It’s hard to believe, but it’s been six years since American Express launched Small Business Saturday. Since its creation, Small Business Saturday has grown leaps and bounds each year. The point of this effort is to promote local small businesses and help them thrive and prosper. Small businesses across the nation are already prepping for November 28, and North American Bancard is offering a few tips on how to join in on the fun.
American Express has gone all-in on helping the small business owner with a dedicated website that not only gives you the history of Small Business Saturday, but offers free personalized marketing materials to help promote your business. It must be working – 88 million people took part in Small Business Saturday last year.
In 2013, more than 1,450 neighborhood champions signed up to rally their communities. What’s a neighborhood champion you ask? They are the dedicated shop owners that take it upon themselves to rally the community to get behind shopping local and having a little fun doing it. They help create events and games that keep people local and shopping. Some of the most buzz-worthy events from past years include:
- Scavenger Hunt — The organizers encouraged people to visit a number of small businesses by creating a scavenger hunt on Small Business Saturday. They led a group of people to come up with a list of things to find while shopping, keeping items local to businesses participating in Small Business Saturday. They rewarded everyone who completed the hunt with special offers at participating stores.
- #Shopsmall selfie: They asked customers to post a picture of them with their purchases to create a buzz. They had them hashtag their business’s name and the local chamber of commerce.
Any publicity, even if it’s just to your customers’ circle of social media friends, is a good thing. You never know who is going to see a picture from your store and find something they want to buy.
The American Express dedicated website offers a number of free marketing pieces that you can use to promote your participation in this year’s event.
All merchants are eligible to receive:
- Printable Signage & Save-the-Date Cards
- Email Templates & Social Posts
- Shop Small® Logos
- Shop Small Merchandise (while supplies last)
- Event Guides
Those merchants who accept American Express at their businesses also receive the additional perks of:
- Free online ads throughout the year
- Appearance on the Shop Small map.
Click here to sign up to participate, and to promote your business on the Small Business Saturday site. Happy selling!
