Small businesses like florists, customized gift stores, bakeries, etc. try their best to attract maximum attention on Valentine’s Day sales but commonly fail to grow out of the shadows of ecommerce giants. And, it usually results in big ecommerce stores making more money on special occasions too.
The reason why the brands like eBay and Amazon always get the biggest bites is that they build specific marketing plans using different online tools around these occasions; firstly to attract people and then to boost online sales.
Now using these online marketing tools isn’t a rocket science. Small businesses, like the ones mentioned above, whether online or offline, can also employ innovative strategies to market themselves appropriately and earn more money on occasions like Valentine’s Day. Read on to find out how.
Increase your Online Reach
First of all increase your audience reach. Which marketing tools you can use; it depends on the nature of your business, i.e. whether you are an online retailer, an offline store with a website, or offline retailer with no website. If you don’t have a website then check out other means of being present online like through social media, or enlisting your business on review sites and ecommerce portals selling services of your marketplace, etc.
Promote Early
Once you are assured that you have sufficient online resources to reach your target audience, promoting your Valentine’s Day offers shall be your next move.
The Sooner you will start the better it’ll turn out. First of all it includes inviting earlier bookings, especially in the case of bakeries and florists. Second immediate action would be to create an awareness about your store and products in people, which is crucial, since people hardly buy something from a store they are not already familiar with.
Hit to Social Media
This should be a no-brainer. Social media is the most powerful tool to tell your audience about your ongoing offers. Update your Facebook and Twitter cover pictures as per Valentine’s Day theme and also put a message on it about your special offers. Post regular updates through image sharing and other creative ways to keep your followers reminded of your offers.
Don’t hesitate to invest a little on boosting your posts on Facebook, Twitter, etc. to maximize your target audience reach.
Make over your website
Small businesses with their own website can attract more traffic on special occasions by redesigning their web layout to suit the event’s theme, creating appealing landing pages, and having their website optimized for search engine results.
Having a website of your own can make a whole lot of difference when gearing yourself up for the Valentine’s Day sales. A website gives your business a more relevant online presence, where you can drive traffic through all your promotional campaigns on the internet to let your customers know more about your offers and products.
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View our packagesEnhance the Buying Experience
Offering discounts is obvious in this context. Gift stores, bakeries and apparel stores can offer a special Valentine theme based packaging for free or at a little additional cost to give customers a better Valentine shopping experience. Bakeries and gift stores can also offer theme specific products. Online gift stores must also start promoting gift cards around special occasions. You can also create gift guides to help customers in choosing the most appropriate gifts for their special someone. The bottom line is - think of different ways you can provide your customers a more personalized buying experience.
This is what your whole online promotion campaign will be based upon but you cannot expect to offer desired buying experience until other areas are well managed and inviting.
Occasions like Valentine’s Day, Friendship Day, Christmas, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, etc. certainly give businesses a chance to earn some extra cash. But with above mentioned marketing plans, you can also use these occasions to target some long-term benefits and build a niche for yourself in the market place.
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