stickers through the below link and share them with your customers on November 30th. Order your complimentary stickers here by November 20, 2024. Stickers will be shipped to your store. While supplies last.

CO— aims to bring you inspiration from leading respected experts. However, before making any business decision, you should consult a professional who can advise you based on your individual situation.

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