TMCNet: Valassis Offers Tips for Small Business Saturday Success

[November 23, 2016]

Valassis Offers Tips for Small Business Saturday Success

Valassis, a leader in intelligent media delivery, today shares three essential tips for local companies to capitalize on Small Business Saturday. This American shopping holiday is held on the Saturday after Thanksgiving and entices consumers to "shop small" on a day that falls during the major holiday shopping weekend between Black Friday and Cyber Monday (News - Alert).

Last year, over 95 million consumers shopped local and spent $16.2 billion on Small Business Saturday - accounting for an estimated 35 percent of their holiday gift budget. In addition, according to new Valassis research, consumers using savings apps such as Local Flavor have grown from 36 percent to 49 percent over the last two years, with more than 50 percent of these shoppers visiting a local store after receiving a mobile offer. With this in mind, small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) have a unique opportunity to leverage hyper-local marketing and sales strategies to engage shoppers and kick off the holiday shopping season on a high note.

"Small businesses must incorporate hyper-local marketing strategies in advance of Small Business Saturday, and throughout the holiday season, to better engage, attract and retain local shoppers and remain competitive with larger brands," commented Steve Hauber, diision president, Valassis Local Solutions. "Small Business Saturday is a testament to consumers' willingness to shop local, but it's up to businesses to activate strategic advertising campaigns and tactics to promote themselves. While all small businesses will likely see a boost from the holiday, those that embrace a hyper-local approach will reap even greater results to their bottom lines."

SMBs can capitalize on Small Business Saturday by following three tips from Valassis:

  • Embrace Location-Based Mobile Advertising - Mobile devices serve as a necessary advertising channel as Americans spend more time with their phones than any other device and over 80 percent of consumers have a smartphone. Because of today's connected culture, smartphones provide a valuable channel for businesses to constantly stay in front of shoppers. By using location-based mobile advertising, SMBs can look at behavioral data and create audience segmentations based on habitual activities to deliver timely, relevant messages to consumers who have shown interest in their products.
  • Mobile Apps and Email Marketing - Now much more affordable for the small business owner, custom mobile apps tied to an email marketing program also lead the way when it comes to customer engagement. Push notifications, email automation and insights into consumer behavior have made it easier than ever for businesses to interact with their valued customers, and consumers have strong feelings about how those interactions should be handled. The success seen in 2016 from businesses with loyalty apps from Total Loyalty Solutions are prime examples of what has been identified as an industry-wide trend: Consumers are demanding the convenience and engagement that mobile loyalty apps provide, and the businesses that can offer them the best experiences stand to benefit tremendously.
  • Check Results and Re-Group if Necessary - Every type of advertising effort impacts consumers differently so it's important to review what is successful as well as which tactics are not working. Strategies such as geo-fencing that inspire consumers to "act now" can have immediate results, while audience-focused campaigns have a longer conversion lead time. Knowing which strategies work best can lead to more in-store visits and ultimately a higher consumer retention rate, having a positive impact that lasts well past Small Business Saturday and into the remainder of the lucrative holiday shopping season.

To learn more about SMB marketing strategies, click here.

About Valassis

Valassis is a leader in intelligent media delivery, providing over 58,000 clients with innovative media solutions to influence consumers wherever they plan, shop, buy and share. By integrating online and offline data combined with powerful insights, Valassis precisely targets its clients' most valuable shoppers, offering unparalleled reach and scale. NCH Marketing Services, Inc. and Clipper Magazine are Valassis subsidiaries, and RedPlum® is its consumer brand. Its signature Have You Seen Me?® program delivers hope to missing children and their families. Valassis is a wholly owned subsidiary of Harland Clarke Holdings.


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