Hershey’s is right. Big things come in small packages. With Small Business Saturday around the corner, it's time to remind your customers (and prospective customers) about all the benefits you offer them simply because you are a small business.

 

Here are a few ideas that can work well as social posts and/or ad campaigns.

 

1.Tell your story. How did you get started? Were you following a passion? Are you now leading a family business that you worked at since you were a child? Were you inspired by the opportunity to solve a problem, make people happy, or something else? For most small businesses, it isn’t always smooth sailing: are there challenges and struggles that you can share? Understanding this helps your customers identify with you and remember you the next time they need what you offer.

 

2. Tell their story. How do you support your community? Do you sponsor a soccer team or hold a fundraiser for a local teen who wants to help the humane society? Help your followers understand what moved you about the initiative enough to support it. Why was the project inspirational? What did it accomplish? Who and how did it help those who benefited from the initiative? Important note here … this is not about what you did to help them. When you share “their stories” it needs to explain the incredible things that others in your community are doing.

 

3.When does 2+2=5? When those four businesses are collaborating! Actively support other small businesses in your community. Tag them in social posts and engage with their posts. Leave them positive reviews. Help disseminate time-sensitive news – like events your fellow business owners are holding. Talk about the importance of shopping small and staying within the community, even if you never mention your business specifically.

 

4.Stop the social scroll. Remember show and tell? And how everyone always wanted you to hold the “show” part? We are visual. Pictures and videos add depth and clarity to your words. They also catch your customer’s eye and encourage them to stop scrolling.

 

5.Sell more than the product. Pretty much everything can be found online. We can even buy a car online now. But it’s tough to find advice and expertise online, especially for free. Imagine trying to buy a car online and wondering if you’d be happier with four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The folks at your local car dealership can explain the difference and ask you the right questions to help you decide which is better for you. Offer expertise that isn’t available, isn’t free, or just plain hard to find online.

 

All advantages that you have as a small business. All messages that can be shared as we head into Small Business Saturday and the holiday shopping season!