When we decided to partner with Laurel Main Street to promote Small Business Saturday we did so because we believe that small-town small businesses deserve to succeed.

But, we can’t do it without you.

Without you Small Business Saturday is just an idea. As much as we want to see the streets of Downtown Laurel full of happy shoppers and hear the ring of bells as they swing open your doors, we simply can’t make it happen alone.

If Small Business Saturday is going to be the success we know it can be, we need your help.

In the coming weeks we will be putting all of our resources to work to make this the biggest shopping event of the year. If you, and other business owners like you, make a commitment to do the same then this will be an event that folks will be talking about for months to come and it could be the turning point your business needs for long term success. Are you committed to making this happen with us?

Here’s how we can do it together.

Your 6 steps to #shopsmall success

Step 1. Create a realistic, results-driven strategy

Have you ever stared at that little post box on Facebook and wondered what you could possibly say to get people to actually take notice?

One of the questions I get most often is “What do I talk about?“.

When you have a results-driven, realistic strategy in place, you’ll never ask this question again, because you’ll know what, when, how and where to say exactly what they need to hear.

To develop a strategy for driving people through your doors on Small Business Saturday you’ll need to take a step back and look at the bigger picture.

Ask yourself these questions:

• What do I want to achieve? (Ex. More foot traffic, a new type of customer, a stronger following, etc.)
• What is my specific measurement of success? (Ex. 10X more sales, 5 new referrals)
• Are my expectations realistic? (If not, go back to step 1.)
• What message will make this happen? (Ex. Solve their unique problem, offer something that is scarce, provide more value)
• What resources can I use to communicate this message? (Ex. Social media, local media, relationships, referrals, etc.)
• How will I do what I promised? (Ex. Better experience, prepare offer, prepare products)

Now that your event strategy is in place, let’s talk about the tactics you can use to make it all happen.

Step 2. Inspire your AUDIENCE

If you want to see great results during and after the event you’ll need to inspire your past, present and future customers to actually walk through your door. The best way to do that is to give them a good reason to care and to make sure they know about it! Here are my best tips for promoting your business and Small Business Saturday.

– Create your offer

An event like Small Business Saturday is a perfect opportunity to do something special for your customers, something that will bring them back time and time again and inspire them to talk about you and your business at every opportunity. The right offer could be the key to long term success for your business and a great way to test what works for your audience.

Your offer should:

• Add value – Sales and discounts can hurt your business in the long run by decreasing the perceived value of your products, but adding value can inspire customers to spend more, come back time and time again, and refer you to their friends. Here are some ways you can use an offer to add value:
  • Include an “extra” with every purchase during the event. (Ex. A free necklace with every clothing purchase, a free Christmas ornament with every purchase, etc., a free “upgrade” with purchase)
  • Include a service with every purchase during the event. (Ex. Free gift wrapping, layaway, etc)
• Include their friends – Why wait for your customers to find an opportunity to refer you? Use the #shopsmall event as a reason for them to tell their friends about you! Here are some ideas:
  • Give them a gift to give their friends. (Ex. A card that lets their friend take advantage of the event offer after the event, a pre-gift wrapped token such as a Christmas ornament or other inexpensive item.)
  • Create a secondary value-added offer for referrals. (Ex. Give a free gift for every referral)
• Make it fun, make it local – One thing we’ve learned at OYH is that Laurel folks love our town and Mississippi. Include a Mississippi-made or Laurel-centric item, gift wrapping or card with every purchase!

Step 3: Plan to succeed on Social Media

A great offer will not only inspire repeat business but will give you an authentic reason to promote the event on social media, through email and through traditional marketing methods. SBS is a great opportunity to flex those marketing muscles and really get your message out there. Here are some tips for getting the word out.

• Find out which social networks your customers use most and reach out to them there – If your customers aren’t using Twitter, then your time may be much better spent on Facebook or another network. Don’t be fooled into thinking you need to be everywhere. The same goes for traditional media. A tip: Figure out who the social network or media outlet markets to for their own products, and you’ll know who their primary audience is.
• Provide value – There’s that word again! It seems that everyone is trying to market to us these days. Break through the noise by talking about the things your people actually care about. Ask questions, provide answers, be authentic; treat your audience like the real people they are and they’ll be much more likely to pay attention to what you have to say.
• Use native content for increased engagement – Native content is the type of content that works best on each network. Links and big images (and albums of images) on Facebook, quick posts and hashtags on Twitter, beautiful images (not ads!) on Instagram and helpful content on Pinterest. Each network has it’s own type of conversation; make sure you aren’t interrupting it and you’ll see much better results from your social media efforts.

One of the hardest parts of communicating with your audience is finding the time to do it right. The professionals use tools and services every day to make our job not only easier, but possible! Here is how you can do the same:

• Create a content schedule – Deciding when and where your posts should go live well ahead of the actual “launch” date will not only save you a ton of time and headaches, but will help you present a cohesive, consistent message that inspires engagement and action. Write out your plan for the next weeks, building up to a higher frequency of posts as the event approaches. Don’t overdo it though! A few well timed, varied and value-added posts throughout the week will get much better results than a barrage of the same advertisement posted 15 times a day. No fancy tools here! Use a handwritten calendar at this stage so you can see easily see any conflicts or badly timed posts.
• Prepare unique graphics well before you need them – The graphics you see on the Laurel Main Street Facebook page aren’t made on the spot. Own Your Hill prepares them well in advance so that we know they’ll be ready when we need them. Tip: Use a free service like Canva to make near pro-quality graphics without expensive software. You can also get great free pre-made graphics as part of your promotional packet from the official Small Business Saturday website here.
• Be a part of the movement – By using the official event graphics, hashtag and color scheme you’ll become a part of something bigger than your individual business and will be a part of a bigger cohesive message. We’ve provided some great resources at the end of this post to make this much easier for you. Remember, #shopsmall!
• Use a scheduler – This one tool could completely change your outlook on social media. It’s just that good. A social media scheduler will allow you to create your posts days or weeks in advance and watch as they magically roll out while you play a game of golf or read a bedtime story to your kids. I recommend Buffer to all of my clients, and use it myself every single day. If you only use Facebook, take note of their internal scheduler next to the “post” button. You can schedule posts out in much the same way as Buffer while taking advantage of some of their native features. I tend to schedule Facebook posts using their tool to control link graphics and tagging, and all other networks using Buffer.
• Rinse, and repeat – One of the best parts about marketing on social media right now is the ability to see what works and what doesn’t. Every network (except Instagram) has an analytics tool built in. Buffer has built in analytics as well. Don’t judge a book by it’s cover! A post that looks like it got very little engagement may have received a ton of click-throughs or momentary views. Figure out what is working well with your audience and deliver more of the same.

If you create a great offer, inspire action and present a consistent cohesive message Small Business Saturday could be your biggest sales day of the year. Take the time to do it right and the results could really surprise you! But, promotion isn’t a magic bullet by itself, sometimes you need a little help. Let’s talk about some outside resources that could be that added boost your business needs.

Step 4. Use your RESOURCES

Your resources aren’t limited to your own talents, time or energy. If you want to see better results than you’ve ever had, you’ll need to look for new ways to communicate your message and implement your strategy in a way that you haven’t tried before.

Finding new resources:

• Reach out to your best customers – Your customers are more than another sale or another bill paid this month, they could be your best resource! Reach out to them and ask questions, gather ideas and find ways to make little changes to your services and products before the event. They might even have an idea for a killer offer!
• Meet your neighbors – Reaching out to the business owners around you is a great way to find new ideas and partnerships that could help make your Small Business Saturday offer even better. Is there a music studio down the road from your retail shop? How about asking them to perform during the event for your customers? Could your shop use sprucing up before the event? How about checking out the antique store for new display options or something special for your window decor?
• Become a LMS member or partner – Participating in an organization like Laurel Main Street gives you great opportunities to meet other business owners, local artists, experts and social influencers while helping to revive and restore Downtown Laurel, which can only mean great things for your business!
• Get help sprucing up your shop or building – The LMS Facade & Amenities Grant could be your answer to that new paint job you’ve been waiting for, or even a small bit of outdoor decor. We want to help you fix up your downtown buildings! Apply for a Facade Grant now to be ready in time for the event.

Remember, your resources aren’t limited to what you can do by yourself. Laurel is a great community full of talented, helpful people who want to see us all succeed, and who are willing to do what it takes to make it happen. Need help? We’re happy to help connect you with other business owners or local experts.

Step 5. Provide an EXPERIENCE worth talking about

Your job doesn’t end the morning of the event! The best way to ensure that Small Business Saturday gives you long term results is to WOW your customers as they walk through your door. Give them a reason to talk about you and growth will follow! Here are a few ways you could create an experience worth talking about:

• Entertain – Laurel is full of talented musicians, storytellers, comedians and artists. Enlist one (or more!) of them to perform or provide a demonstration during the event, right in your shop! Many of them will have their own local following who will likely visit your shop to see the performance and could become regular customers! Tip: be sure the act fits with your brand and will appeal to your unique customer.
• Educate – Online marketers know that the best way to gain a new follower is to teach them something of value. Use the same methods we use online to turn your casual shoppers into lifelong fans! Do a demonstration of your own or bring in an expert! Ideas: DIY decor projects, styling an outfit, holiday decorating, etc. You’ll have the added benefit of promoting individual products used in the demonstration while providing great value to your customers!
• Engage – Be present during the entire event. Answer questions, talk with your customers as they come through, share in the fun with them!
• Excite – SBS could be the perfect time to reveal any big news you’ve been waiting to talk about. Use the added excitement of the event to get extra attention for your big reveal!

Step 6. Evaluate your SUCCESS

Small Business Saturday should serve as a kick-off point for years of success for your business, but it all depends on what you do after the event is over. Take a few moments after the event to write down your thoughts so that you’ll not only be ready for next year’s event, but also know how to make better marketing, promotion and offer decisions in the months to come.

Some things to consider:

• Did you reach your goal? Was your goal realistic or perhaps, not big enough?
• Was your offer well received? How could it have been better?
• Did you inspire your audience to action? What do your analytics tell you to do differently from here on out?
• Did you use all available resources? What relationships can you nurture this year to be better prepared for next year’s event?
• Did your customers enjoy the experience of shopping with you? What would you do differently next year?
• How can you use your successes to help other downtown business owners? How about your failures? Be a resource to our community by sharing what did and didn’t work for you.

You’ve refused to fail, and we’re ready to see you succeed.

You’ve made a commitment to refuse to fail, to see this thing through to the end. We’re here to help you in any way we can and we’re excited to see your success. Leave a comment below telling us why you think it is important to shop locally and share your best ideas for a successful Small Business Saturday.