The Fourth of July is one of the best times of the year for small businesses to invest their working capital on marketing campaigns aimed at customers who want to celebrate and have a good time.
If current sales trends continue, small businesses can expect to be busy this Fourth of July holiday. Overall, retail sales experienced a 0.5 percent increase from April to May, the National Retail Federation reported. Not including restaurants, gasoline stations and automobiles, May saw a 0.2 percent unadjusted uptick. Further, year over year, retail sales increased 3.2 percent.
“May’s retail sales show a solid reading, reinforcing that consumer spending continues to be a bright spot in the economy,” said NRF Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz. “Improvement in the labor market – which has seen additional jobs and rising wages – has no doubt influenced retail sales and shows that households are feeling better about spending and the economy.”
With the economy continuing to show signs of strength, more Americans will be out celebrating and spending, which should provide a nice boon for small businesses. To attract the most customers and ensure solid holiday sales, owners should consider these explosive small business marketing techniques for the Fourth of July:
Red, white and you
This one is a no-brainer. Independence Day is synonymous with patriotism. While everyone is wearing their Red, White and Blue ensembles and combos, you can use the holiday as an opportunity to really take your patriotism to the next level. Consider partnering with a veteran’s group to host an event. Decorate your shop or even your website with patriotic colors and offer discounts to customers wearing clothing that displays their American pride.
Parade around town
The summer holidays bring with them a nonstop string of parades, and the Fourth of July is no exception. Whether it’s your local community’s parade, or one a couple towns over, you can use the holiday as an opportunity to spread brand awareness by joining the procession.
There are several different ways to go about it too. You can build your own float. You may even consider giving your employees an hour or so a day to spend some time collaboratively working on the float. Not only does this give you a means to showcase your small business to the local community, but it can also be used a team-building exercise for employees as well.
If you don’t have the time, money or skills to build your own float, you can either rent one, or forego it all together and walk the parade route. This can be a great chance to mingle with all the people lining the streets so you can pass out flyers or other promotional materials.
Social media blasts
This can be a tricky balance to get right. On the one hand, social media channels like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are a great way to connect with and engage customers during the holidays. On the other hand, people don’t want to be overwhelmed. Although holiday revelers will no doubt be bombarding each other with water balloons and bottle rockets, it doesn’t necessarily mean small business owners should bombard their customers with promotions.
As noted by Hubspot, some of the most effective recent Fourth of July marketing campaigns from big-name brands have been very low key and simple ads. For instance, instead of blasting out a sales pitch or a promotion, home improvement retailer Lowe’s tweeted a simple stop-motion clip of tools mimicking fireworks, all without the company’s name or even a link to their website. While a nationally known brand can get away with something a bit simpler to carry their message, it doesn’t hurt to keep your Independence Day marketing campaign sleek and uncluttered to capture customers’ attention.
In addition, if you decide to go the parade route, be sure to upload photos of the activities. This illustrates both your patriotism and commitment to the local community while also spreading brand awareness.
