6 Ways to Boost your Back to School Small Business Marketing

Going back to school is seriously just around the corner so it’s time to start thinking about what you can do to start the school year with a bang in your business. This is a perfect time to take advantage of new beginnings and shopping sprees of the upcoming year. So here are a few tips to get the wheels turning:

1. Start Early

Research shows that two thirds of shoppers are starting at least a month before school starts. The sooner you roll out the promos, the better. You’ll have more time to draw in your customers. Make sure you have the right amount of inventory in stock to prepare for your sales/deals. If you need extra help around this time (kind of like the holidays), start planning that now.

2. Uplevel your Marketing Plan

This is a great time for a new beginning. Take a good look at your current marketing and see what you can do to improve it. Reach out to existing customers and see what they are happy with or what your business could improve on. A lot of times this can lead to referrals or some valuable information on improvement. Certain people that were out of the office a lot during the summer could be back and getting down to business again. Back to School means a time of learning for business owners too. Dive into some current digital marketing trainings or grab a book to brush up on your skills.

3. Bundle

Try bundling some of your products together as an attractive deal for your customers. Think about getting 3 sales at the same time instead of just one. For example, if you had a hair salon, try doing a free kids hair cut with every adult cut and color.

4. Think about the Adults

Back to School specials aren’t just for the little ones. Put together something attractive for adults too. For example, you could do back to school family portrait sessions if you’re a photographer, drink specials for a restaurant, or a massage package if you’re a spa. This is a really great time to start implementing some email marketing. Start sending your specials out in some email blasts. If you deliver some great options to people, they will start opening your emails regularly and really looking forward to them.

5. Utilize Social Media to Promote your Specials

Most of us are turning to Social Media to look for the latest news from a business, so make sure yours is up-to-date. Offer your followers a discount when they mention a special code that you post on social media, or when they tag their friends, comment, or repost (make sure to observe the Rules & Regulations for different social platforms). When you incentivize shoppers to follow you on social media, you can believe that they’ll pay attention to your posts both now and in the future.

6. Team Up

Cross promote by teaming up with other businesses in the surrounding area. Organize a wine & shopping night or a weekend block party. Bundle your specials together. Or, you can do it strictly online and bundle products together digitally. You can also share and comment on their products or give other businesses a shout-out. When you are exposed to their network, and they are exposed to yours, everyone wins.

Even though it feels like summer is going to last forever, back to school is just around the corner! Start early to succeed with your small business marketing this fall!