Brian Morris — October 31, 2016 Follow @psprintIf you operate a small business it can be easy to think Cyber Monday is the domain of massive internet retailers; however, any business can take advantage of Cyber Monday to boost holiday sales. Even though you might not be able compete with the enormous marketing budgets put forth by the largest online retailers, you can use these Cyber Monday marketing tips for small businesses to reach your target audience in a cost-effective way that earns you more than your fair share of sales.
Local targeting
If you primarily serve a relatively small geographic area, you can promote your Cyber Monday sales to everyone in it with cost-effective local targeting options such as EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail) postcards, door hangers, and Facebook advertising.
- EDDM postcards are among the cheapest marketing tools; since they require minimal sorting, your postage is cheaper and you can easily reach thousands of local customers
- Door hangers can be even cheaper, especially if you can recruit a group of volunteers to help you blanket targeted neighborhoods
- Facebook advertising can also be inexpensive when you target a small geographic area
- In addition, you can reach thousands of local customers cheap when you take advantage of outdoor marketing efforts such as well-placed banners, posters, flyers, and wall graphics
Social targeting
Facebook isn’t just good for local marketing; it can also be used to reach customers on a national or global level. Like a direct-mail mailing list, you can set up campaigns to target customers by demographics: age, gender, location, and even interests (as determined by Facebook). That makes Facebook a good platform for reaching niche audiences.
At the same time, Facebook is full of distractions; it’s easy for your ad to get lost in the mix. That’s why you should also consider targeted direct-mail postcard campaigns to promote your Cyber Monday deals. Send postcards to a niche social audience and include a coupon code so you can measure response and ROI.
Bank on your unique benefits
Be sure to promote the unique benefits you can offer that the big box stores can’t:
- a better shopping experience
- expert service and support
- customization and installation
- personalized solutions
As a small business, you’re flexible enough to provide the unique perks and high-quality products and services big box stores – with their high-volume wholesale and loss pricing – simply cannot. Use these to your advantage to attract customers who care about quality and finding the perfect, unique gifts for their loved ones.
Market on Black Friday
Do you already have a healthy stream of customers visiting your store on Black Friday? If so, encourage them to visit your website on Cyber Monday to “unlock” special deals available exclusively to your Black Friday customers.
Use these tips to level the playing field with big box stores and boost holiday sales this Cyber Monday.
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