5 Small Business Saturday Marketing Ideas

Run a Sale or Promotion

Sales drive holiday traffic for a reason. Many shoppers plan to spend over the Thanksgiving weekend, including Small Business Saturday—87 percent of consumers, to be exact. While bigger retailers may offer dramatic price slashes, many consumers willingly pay slightly more at small businesses to support local economies and enjoy a personal touch.

There are several effective ways to incorporate discounts tailored for Small Business Saturday, including:

• Doorbuster or Early-Bird Offers: Attract shoppers to your store when it opens with limited-time deals. These encourage customers to commit early in their shopping.
• Buy One, Get One Discounts: Popular in retail, this type of promotion incentivizes customers to purchase in bulk.
• Category-Specific Sales: Offer discounts on focused inventory categories rather than slashing prices across the board.
• Product Bundles: Pair complementary products, like matching accessories or seasonally grouped items, to appeal to buyers.

Even modest discounts can influence a spending decision when paired with quality service and unique offerings.

Join or Host a Local Event

Many cities organize Small Business Saturday events to boost local shopping. Check if your locale has plans by contacting your city’s Chamber of Commerce or local business networks. For those in areas without organized efforts, hosting your own event is always an option.

Design events that cater to your customer base. A bakery could create a family-friendly atmosphere with a holiday cookie-decorating workshop, while a boutique might host a private shopping night. Whatever you decide, promote the event ahead of time through fliers, email campaigns, or targeted social media posts.

Collaborating with other small businesses can make events even more appealing. For example, a bookstore and coffee shop can team up to host a “Books and Brews” day where customers enjoy specialty drinks while choosing their next read. These partnerships often attract more attendees and reduce setup costs.

Leverage the American Express Shop Small Map

American Express plays a huge role in spotlighting Small Business Saturday. Each year, they update their Shop Small Map, a tool that exclusively highlights smaller, local businesses. This program excludes large multinational corporations, ensuring increased visibility for smaller enterprises.

Creating a profile takes minimal effort. Registering ensures that potential customers near you can find your business as they search for participating locations. Check the accuracy of your profile if you are already listed. Consumers planning their day often rely on such tools to decide where to shop.

Use Social Media for Awareness

Social media is integral for Small Business Saturday promotion. You can post about sales, events, or other campaigns on platforms such as Instagram or Facebook to reach an engaged audience. Start posting early to build awareness. Incorporate platform features like Instagram Stories’ countdown stickers to hype specific announcements.

Relevant hashtags make posts discoverable by wider audiences outside your existing followers. Use event-related terms like #ShopSmall or #SmallBusinessSaturday, combined with location-specific tags to expand your reach. For example, #ShopLocalBoston or #SmallBizLosAngeles help connect local shoppers with your content.

Social media giveaways are another option. These contests encourage engagement, grow your follower base, and amplify your message. Run a pre-event contest and have participants share your posts, tag your business, or follow your page for a chance to win an exclusive Small Business Saturday prize.

Partner With Micro-Influencers

Influencer marketing is not exclusive to big brands with lavish budgets. Micro-influencers, who typically have smaller but highly engaged audiences, are excellent partners for small businesses.

For instance, a gym could work with a fitness influencer, while a boutique clothing store might collaborate with a fashion content creator. Data shows micro-influencers with fewer than 15,000 followers average a 3.86 percent engagement rate—much stronger than the 1.21 percent seen with larger influencers with over one million followers.

Fees associated with influencers may sometimes be negotiable, especially for local campaigns. The personal nature of these partnerships often resonates well with consumers, translating into foot traffic or online sales.

Consider Paid Ads

For businesses with the resources to invest in advertising, paid social media ads or local pay-per-click campaigns offer ways to target potential customers effectively. Facebook and Instagram allow you to narrow your audience by location, age, interests, and other characteristics, ensuring your promotions reach the right eyes.

Alternatively, using search ads ensures your promotions show up when people perform location-based or Small Business Saturday-related searches. Combine concise ad copy with landing pages tailored specifically to highlight your sales or events.

Boosting existing social posts is another cost-effective ad option. Focus on high-performing organic posts and give them more visibility by investing in a modest promotion budget.

Engage Online Communities

Local online spaces, like town-specific Facebook groups or dedicated Subreddit forums, can be overlooked marketing opportunities. Residents often use these platforms to ask for recommendations or discuss local experiences. Participate in these conversations and look for ways to plug your Small Business Saturday plans tactfully.

When permitted, share posts detailing event plans, store hours, or exclusive promotions. These posts often receive better responses when paired with direct calls to action, such as asking viewers to visit or tag friends.

Update Your Google Profile

Your Google Business Profile is vital for local visibility. It already connects you with potential customers in your area, but Small Business Saturday makes it more important than ever.

Use the Google Posts feature to highlight holiday hours, promotions, or in-store events for the day. These posts appear directly in your search listing, ensuring visitors find timely details without navigating away.

Ensure all other facets of your Google profile—hours, store categories, and contact details—are accurate and up to date. Any gaps in information can lead to missed opportunities.

Direct Mail Promotions

Though often overlooked, direct mail remains one of the easiest ways to track returns on marketing investments. Small Business Saturday promotions sent by mail build local awareness. A simple postcard or flyer with a special coupon is often enough to encourage nearby residents to stop in.

Combining direct mail with other efforts amplifies its effect. For example, you can tease mail promotions on your social channels as an additional incentive for followers to check their mailbox.

Build Anticipation Through Email

Email reports a high average return on investment for businesses of all sizes. As a more direct way to engage customers, it can educate your existing audience about upcoming events or promotions.

An email campaign should span several touches to build awareness over time. Start weeks in advance by teasing the event with a “Save the Date” style notice. Follow up with more specifics, such as sale terms or event details, as the day approaches. Consider making some offers exclusive to email subscribers to incentivize them further.

Conclusion

Small Business Saturday is not about reinventing the wheel. Marketing campaigns built using tools already available—social platforms, email, Google profiles, and networking opportunities—can have measurable impacts. Remember, consistent outreach in the weeks leading to the event leaves a stronger impression than waiting until the last minute.