As a print shop, the holiday shopping season can be tough. It’s almost impossible to compete with department store prices on pre-decorated goods on Black Friday, and your shop probably isn’t the first place people think of when they’re looking for gifts.
Luckily, a new holiday has taken hold and is growing increasingly popular each year: Small Business Saturday. While Black Friday is all about the biggest discounts, Small Business Saturday is about participating in the small business experience and shopping locally. Created by American Express, the holiday has been endorsed by President Obama and attracted over 95 million shoppers in 2015.
For many printers, Small Business Saturday can be a healthy boost to the holiday season. Here’s how to take part.
Sign up for Small Business Saturday
While you don’t need to sign up officially with American Express, it’s free and it gives you access to all of their marketing materials. Plus you’ll be listed in their directory so interested buyers can easily find your business. Sign up here by November 11th to get in on the good stuff.
Figure out your draw
What’s going to bring in customers on Small Business Saturday? While the participating buyers want to participate and “buy small,” you also need to make it worth their time.
Offer a special coupon
What if you made a coupon available for 40% off pre-decorated goods, just for Small Business Saturday? If you promoted it well, this could be a great way to attract new customers. You’d be operating at a lower margin, but the future business would be worth it.
Bundle your goods into a special Small Business Saturday package at a lower price
Like Black Friday, customers on Small Business Saturday are in gift-buying mode, and many people buy more than one gift for their loved ones. Make it easy to add on a second item.
Hold a Small Business Saturday sale
You don’t have to discount the whole store, just a few bestselling items that align well with holiday gifts. This isn’t Black Friday. Don’t feel like you need to compete with crazy-low prices across the board.
Create an on-location experience
If your workspace or storefront can allow, consider doing a demo. Many people are curious about how screen printing actually works. You could promote a “Print shop behind the scenes” day with some coffee and snacks, and encourage families to bring their kids for an educational event. If you have the space for it, you could even partner with some other small businesses to create and sell your wares together in one holiday shopping hotspot.
Want more ideas? Check out what other businesses are doing:
Ramp up your marketing
The customers won’t show up on their own. You have to let them know what you’re doing. In the weeks leading up to Small Business Saturday, begin promoting to your current and potential customers.
Include a flier with each order
Explain on the flier what Small Business Saturday is, when it takes place, and why they should buy from you on that day. If you decided to do a coupon, put one in each package.
Invest in social media ads and Google AdWords
A few years back, Facebook reduced the number of business posts that are shown to Facebook followers. Instead, businesses must “boost” posts or buy ads in order to get effective exposure. There are specific guidelines to follow to make sure your ad isn’t rejected””or worse, your page shut down””but this can be an extremely effective way to get the word out. Check out the Facebook Ads info page.
Email your customers
Email is an important way for businesses to attract repeat business. Promote the event to your email list at least a month in advance and throughout November, and encourage them to tell their friends.
Prepare for the big day
Make sure you have enough stock of whatever products you might be discounting. Also ensure your staff is on board for support””if anything goes wrong, the last thing you want is to be the only one on the job.
As you prepare, also consider ways you can make this event have an even greater impact on your business. Can you ask for email addresses from buyers to add to your email list? What if you gave out a 10% coupon with each purchase on Small Business Saturday to encourage a return trip? Remember, the goal is to develop a solid relationship. If you can make positive connections with a customer multiple times early on, they’ll be more likely to think of you fondly even years down the line.
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