Summer heat is winding down, which can mean only one thing — school is right around the corner! And while children and students are busy preparing for a new term, so should you. As a business owner, you know that capitalising on this marketing opportunity is vital for your company’s growth. In fact, research shows that back-to-school spending is expected to rise, meaning that parents are willing to invest more money in their kid’s supplies.
However, marketing toward children and parents is hard, especially with so many competitors targeting them. Fortunately, this article will help you by covering everything you need to know about back-to-school marketing, including ideas and tips. Back-to-School Marketing 101
Generally speaking, back-to-school shopping is the second most important retail period after the winter holidays. This period usually starts in the middle of summer and lasts until early fall. During this time, parents and students fill their carts with almost every type of product, from basic school supplies to electronics. As a result, the back-to-school season is great for sales and should boost your bottom line regardless of your industry.
How Should I Tackle It?
Our advice is to start preparing your back-to-school products, campaigns and incentives as early as possible. Actually, the faster you jump on the bandwagon, the more people you can entice to check out your store and offers. You’ll also be able to organise your shop better without the pressure of dozens or hundreds of customers all rushing inside to grab your products before they run out.
7 Back-to-School Marketing Strategies
When planning your marketing strategy, you need to understand your target audience first. Luckily, the back-to-school period always attracts the same consumers, such as teachers, grade school children, young college students and parents. Therefore, you can use the same strategy as in the previous year as long as it proves effective.
Not sure how to approach back-to-school marketing? Here are a few ideas that should help businesses of all sizes and budgets:
Free Shipping and Gifts
When people think about special offers, they often think of free shipping. After all, shipping costs can really make a dent in a customer’s budget. So why not cover these expenses for orders above a certain value? Sure, if you can afford it, you should make all shipping free, but even doing it for a few customers can entice others to try out your business.
Another approach you can take is to offer a gift with each purchase. From custom pens and notebooks to branded bags and mugs, there are many promotional products that you can rely on. And best of all, they will provide you with passive advertising, as anyone seeing your logo will learn about your business.
Raffles
Raffles are a great opportunity to attract customers. However, when choosing potential prizes, choose something more expensive, such as a printed backpack, tech items or similar products. What’s so interesting about raffles is that, depending on how you organise them, you could collect contact information for your target audience, which you can use for future campaigns.
Wellness Giveaways
Giveaways are a tried and tested method to improve your brand awareness and boost sales. Yet, choosing the right product is crucial. We recommend you give away some wellness products like self-care kits or stress balls. That way, you come to the rescue of parents who are a bit stressed and worried about their child. Or, if you want to go all in, you can offer spa vouchers for your customers, which will show them that your brand truly cares.
Donations
Even in our day and age, many schools are underfunded. However, you can help them by donating school supplies or money. Doing so will show that you want to get involved in the local community and will aid in building your reputation as a caring company. And eventually, people will learn about your good deeds and eagerly check your shop and website.
Fashion Contest
Let’s be honest — every student wants to make a great first impression with their back-to-school outfit. If you sell branded apparel items, this is an opportunity to secure students as future customers. You can organise a contest where students will design their own clothing items. The best one will win a free product, a money prize or a discount for their next purchase.
Services Offers
It’s true that back-to-school marketing seems very profitable for retailers. But what about companies in the service industry? Well, even they can provide value to parents, students and children. For example, if you own a salon, you can offer a discount on children’s haircuts for a day. Similarly, you can offer a complimentary school uniform tailoring service for new customers at your dry cleaning shop.
Sponsorships
Lastly, now is the perfect time to jump into sports or academic sponsorships. Whether you offer special discounts for top students or invest in the local college’s football team, you can always find new sponsorship opportunities. Remember that improving your brand awareness is the first step to attracting potential customers.
Related content:
Back to School – Promotional Items for Schools and Universities
Kickstart Your Back-to-School Campaign Today!
For most businesses, back-to-school is one of the most profitable periods of the year. And while you’ll have stiff competition, there are many marketing ideas you can try out and dominate the market. So, make sure you research your customers, choose your favourite marketing strategy and start boosting your sales!
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Looking for new and creative promotional product ideas? Check out our latest branded merchandise! At GoPromotional, we specialise in delivering innovative and effective promotional solutions for your business. Whether you have questions or need expert advice, our experienced team is here to assist you. Contact us today at 0800 0148 970 or send us an email to explore the endless possibilities of promotional products. With our years of industry expertise, we’re the perfect partner to discuss all things promotion!
