[Rhonda Hurwitz, forbes.com] On November 26th, American Express will rally shoppers to “shop small” on Small Business Saturday (see on facebook). Millions of consumers will flock to their favorite stores to kick start the holiday shopping season.
On November 27th, then what? How will your business keep the momentum going?
This holiday season, don’t just offer discounts to compete with large retailers — that’s a race to the bottom you can’t win. Instead, delight your customers with personal service and a remarkable experience, and give your business an edge with social media.
A Social Media Plan for Small Business Saturday
If you plan ahead, Small Business Saturday can be a great day to build your following on social networks, helping your business to grow long after the holiday decorations are put away.
A social media plan for Small Business Saturday (SBS) can be divided into three stages:
Prior to November 26th:
Your social media goal before Small Business Saturday is to make sure that the social networks you plan to use year-round are set up and well integrated across your business.
— Use the tools SBS event organizers have provided to build excitement and attract customers, including in-store signage, web support for social platform integration, email support, even a $100 advertising credit on Facebook.
— If social networks are already up and running, give your fans a peak behind the curtain to create a more personal connection to your business prior to SBS.
Start to engage your followers with these ideas: post pictures of your team getting your business ready for the holidays; run a contest, and publicize the winner on Small Business Saturday; generate conversation with questions like “what makes the perfect gift”?; create a fun Facebook photo strip to tie into the holidays; let people know you are participating!
On November 26th:
Your social media goal on Small Business Saturday is to get people to connect with your business via social media on the spot. Remember, you can’t build relationships with customers year-round, unless they “like” or follow you first!
— After each sale, ask customers to “Like” your business on Facebook and to join your mailing list, right then and there! Provide an extra incentive, offering a discount on their next purchase or a free gift with purchase just for signing up.
— An offer such as “Like our Facebook page, Join our email list, Get 20% off your next purchase” is important to spur immediate action.
— Display a sign near your register to promote your social media sign-up promotion. Make the process easy — have a laptop or ipad handy and ready to go.
— You can also get social media sign ups via mobile phone — encourage people to like your page.
— Have a camera or Flip camera on hand to take lots of pictures with customers. Tag and post them in the weeks to come, to serve as a social reminder of your store.
— Live tweet from your store.
Note: if people have already liked your business, ask them to leave a review or online comment, and reward that as well.
November 27th – December 31:
Your goal during this period is to engage in a conversation with your followers. Remember the “cocktail party” analogy… the conversation on social networks should not be about you or your holiday sales push, but about your customers! Try various approaches, and see what works to maximize shares, likes and comments. Some ideas:
— Ask simple and fun questions on your page ( check out the Amex Open page — they are masters of the “fill in the blank” questions to spur engagement).
— Feature fan photos and videos.
— Be interesting: share thoughts on holiday food, travel, pets, memories, etc.
— Design a “fan of the week” holiday promotion.
— Spotlight others: local merchants, community events, and local organizations, to build community.
— Offer weekly promotions just for your Facebook fans.
— Offer helpful content that resonates with your following or showcases your expertise.
— Ask customers to share honest feedback.
— Incentivize community participation or group shares by donating to a local charity.
— Offer a group promotion when certain milestones are reached.
Don’t miss a day! Create an editorial calendar themed to the holidays and your niche, to keep you on a schedule.
January 1st, 2012, and Beyond:
Your social media goal is to keep your fan base growing and engaged.
— Develop a plan and create an editorial calendar, to keep the momentum going.
— Use social media to create relationships and to listen, not sell or talk “at” people.
— Think outside your niche, and offer content that provides real value to your following
— Develop an online persona that reflects your personality.
— Leverage the opportunity to connect at every touchpoint… i.e., email integration, social plugins on your website, at point of purchase, and in geotargeted ads.
— Identify and create relationships with influencers online.
This year, when your customers shop small, think big! Use social media to create an emotional connection with customers, and take your small business to the next level all year long.