We have been banging on forever and a day about how small businesses should invest in a decent website and social media strategy. However, what is the next step after this? We have been helping local independent businesses, and these are three alternative ways of promoting small businesses.
Small Business Saturday
Ever popular in the US, Small Business Saturday is starting to become a big deal in the UK too. On Saturday 3rd December, the UK will celebrate small businesses. Throughout the country, shops will offer discounts, town centres will put on markets and celebrations, all of which can be read about on their website.
We have registered our small business clients on the website, including their offers. As a customer, you are able to use the small business finder to type in your postcode to see which businesses are participating.
Come over and join us for Small Business Saturday, and use the hashtag #SmallBizSatUK
Time Out Love London Awards
Once again, these have grown in popularity. You may have seen posters in local shops, bars and restaurants asking you to vote for them in the Love London Awards.
It is a two-step campaign process, where you can request customers to nominate your business under one of four categories (pubs and bars; restaurants; shops, cafes and coffee shops; and local culture) and then a second stage where if you are selected (up to 10 nominations per category per area of London), you can vote (and encourage others to vote).
We found a lot of local camaraderie when asking locals to vote, and we all vote for each other. We were very pleased when our local pub won the category of best pub in Muswell Hill for the second year in a row. We’d like to think it had something to do with our campaign.
Keep an eye out from August onwards for information so you can nominate your local business. Don’t forget the hashtag #LoveLondonAwards
Localove
We first heard about this over Twitter. Rather than a day of celebration or an award, Localove is an app which can be downloaded on https://localove.com.
You can either register as a shopper (enjoy local offers straight away) or as a business. The sign up process is relatively painless and you just need to upload a couple of images, and away you go.
Localove have this to say: “With shoppers constantly browsing the market, you can keep them up to date with all your news, as well as offering them deals, discounts or simply sharing a great new photo. Don’t forget, this is a live and constantly changing market, so in order to attract different shoppers regularly, we recommend that you post at least twice a week. Good things happen to those who post!”
Download the app today!
If you are a small business looking to attract new customers then we’d love to hear from you. Red Desk offer social media strategy, brand exploration and social media training.