’Tis the Season to Shop Local
Get the Facts about Holiday Spending
It’s beginning to look a lot like holiday shopping season!
The coming months present an exciting opportunity for all kinds of local businesses. As a business owner, you’ll want to make sure that your shop, restaurant, salon, or hotel is taking part in the online discussion surrounding the most wonderful time of the year by keeping your content, information, and audience up to speed.
We’re giving you the facts about holiday spending, so that you can make informed choices about how to use your online tools to peak your customers’ interests.
Local business owners, rejoice! Retail sales are sure to be on the rise in the coming weeks, and 80% of Americans plan to shop local this holiday season. This means that you have the chance to establish connections with new customers and welcome regulars back into your store.
In order to use your social media and online channels to your advantage, consider why these shoppers are choosing a small business like yours over big-box establishments.
As a local business, you are able to offer your community something truly special — the opportunity to put money back into the local economy and the chance to give individuals a unique gift or experience. Make sure you show your potential customers online that you have what they’re looking for.
Are you donating a portion of your proceeds to charity this year? Post about it on your Facebook wall with an invitation to your followers to help the cause!
Do you offer a product or service that no one else in your community has? Make sure that you have photos on your social media and review sites so that your customers can vouch for how awesome it is!
By knowing your customers and what they’re looking for, you can customize your social media content to bring them to your doors.
Another important thing to know about your customers is when they’re planning to visit you. According to the National Retail Federation, you’re not likely to see the majority of male shoppers until next month, while women might have already visited your business in store or online.
You can use this to inform your social media strategy and choose which products to feature on your social pages by considering who is likely to be doing their pre-purchase browsing.
Don’t underestimate the effect that your social media efforts can have on your business this holiday season. By keeping your information up-to-date, playing up your business’ strengths, and always keeping your customers’ needs top-of-mind, you’ll get the attention of shoppers online and attract them to your business.
Have a holly, jolly shopping season!
Want more resources like this? 8 Essential Social Media and Email Marketing Tips from our Regional Development Representative and social media marketing expert Kristin Booth!
Still not sure you have the know-how to take care of your business’ social channels? Let Main Street Hub help you succeed! Click here for a free demonstration of how our service can help you get more customers, keep them coming back, and save time.
