For small businesses, a little visibility can go a long way. And there’s no better time to show off your small business or the ones in your community than Small Business Saturday.
Small Business Saturday is an annual event that takes place on the Saturday after Thanksgiving in the United States. It was pioneered by American Express in 2010 after the global recession and is now recognized all over the U.S. and the world at large.
It’s a day meant to encourage people to shop from small businesses during the holiday season – a necessary time as there are more entrepreneurs than ever but also more difficulties than ever. This year, it’ll be happening on Saturday, the 25th of November.
There are many ways that businesses can post for Small Business Saturday. Whatever method you choose, it’s a great opportunity to get the word out about your business or encourage people to shop local.
We’re big advocates for planning content in advance and extra-big on small businesses taking opportunities when they come. Small Business Saturday is one of those opportunities – a day when people are more conscious of where they shop.
But it’s not enough to just be a small business on Small Business Saturday – you need to communicate and perhaps remind your audience. Some businesses choose to set up in-store indicators and offers for customers, but social media is a more accessible way to reach a wider audience.
We’ve got you covered with ideas for your posts, featuring inspiration from some great small businesses.
Kinfield organized a campaign featuring over 30 small businesses in an easy-access directory
Kinfield, a skincare brand, created the Better Together campaign to help customers find female- and BIPOC-owned brands to shop from during the holiday season.
They included sustainable companies like Pineapple Collaborative and OUI The People. They also encouraged their audience to tag other businesses in the comments of their post.
The tagline “Shop Small, Gift with Intention” clearly communicated the goal of their project – to support small businesses.
EYO Active and Rubies in the Rubble asked customers to do the spotlighting
EYO Active, a sustainable activewear brand, shared an Instagram post asking its followers to tag their favorite small businesses for Small Business Saturday. While the brand chose an alternative path to Black Friday, they urged their audience to shop small if they were going to shop anyway on Black Friday.
Rubies in the Rubble adopted a similar strategy to EYO, with an additional benefit for its audience. Customers that shared a small business in the comments of Rubies in the Rubble’s Instagram post got a 25 percent discount. The brand also mentioned that it would be sending curated packages to handpicked commenters.
This method not only gets lots of eyes on different small businesses but also gets customers excited about participating.
DAME and Fishwife spotlighted small businesses
In a more straightforward (but worthwhile) approach, Fishwife, the tinned fish brand, spotlighted several small businesses in its community in an Instagram post and shared a message appreciating them, saying, “One of the absolute best parts of running this business is having so many opportunities to talk to and work with other small business owners. It’s unbelievably inspiring to witness folks build something out of nothing and bust their butts to create incredible products and incredible community.”
In addition to spotlights, DAME went a step further by offering a discount code and consistent deals throughout the day on their Instagram Stories. They shared the reasoning behind their approach: “Small brands are often lost amongst the Black Friday chaos, so we’re taking this opportunity to put small sustainable brands in the spotlight.”
Everybody World held a physical event with other small businesses
Perhaps one of the most interesting approaches to Small Business Saturday on this list, Everybody World not only shared a social post highlighting small businesses to shop from but also held a physical pop-up with them. The event was elaborate, featuring over fifteen small brands, and was done in place of a typical Black Friday campaign.
Customers who didn’t want to wait for the day of the pop-up or couldn’t make it had the opportunity to shop from them through the website.
Ombar Chocolate and Stojo turned customers’ focus on them
Take advantage of your size and turn the spotlight on yourself for Small Business Saturday. Stojo, a reusable cup brand, highlighted that they’re a small business and offered a discount code to shoppers.
Ombar Chocolate, a chocolate company, did the same thing but also added that proceeds from their sales would go to a foundation. In addition, they highlighted other small businesses for their audience to shop from, tagging them in their post.
Remember, people love shopping small – this Intuit survey found that 70 percent of Americans shop from local businesses. And there’s no better day to reach them than by posting when you’re almost guaranteed visibility.
Let your Small Business Saturday campaign reflect your values
Despite the frenzy around heavy discounts and shopping sprees, your campaign must reflect your values as a business owner. Instead of encouraging overconsumption or pushing sales to get rid of inventory, take an intentional approach to Small Business Saturday.
You don’t have to offer discounts – it’s just as beneficial at bringing attention to you or your fellow small business owners. And you don’t have to be limited by format either – there are other ways to approach Small Business Saturday outside of social media.
However you choose to approach it, we hope these ideas inspire you as you start planning your posts for Small Business Saturday 2023!
Let us know what worked for you this year on Twitter or Instagram @buffer!
