Many consumers do a lot of their shopping on the weekend. During the week people are pulled in so many different directions that there simply isn’t enough time in the day to spend a lot of time on their social networks. The weekend provides a better opportunity for small businesses to get their message in front of their customers & prospects. The problem is that some business owners only create & promote content during the week. When consumers are online on the weekend there is no new content from your business that’s getting in front of them.
For those business owners who like to relax over the weekend there are things you can do to ensure your message is getting out over the weekend. There are automation tools that you can use, which will schedule your blog articles to go live or your tweets to be tweeted. We don’t love marketing automation tools, but when they are used properly, they can be effective. You can also outsource online marketing to an Online Marketing Agency like Catalyst Marketers. Perhaps you want to hire a few interns who can work weekends on your social tools. Whatever route you choose to go the point is that you have options for getting your message to consumers over the weekend.
Here are a few ideas on ways to engage your online community on the weekend:
Foursquare Special Nearby
More and more as I check-in to venues on foursquare I am being prompted with a pop-up explaining that there is another foursquare venue nearby that’s running a foursquare special. This message is getting in front of me while I’m in the geographic area of the business, most likely I’m in a money spending mindset since I’m out in town at another local venue, and it’s providing me with an incentive to stop by through whatever offer is being presented (ie. 15% off when you check-in at Yum Yum Donuts). If the offer is relevant to me then I might stop by, if not, then I’ll probably continue with my day. So yes, there will be more people who ignore your foursquare special pop-up than there will be those who take advantage of it. That said, there WILL be folks who do take advantage of it.
Google Places Coupon
Google is the go-to search engine and when people are looking for places to go and things to do, they go to Google.
When you have a Google Places Page setup for your small business you can utilize the Google Places Coupon feature to run a weekend special. When a consumer Googles a relevant search term your Google Places listing will show up in the search results (among a list of other competitors most of the time). If there are 4 listings that match the search results, but you’re the only one running a Coupon, then there’s a good chance that the consumer will take the time to look over your Google Places page. If your products or services match the consumers needs then he will likely print your coupon and come into your store. Now, if you weren’t running the Google Places Coupon, perhaps that consumer would have looked at your competitor’s listing, seen that her products meet his needs, and off he goes without ever giving you a shot. If the tools are out there, and they are free, then it makes sense for you to use them.
Host a Family Event at Your Small Business
Families are always looking for fun things to do on the weekend. Come up with a creative event that’s relevant to your small business and host it on a Saturday or Sunday. You can promote the event on all of your online tools leading up to the event, you can take pictures or shoot video during the event, and you can post those pictures, videos, and even any attendee testimonials after the event. One event provides you with three separate marketing opportunities. Hosting a family event also drives prospects to your store and that can lead to sales.
Tweet Your Weekend Specials
When used properly Twitter is an unbelievable online tool for small business owners. If you own a local diner that runs breakfast specials on the weekend, tweet it. If you’re hosting an event like the one mentioned above, tweet it. If you just had a customer ask a question that you get ALL the time, tweet it. Get your information in front of your Twitter followers over the weekend, as it may drive them into your store since they are free from the daily grind of their 9 to 5.
It’s imperative that as a small business owner you utilize the weekend for promoting your message to customers and prospects. The weekend provides consumers with some free time to get there shopping done. With the right message, the proper tools, and a little creativity, you can drive your weekend sales through the roof.
The first thing that the Y did to start the process of building an online community was a little research on their target audience and the online tools that those folks were spending their time on. The Y wanted to connect with both Y members & non-members from the local community. It was concluded that their target audience was spending most of their time on Facebook, Twitter, & Foursquare. Those are the primary online tools that the Y is now using to communicate with their target audience. 
Tactics that are outperforming expectations are ratcheted up & the Y determines how to take them to the next level. For tactics that are under performing the Y either figures out how to improve on the tactic & then re-evaluates the following quarter, OR scraps the tactic if it’s been under performing for too long. By taking time to review data & analyze how tactics are performing on a quarterly basis the Y is able to continually hone their online marketing efforts. As a direct result of this process the community usually gets a boost as well, as the Y is always improving on the value that they deliver based on this quarterly analysis. 
