Last Minute Small Business Saturday & Cyber Monday Social Media Campaign Ideas (Updated Nov 2022)

Small Business Saturday cyber monday

We’re only a couple of weeks away from the official kickoff to the holiday shopping season. Whether they’re looking for amazing deals, eager to get a jump start on their holiday shopping, or simply just want a break from the in-laws, customers within all verticals have spending on the brain. If you’re a small business or online shop looking for some last minute Cyber Monday or Small Business Saturday ideas, look no further. We have you covered.

A Quick Look At the Numbers

When we wrote the original version of this post in 2018, we were just coming off record highs with their holiday spending. Cyber Monday was the largest single day of online shopping in U.S. history ever with digital transactions totaling $16.9 billion in 2017. Small Business Saturday (now in its 9th year as an “official” day) saw $12.9 billion in sales last year.

Bottom line, both days are rife with profit-driving opportunity.

In 2022, we’re gearing up for an even more impressive holiday spending season. 2021 saw $886.70 billion in total holiday spending. An 8% increase from 2020, and we can expect a similar (if not more) increase this year.

Make sure your small business is all set to capitalize on this month’s holiday shopping season kickoff with these tips and Black Friday/Cyber Monday marketing ideas.

Quick and Easy Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday Marketing Ideas

Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday may only be a few days away, but that’s still plenty of time to put the finishing touches (or the only touches – we don’t judge) on your marketing plans.

Here are a couple of our favorite easy-to-implement Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday marketing ideas.

Some of these ideas may be used to promote both holidays, while others lean towards a specific shopping day. To help make it clear which concept works best for which day, we’ve labeled the ideas:

  • CM: Cyber Monday
  • SBS: Small Business Saturday
  • Both: Used on either or both shopping days.  

Both – Partner with Another Local Business (SBS) or Online Shop (CM)

Small Business Saturday (SBS)  is all about supporting local businesses. Team up with another nearby locally-owned and operated store, or a collection of stores, to cross-promote each other’s brands during the weekend. This is a simple way to help amplify your messaging.

Tag each other in your social media posts in the days leading up to SBS and attack it as a joint partnership. Consider banning together to create a small flyer or card that advertises your coalition, then share it with customers when they make a purchase at one of the participating stores in order to build awareness of the other opportunities.

Online shops can get it on the action by cross-promoting stores that are related to your industry/target demographic but don’t directly compete with your offering.

Both – Ask Your Customers TODAY What Promotions They Want

Build some SBS and CM buzz (and conduct a little market research at the same time) by taking your holiday marketing planning to the social-sphere.

Facebook and Instagram both have a quality suite of social surveying features. Create a poll on your Facebook page or opt for a sticker in your Instagram Story that asks your followers what kind of deals they’d like to see, what kind of products they are interested in, or who they are shopping for, on SBS and CM:

A few examples:

  • Sale items
  • Gifts for Mom
  • Gift with purchase
  • Bundled products

SBS – Create An Event

Here’s where small businesses have a leg up on their online counterparts. Turn SBS shopping into an elevated, festive event by providing free tea, coffee, small snacks (keep in mind of allergies like GF, lactose intolerant, and peanut) to your guests on Small Business Saturday.  You could team up with a local deli, bakery, coffee shop, etc. to provide the food and beverages.

Be sure to advertise and promote your event offering in the days leading up to SBS to ensure your target customers are aware of the festivities. A great way to do this is to create an event on your business Facebook page. As fans of your business mark themselves interested in the event, it will show up in the news feed of their friends, and their friends’ friends, easily amplifying your audience.

SBS – Reward Facebook Check-ins or Instagram Story Tags

You can offer 10-15% off (or whatever amount you feel comfortable with) for those who check-in or tag your story during the holiday weekend. Create some signage (a simple counter card will do) that shares the promotional details and any limitations associated with it.

On the same note, be sure to tag YOUR posts with the appropriate hashtags to gain additional traction: #ShopSmall #ShopSmallBusinessSaturday #SmallBusinessSaturday, etc.

CM – Offer Lightening Sales or Deals of the Hour

It’s hard for smaller e-commerce stores to compete with big businesses like Amazon who year-round, have prices that even big box stores can’t match. To maintain a competitive advantage and give your customers something to rave about, consider offering lightening sales or deals of the hour.

A deal of the hour creates a sense of urgency and keeps all eyes on you! But this deal isn’t like a regular deal. These are SUPER AWESOME deals. These are deals on items that almost never go on sale. They’re deals on items that are some of the most anticipated items of the year. And they won’t last long, so customers must buy now!

Build buzz for these sales by teasing and promoting them in the week leading up to the holiday shopping season. If you’re supporting multiple lightning deals, be sure to create a post or two that shows the sale schedule.

CM – Execute an Aggressive Sale Reclamation Strategy on Abandoned Carts

Cyber Monday shoppers are low-price seekers. Hunters searching for the lowest price out there. As such, it’s typical for e-commerce stores to see a higher than average abandoned cart rate on Cyber Monday. Customers load up their cart, but at the last minute abandon their checkout process to search for “better” or lower-priced options.

Don’t let this happen to your store! An easy way to grow your CM revenue is by focusing on abandoned carts.

In the days leading up to CM, implement an aggressive reclamation strategy that includes:

  • Automated emails that send shortly after a cart is abandoned.
  • Remarketing campaigns shown to a defined audience of cart abandoners.
  • Text messages and other push notifications.

Consider layering on an additional discount or incentives to lure them back to your site to complete their purchase.

Both – Provide Additional Discounts to be Redeemed in an Upcoming Week

Reward the family shopper by providing them with a gift for themselves, a discount they can carry over to a future shopping excursion. After your customer makes a purchase, provide them with an additional discount code that becomes activated on 12/7 and lasts through 12/15 (or 12/22). Make sure that you clearly state when the code can be used and when that particular code sale ends.

Both – Work with Local Influencers

The news team, a local celebrity, a mommy blogger, a regular blogger, etc. Target someone who has influence in your target area and partner with them to spread the word about your sale, try new products, and get your customers excited about shopping at your store

Can’t find (or afford) an influencer? No problem! Tap into the social-sharing power of your current customers.

In the week leading up to SBS and CM, ask your current customers (through email, social posts, or even in-person) to promote and share your sales with their friends and families.

Don’t expect them to do all the heavy lifting, create a couple of graphics or provide them with the appropriate language so that they can easily create a post on your behalf.

Be sure to offer a little incentive or reward for your fans that go above and beyond to help promote your business in this fashion.

Both – Create a Holiday Gift Guide

Create a holiday gift guide featuring your products or services, or partner with other small businesses to offer a curated selection of gifts.

To start, make a list of the people your customers will be buying gifts for, along with their interests and hobbies. From there, brainstorm gift ideas that relate to those interests and narrow down your options based on your brand and product mix.

Remember to consider unique experiences or personalized gifts as well! It’s important to keep in mind that the purpose of a gift guide is to make gift-giving easier and more enjoyable for both the giver and the recipient. Happy gifting!

Both – Go Behind-the-Scenes to Build Anticipation and Excitement

One way to use behind-the-scenes content to build excitement for holiday sales is by showcasing your team’s preparations. This can include sneak peeks at store decorations, photos or videos of your team selecting and packaging unique holiday products, or even highlighting employees as they share their favorite gift ideas.

SBS  – Offer Free Gift Wrapping

Offering free gift wrapping can have a positive impact on your small business’s holiday sales in several ways. First, it can give customers a sense of convenience and added value, which can lead to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty. It can also set your business apart from competitors who do not offer this service.

Finally, offering free gift wrapping can potentially attract new customers who are looking for this service. In the end, offering free gift wrapping can lead to increased customer satisfaction, a competitive advantage, and potential new customers – all benefits that can positively impact your business.

Offer free gift wrapping for in-store purchases, or provide packaging upgrades for online orders. Bonus points if you use sustainable or reusable options!

Both – Make the Most Out of New Social Media Opportunities

TikTok, Instagram Reels, and Facebook Stories, all of these different types of media allow businesses to showcase their products in a fun and engaging way, while also reaching a wide audience.

Be sure to properly tag your posts with relevant hashtags, to make it easier for potential customers to purchase items directly from the platform. Don’t forget engage with your audience by responding to comments and messages.

Spread Some Cheer

Cyber Monday is only the start of an exciting shopping season. You don’t have to do it all alone. Even Santa has his elves. Let SocialToaster be your elf this holiday season. Call us at 855.62.TOAST, send us an email, or request a free demo. Seasons greetings!

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