Small businesses can capitalize on Small Business Saturday with some planning Boston 25 News [Video]

NEW YORK — (AP) — Small Business Saturday — the Saturday after Thanksgiving — is coming up. But it doesn’t always translate to big sales for small businesses. There are some things small business owners should keep in mind when marketing themselves for the big holiday shopping weekend.

American Express introduced a marketing promotion called “Small Business Saturday” 15 years ago. It has been co-sponsored by the Small Business Administration since 2011. The idea was to promote smaller shops over the big box chains like Walmart and Best Buy that typically get the lion’s share of business on Black Friday, the Friday after Thanksgiving that is typically the biggest shopping day of the year.

So how can small businesses capitalize on the Saturday — and the rest of the weekend? First, shop owners should make sure they have a strong line of communication with customers. Broadcast deals via customer email lists and social media …