Mother’s Day is close to my heart. I love my mom, and I love being a mom.
In an attempt to show Mom how much I appreciate her support and sacrifice, I will be joining the 86% of Americans who will celebrate Mother’s Day this year.
According to the National Retail Federation 2018 annual survey, this year's Mother’s Day spend is forecasted to top $23 Billion. That’s a near record, and it’s not just big businesses who are getting a slice of the pie. There is a significant opportunity for small businesses to capture a sizable portion of these sales too. According to the NRF survey:
29% plan to shop at specialty stores (such as florists, jewelers)
23% plan to shop at a local small business (that’s over $5 Billion!)
$4.4 billion will be spent on special outings (like brunch or dinner; we’re looking at you restaurants)
$1.8 billion will be spent on personal services (like a spa day)
26% plan to give an “experience” (e.g., spa gift certificate or yoga studio membership)
What’s exciting about these numbers is the level of interest for the variety of what small businesses have to offer.
So what’s a small business do to get the word out?
What
Leverage social media to stay top of mind. It’s a great way to connect with your existing customers and to engage with a wider audience. This is prime time to share what your company has to offer, what it stands for, and how you can be a thoughtful solution to that age-old question “What should we get for Mom?”
When
Start now and ramp up. Think about a message flow that builds in urgency as you near Mother’s Day. Depending on your business, the messaging will look different but here are some examples:
Mother’s Day is in a couple of weeks. Make your brunch reservations now! (Tip: Include the preferred way to make those reservations. Phone number or website)
Mother’s day is in a week, and we have your gift needs covered (Tip: highlight some of your favorite ideas for Mother’s Day)
It’s not too late to treat Mom! (Tip: Showcase easy no-brainer last minute gifts. Remember, your customers are probably a bit panicked at this point so be helpful and keep the ideas focused and simple)
How
I’m a big fan of beauty shots of your product or your experience. Don’t feel compelled to squish all of your products into one photo. This is where a collage or an animated post is helpful. Give each product or setting the love and spotlight it deserves. Depending on how many posts you are planning, include some posts with emotion and gift giving excitement in addition to using straight product images. Don’t have those types of images? Don’t worry! Just use images you have which best highlight your business.
Why
Take advantage of consumers who are out in the marketplace and actively looking for a gift solution. Remind them of who you are and how you can help solve their need. Make it easy for them to choose you as their gift destination.
Get Started
We suggest crafting your posts with Ripl of course. Create a series of Mother’s Day posts that tell your story with increased urgency and schedule them for the weeks and days leading up to Mother’s Day. Then you can get back to the other million things you need to do to run your company.
