Small Business Saturday: How to Crush It Like a Pro

It’s that time of year again—pumpkin spice is in the air, holiday sales fill your inbox and everyone just seems to be in the mood to shop. It's a massive time of year for small businesses and brands. Small Business Saturday occurs every year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving and is a golden opportunity for small business owners to get some well-deserved love. But in such a crowded marketplace, how can you ensure you’re making the most of it for your business? 

Whether you’re running a brick-and-mortar shop or doing the online game (or both), we’re here to walk you through some tips on how to maximize the buzz around this special day.

The Hype Squad

If there’s ever a time to be all over people’s feeds, it’s on Small Business Saturday. Social media will be your BFF, allowing you to connect to your current and potential consumers both in advance and in real time. But the key to maximizing this is to plan your social content ahead of time and start brainstorming creative campaigns now. (Need help? Reach out - we’d love to build a custom social media strategy for you.) 

The social posts should go beyond just the holiday itself. For example, start teasing your specials in advance with fun posts like a behind-the-scenes look at what you're prepping for the big day, sneak peeks of special deals or even a countdown. Additionally, it’s always helpful to include event-specific hashtags. Ones like #SmallBusinessSaturday and #ShopSmall will help you get discovered by new customers, especially if you also include a geotag of your location.

At the end of the day, don’t be afraid to get creative. Post videos, go live or run polls to engage your audience. Take it up a notch and collaborate with influencers or local community pages to boost visibility. Pro tip: Offer a flash giveaway or exclusive discounts  for your followers who interact with your posts, further incentivizing them to support community shopping.

Go Big (But Not, Like, Corporate Big)

Small Business Saturday is the perfect time to lean into what makes you unique. This isn’t Black Friday—it’s personal and your audience wants to feel like they’re supporting local businesses. Therefore, your marketing and messaging should reflect that. Instead of offering generic “25% off everything!” sales (yawn), think about crafting special offers that highlight what’s awesome about your business.

Do you offer handcrafted goods? A “meet the maker” event or gift with purchase can draw in customers. Is your service eco-friendly? A “green shopping” discount or sustainable product showcase could be a fun way to highlight that. 

Lastly, make sure your email campaigns and digital ads have the same personality as your brand, as well as in-line with your Small Business Saturday offering. People are choosing to support you because you’re not a big-box store, so own it! Focus on what makes your business unique, be authentic to your brand and watch the sales roll in. 

Own Your Story

Everyone loves a good story, especially on a day like Small Business Saturday. Do a mental checklist - do you have your elevator pitch solidified? How do you relay your key differentiators to the public in an engaging way? What is your founding story? Small Business Saturday gives you the perfect opportunity to pitch your story to local reporters - but you’ll want to make sure you have your story straight - no pun intended - before you start outreach. (If you’ve never done media relations before, it can be pretty daunting. So let us do it for you! We love securing amazing media placements for our clients.)

Ahead of the day, reach out to local media—newspapers, blogs, broadcast stations, etc.—to pitch your story. Whether you’re a multi-generational, family-run business or hosting a special event for the holidays, highlight how your business makes an impact on the local community. You can always send out a press release to disseminate the information far and wide. You can also do what we call thought leadership outreach by offering yourself for interviews on how small businesses are preparing for Small Business Saturday, tips for success and what the holiday means to you. 

Bottom line - journalists are going to want to hear from you. Own your story, get the word out and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there.

Do It IRL

For businesses with physical locations, Small Business Saturday is your chance to turn your space into a buzzing hub of excitement. Deck out your storefront with some festive decor—bonus points if it’s photo-worthy (aka Instagrammable). Keep it simple by offering free treats or beverages like coffee, hot cocoa or tea to shoppers.

If you want to step it up a notch, consider hosting a special event or live demonstration that ties into what you sell. If you’re a bakery, offer a mini baking class. A ceramics store? Maybe a pottery making demonstration. The key is to create a memorable experience that gets people talking—and coming back!

Lastly, don’t forget about partnerships. Collaborate with neighboring businesses to create a fun day for the entire area. A small “shop crawl” with exclusive deals could be just the thing to get people hopping from store to store. Or partner with a local provider to offer shoppers local snacks, trinkets and treats as they browse.

It’s Your Time to Shine

Small Business Saturday is all about community and connection. It’s a day where people come out to support businesses just like yours, so make the most of it by embracing your story, engaging your customers and having a little fun. Whether you’re drumming up excitement on social media, telling your story to the press or hosting the party of the year in your shop, remember: You’ve got something special to offer, and Small Business Saturday is the perfect time to show it off.