Small Business Saturday lands on November 28 this year, the day after Black Friday. It's one of the few days a year when shoppers go out of their way to buy local, and it's also the start of a short season. Christmas is only four weeks later.
The businesses that do well that day don't get lucky. They start talking about it early. Here's a week-by-week plan you can start today.
Week 1: Get your house in order
Before you promote anything, make sure people can find you. Update your holiday hours on your Google Business Profile, Facebook, Instagram, and website. Check that your site works on a phone, because that's where most local shoppers will look you up. Then decide on one clear offer for the day. One is plenty.
Week 2: Start the conversation
Post that you're participating and tell people why shopping local matters to you. Share a photo of your team, your space, or the products you're excited about. Send your email list a short "save the date" note with your offer and hours.
Week 3: Show what makes you different
This is the week to give people a reason to choose you. Post a quick video walking through your shop or explaining your service. Feature a happy customer. If you're teaming up with a neighboring business, announce it now so both of your audiences hear about it.
People want to shop local. Your job is to remind them you exist and make it easy to say yes.
Week 4: Remind, then thank
Send a reminder email the day before with your hours, your offer, and directions. Post on the day itself, even if it's a quick photo of a busy counter. Then, the following week, thank everyone who came in. That thank-you post is the one most businesses skip, and it's the one people remember.
Keep it simple
You don't need a big budget or a new campaign every day. One offer, a handful of posts, and two or three emails will put you ahead of most businesses on your block. Pin your best post to the top of your profile so new visitors see it first.