If you’re celebrating Small Business Season at your chamber, you want your social media channels filled with small business goodness. In addition to the Small Business Season social media images (available on the Chamber Pros Facebook group and as part of the Content Marketing Bundle) you want some social media post ideas for Small Business Season, right?
Well, we’ve got them for you! Here’s our list of 26 engaging and fun post ideas.
A quick note about maximizing content: Transform some of these into image posts to attract more attention. Repurpose content even further and expand these ideas into blog posts or newsletter content.
If you don’t have time to use the following posts in your chamber feed, you could reword them and publish them to your blog as a “swipe files” so that your small business members can share their own answers to these questions on their social media platforms.
Overall Tips for Small Business Season
When you’re creating social media posts for Small Business Season, keep in mind that what these small businesses have over the larger box stores comes down to memorable experiences; staff that is intimately involved in the sale, people they’ll get to know, like, and trust; and a story that they can relate to.
Effective content should entertain, educate, or inspire consumers. People don’t shop small or local because those businesses have the most convenient hours, the slickest websites, or the best deals. Small businesses are often hindered by small budgets and they do the best they can with their limited resources.
That’s why effective content marketing/social media marketing will always shine a spotlight on what they do best: provide a unique and memorable experience that is intertwined with who the owner/employees are.
26 Small Business Season Social Media Content Ideas
- Ask small business owners or employees what they are most thankful for this year and post their responses along with a link to their business.
- Create a post where you invite small businesses to give a shout-out to their hardworking employees. Customers respond to people who make others feel good.
- Post a list of those businesses open on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, and other holidays. It’s likely someone in your town is feeling frustrated trying to find somewhere to eat or shop on those days.
- If your community is experiencing a run on a product or brand (like that hot toy this season) invite businesses to share their in-stock items and ask that they keep the post updated if they sell out. This kind of post could make for many satisfied customers.
- Share a list (or images) of the best small business holiday decorations.
- Ask small business owners what their holiday wish is.
- Highlight small businesses that are giving back this holiday season.
- Place a spotlight on small/local nonprofits in your area. Many of them count on the 4th quarter for a lot of their donations. Most people think of the large nonprofits, but may not be aware of some of the smaller local ones. Act as a bridge between those who want to make a monetary or time donation and those who need it.
- Elf on the Shelf posts are always fun, especially when that elf travels to many of your small businesses.
- Post pictures of the interior of small businesses that are decorated for the holidays and ask your audience if they know where the picture was taken.
- Invite small businesses to post their specials on one of your posts.
- Ask each store, restaurant, and bar what the hottest item in their establishment is and share some of them with your audience.
- Host a small business shopping challenge where you highlight a different activity to help small business daily (or weekly). Some people don’t realize that “help” doesn’t have to be a purchase. There are a lot of ways to support small businesses even if there’s no budget to do so.
- Create a TikTok or reel to get people in the holiday spirit and shopping small.
- Write a parody on a popular Christmas song, create a video of your staff singing it, and share it. For instance, you could do something like this set to Jingle Bells, “Dashing through the stores, one more gift to buy. I put it off again and now I’m going to cry. So many shiny things, I want to buy them all but then I see the perfect thing–the gift of shopping small. Oh shopping small, shopping small, that’s the way to go…”
- Invite your audience to post pictures of their favorite small business purchase this season.
- Highlight female, minority, or veteran businesses in a special post.
- Showcase new businesses in 2022.
- Invite people to share their favorite seasonal pick-me-up from a local business.
- Encourage shoppers to share their favorite holiday beverage. Bonus points for a pic and a call-out to the business with the scrumptious drink.
- Tell people where they can get gifts wrapped.
- Post the things everyone should do this holiday season in your area.
- Create a small business holiday Facebook group and invite people to post their favorites there. Seed it with a question every day and encourage businesses to post specials. When you invite businesses to participate, make sure they know how important that is. If someone comments about their business, you want them there to respond.
- Ask owners and employees how and why they started their business or got into that line of work. Share the most poignant responses.
- Invite business owners to submit three words that define their businesses. Share them with your audience.
- Ask small businesses for their best holiday hacks and share them.
With rising inflation, many businesses are struggling. They need our support all season, not just the day after Black Friday. These Small Business Season social media posts are an easy way to reach a large audience. They can make a big impression on your small businesses and those who want to help.
See the rest of our Small Business Season Series:
Small Business Season: The Story Behind the Community-Building Movement
Small Business Season Statistics and Stories for Marketing
26 Ideas for Small Business Season Social Media Posts
6 Small Business Season Marketing Ideas for Chambers
16 Reasons to Shop Local Instead of Online (A “done for you” article for chambers to use)
Small Business Saturday? NO, It’s Small Business SEASON!
