Missed Out on Small Business Saturday? 3 Promotions You Can Run in December

You're not out of luck if you're behind on running promotions.

Although the holiday shopping season tends to kick off in mid-November and last all the way though late December, many consumers do the bulk of their shopping over Thanksgiving weekend. That's because events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday tend to offer up loads of opportunities to save money on gifts and other buys.

Smack in the middle of Thanksgiving weekend is Small Business Saturday -- an event many small businesses count on for a revenue boost. But what if you missed out on Small Business Saturday this year? Maybe you had a family emergency and couldn't ramp up your marketing efforts in time. Or maybe you did run some promotions that Saturday but didn't get the results -- and added revenue -- you were hoping for. 

The good news is that you're not out of luck if Small Business Saturday was a bust for you for one reason or another. Consumers tend to do a fair amount of shopping in December, so there's plenty of opportunity to lure them in. And these promotions might help you do that.

1. A free gift with a purchase of a certain amount

There's something about the word "free" that tends to appeal to consumers. Offering up a free item with a $50 or $100 purchase (or whatever other threshold makes sense for your business) is a good way to attract more customers in December. You can even introduce different incentives at different spending levels to keep things interesting (and of course, inspire customers to spend more).

2. Free gift cards or store dollars

Free gifts might draw more customers to your place of business. But they won't necessarily inspire them to come back. That's why you may want to look at offering up gift cards or store dollars with purchases made in December. For example, you might offer a $10 gift card or store cash per $100 spent. That way, people may be more inclined to come back and shop once the holiday rush is over.

3. Incentives for referring new customers

If you have a loyal but limited customer base, you're probably eager to grow it. And you can turn to your existing customers for help. One final promotion to consider for December is a referral incentive. Existing customers who bring in new ones can get a certain reward if the customers they refer make a purchase. It's an easy way to get current and new customers in the door. 

If Small Business Saturday didn't pan out for you this year, don't sweat it. Instead, focus on the weeks ahead. In fact, these promotions don't just work well in December. You can really employ them any time you feel your business could use a revenue boost. 

At the same time, it pays to think of other creative ways to get more people in the door before 2022 comes to an end. Consumers tend to be more free with their spending during the holiday season, but many start following tighter budgets at the start of the new year. So the more business you're able to drum up in the coming weeks, the better.