Is Your Business Going Green on Green Monday?

While Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and even Small Business Saturday have higher profiles, Green Monday presents a powerful opportunity for businesses to make last-minute sales.

How can you make this shopping day work for your business?

Understanding Green Monday

In case you've never heard of it, Green Monday takes place on the second Monday of December (that's Dec. 9 this year).

Why should you care? Because Green Monday is, historically, one of the biggest shopping days of the year -- and the biggest online shopping day in December.

Green Monday got its name in 2006, after retailers saw a 33% spike in online sales over the day before.

The day's sales numbers don't beat Cyber Monday, but they come very close.

In 2012, Green Monday's sales pushed past $1.2 billion -- a 13% increase from the year before. Lots of consumers are looking to grab last-minute gifts -- and you can make some serious money by catering to them.

Green Monday Opportunity

Ever heard of a Green Monday sale? Probably not. Most retailers focus on the two biggest shopping days -- Black Friday and Cyber Monday -- by placing all their best deals on those days.

That means that there's a great opportunity for you to capitalize on a day that not many other businesses promote.

By creating great deals and offering Green Monday coupons (and having customers sign up to your newsletter to receive them), you can drive more business to your store.

By using the newsletter signup, you'll also be able to market deals to your customers’ right up until Super Saturday (the last Saturday before Christmas). This maximizes your sales potential for the end of the year.

Getting the Word Out

Of course, with few retailers making a big deal out of Green Monday, you may have to work a little harder to let customers know about your great deals and promotions.

As already mentioned, you can start with a coupon on your website, and ask customers to join your email list before receiving it. Your website should also have information about Green Monday and the in-store promotions you'll be running on that day.

Offering free shipping is a great way to encourage more customers to buy from your website on that day.

Social media is another great place to promote your Green Monday Sales event. You can even hold a contest on your company Facebook page to help spread the word.

Many retailers hold pre-Black Friday deals; you could do the same with Green Monday to start letting customers know about the day. And make sure it's on your in-store signage, and that you're encouraging your employees to tell customers about it.

Green Monday can give your business a great boost in sales and profits.

By offering great deals and/or free shipping, and notifying customers of your promotions well in advance, you can maximize your holiday revenue.

About the author

Freelance blogger Angie Mansfield covers a variety of subjects for small business owners. From business growth to marketing to management, her work will give you tips to keep your business running smoothly.

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