Nestled comfortably in the sweet spot between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday falls on November 26 this year. Though the day was originally intended as an ode to mom-and-pop brick-and-mortar businesses in America, it now presents great opportunities for eSellers as well.
Small Business Saturday originated in 2010 as the brainchild of American Express. The special day was designed to bring attention to smaller stores in communities and encourage support for local businesses during the busiest sales week of the season.
The message caught on quickly. In 2011, the U.S. Senate officially recognized Small Business Saturday, supporting its mission to increase awareness of the role small businesses play in the U.S. economy. By 2014, Small Business Saturday had become a bona fide big deal. In that year, it was estimated that 88 million consumers spent a collective $14.3 billion with small independent businesses on the day, delighting local businesses across the country and making marketers sit up and pay attention. In 2015, that number rose to 95 million consumers supporting small businesses by spending a staggering $16.2 billion.
Janey Whiteside, senior vice president and general manager of American Express OPEN observes about the results of 2015’s Small Business Saturday:
“Small Business Saturday is an increasingly important economic engine for independent businesses. These impressive numbers demonstrate the value that Small Business Saturday brings to local businesses, and American Express is proud to support the Shop Small Movement. We encourage shoppers to support their local businesses not only on Small Business Saturday, but all year long.”
It is true that originally the focus of Small Business Saturday was locally owned brick and mortar stores. That does not mean, however, that eSellers are completely out of the loop. Many eSellers fit the profile of small, locally-owned businesses just as well as those businesses with a physical storefront do.
For instance, consider Etsy eSellers. According to SMBRetail.com, Etsy partnered with Amex to engage local businesses to host trunk shows featuring products from local Etsy online sellers on November 29, 2015, sweetening the pot with gift cards, a special trunk show kit and the chance to win a store refresh of up to $5,000.
American Express provides free custom downloadable marketing materials that eSellers can use on their sites and on social media platforms to get the word out about Small Business Saturday. It is hard to beat free marketing materials, so be sure to check out what American Express provides. Additionally, you can get free brand recognition by showcasing your small business success on the American Express social media page.
As a small business eSeller, you can step up your social media marketing game in anticipation of the big day, emphasizing in your marketing materials that you are proud to be a small U.S. business owner. You might also consider advertising via paid online ads to drive traffic to your site and offering a free shipping option for visitors who spend a pre-defined amount in your online store on Small Business Saturday.
As you gear up for the super sales weekend that begins with Black Friday, sails through Small Business Saturday, and gains even more momentum on Cyber Monday, make sure to have a safe way to process payments no matter where your customers are found. Check out Payoneer’s easy, streamlined payment processing services for eSellers like you.