Consumers Can Support Local Business Saturday, Nov. 26

Consumers Can Support Local Business Saturday, Nov. 26

While Retailers Step Up Marketing Efforts

American Express Open, the company’s small business unit, is declaring the Saturday after Thanksgiving as Small Business Saturday. The idea is to encourage people to shop at their favorite local stores which helps fuel the economy and keep our local businesses in business! “When we all shop small, it will be huge,” says American Express.

If you are a retailer the next four to five weeks make up a great percentage of your yearly sales. Getting the right customers in the door will be the key to making or breaking a business.

Being creative and that means thinking outside the box can add to your bottom line in a significant way.

Here are a few marketing ideas:

1. Offer a contract to your local radio station. Contact their advertising manager and suggest swapping free advertising for a prize you’re willing to donate. (Make sure the prize is something that will cost you less than the cost of radio advertising, however!)

2. Use your vehicle as a billboard. If your company name and phone number is already on your car or truck, add your website too.  If you don’t want your company name and contact information actually painted right onto your vehicle body, there are magnetic signs you can have made (this is an especially good strategy if your car’s color doesn’t fit in with your website brand colors.)

3. Make sure your website URL is easy to remember — especially if you are promoting it by having it on the side or back of your vehicle.

4. Think seasonally. Decide how you can tie in a promotion to local, seasonal trends. For example, if you’re in maple syrup country, sponsor or put on a pancake breakfast and have your staff or volunteers, if you’re a one-person business, wear t-shirts displaying your website or have your website printed on all your paper cups.

5. Give out samples — with a coupon. It allows your target audience to touch, taste, feel and experience your products, first hand. If you do have a physical product such as maple syrup, give them a “taste” at public events — supply the syrup for that church event, complete with your website stamped on the containers. Offer samples at local farmer’s markets — and even if they buy your actual product, hand out at the same time a coupon to be redeemed “next time” they visit your website and sign up for your mailing list!

JoAnne Funch is owner of GIR-Graphics & Innovative Resources, providing creative marketing solutions to small business owners and non-profits who want to gain visibility off-line or on-line through strategic marketing ideas and consistent branding messages  For free marketing tips visit her website www.girpromotions.com. Or, connect with JoAnne on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.