Saturday, November 24 holds special significance for small businesses in the U.S., as that date is Small Business Saturday for 2018. The American shopping holiday held on the Saturday after Thanksgiving was first observed in 2010, but in that time it has ballooned.
Last year, that meant that 108 million shoppers spent $12.9 billion at independent businesses on Small Business Saturday. Awareness of the event continues to grow, and your bakery can be a part of that by marketing specifically for November 24.
American Express, the company which has sponsored and promoted Small Business Saturday in the past, offers services that create customizable marketing materials for your physical location, online shop, and social media.
“What began nine years ago as an effort to support local stores during the holiday shopping season has become the ‘Shop Small’ movement, bringing together millions of shoppers, small businesses of all kinds, civic leaders, and organizations in thousands of towns and cities across the country,” says Elizabeth Rutledge, American Express’ chief marketing officer. “Shopping small has a significant and positive effect on local communities, and we hope Small Business Saturday will help to amplify that effect during the crucial holiday shopping season. When small businesses thrive, we all thrive.”
Here are some other ways to promote your business for Small Business Saturday, courtesy of the U.S. Small Business Administration:
- Save the Date – Send out emails and social media posts to your potential customers to spread the word about the event. On social media, use the hashtags #SmallBusinessSaturday and #SmallBizSaturday to reach even more people.
- Catering – If you bakery caters, this can be an essential piece of information to let people know about around Small Business Saturday. With the holidays approaching, many will look to order food for their parties and events.
- Partner with other local businesses – You can create a community of businesses, all supporting each other to make everyone more successful.