Back-to-school sales poster with realistic school supplies. Paper cut style letters on blackboard background. Vector illustration.

Maximize Your Business Success with a Back-to-School Sale

by BlogEdmiston Group

As the summer days wind down and the back-to-school season approaches, as a small business owner, you have a golden opportunity to boost your business revenue and to engage with your community through a well-executed back-to-school sale. This annual tradition doesn’t just benefit students and parents; it can significantly impact your business’s success. According to an article by Statista, “American parents, guardians, and children were planning to spend an estimated total of 41.5 billion U.S. dollars. This would equate to roughly 890 U.S. dollars in school supply expenses per American household”. Let’s delve into why a back-to-school sale is essential for small businesses and how to make the most of it.

Back-to-school sales poster with realistic school supplies. Paper cut style letters on blackboard background. Vector illustration.

Why Back-to-School Sales Matter:

  1. Increased Foot Traffic and Online Traffic: Back-to-school shopping is a seasonal ritual that drives customers to your store or website. Capitalize on this heightened interest to expand your customer base.
  2. Revenue Boost: A well-promoted sale can bring a surge of income during a period when spending is on the rise. It’s an excellent way to make up for any lulls you might have experienced earlier in the year.
  3. Brand Awareness and Engagement: Offering exclusive deals during a back-to-school sale can create a buzz around your brand. It encourages potential customers to interact with your business and become loyal patrons.

Strategies for a Successful Back-to-School Sale:

  1. Early Planning: Start your preparations well in advance. Decide on the dates, discounts, and marketing strategies you’ll implement.
  2. Attractive Discounts: Consider offering enticing discounts on school supplies, clothing, and accessories. Bundle deals and “buy one, get one” offers can also attract attention.
  3. Multichannel Promotion: Utilize your online presence, social media platforms, email newsletters, and physical storefront to spread the word about your sale.
  4. Themed Marketing: Craft engaging marketing materials with a back-to-school theme. Use visuals that resonate with students, parents, and educators.
  5. Incentivize Loyalty: Consider offering additional discounts for repeat customers or creating a loyalty program to encourage future purchases.
  6. Collaborations: Partner with local schools or educational organizations for mutually beneficial promotions. This can strengthen community ties and increase your reach.

Key Takeaways:

Back-to-school sales aren’t just about boosting sales for a limited period. They’re an opportunity to showcase your business, attract new customers, and foster loyalty among your existing clientele. By offering attractive deals and a positive shopping experience, you create a lasting impression that can translate into repeat business throughout the year.

As a small business owner, you have the advantage of agility and personalization that larger corporations often lack. Use this to your advantage by tailoring your back-to-school sale to resonate with your local community’s needs and preferences. With careful planning and creative marketing, your back-to-school sale can become a cornerstone of your business’s success year after year.

About the author: Autumn Edmiston is the CEO and owner of the Edmiston Group. The Edmiston Group is a multifaceted Pittsburgh-based marketing consulting firm providing senior-level marketing management services to businesses and non-profit organizations on a short or long-term basis. Core areas of service are business development strategies, website creation and management, social media management, marketing, strategic planning, and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business.

How To Attract New Customers

HOW TO GET MORE CUSTOMERS

by BlogCommunications

How To Attract New Customers

I hear time and time again – “How do I get more customers?” My question is…”Who is your ideal customer?” Can you respond in specifics – type of business, revenue, male, female, household income? Without knowing who your ideal customer is, you are unable to attract more of them.

Now that you have identified WHO your ideal customer is, WHAT does your product or service offer that meets those needs? WHY do customers buy from you over the competition? WHERE do your customers hang out? Are there specific Meetup groups, Facebook groups, or LinkedIn groups where your ideal customers are? That’s where you want to be engaging in conversations and activity.

Have you reached out to your current customers to thank them for being a customer?  Do you ask for referrals or testimonials? How often do you receive an automated review request built into a business CRM? You visit the dentist and receive a request to review us on Google or have your carpets cleaned and receive an email about your experience.

Outsourced services can be utilized to interview and draft ta customer’s experience in working with you. People often won’t take the time to write praises, but if they can chat with someone and be provided a draft for them to copy and post – that takes away the process of looking at a blank screen. This process works great when you’re updating testimonials on your website. We have helped many clients update their testimonials section on their websites.

Blogging is a highly recommended acquisition method for businesses of all sizes, industries, and audience types. Running a blog allows you to explore different topics, flex your knowledge in your industry, and build authority among your readers. Blogging also continually gives you new opportunities to engage with your audience, whether through a graphic they can bookmark for later, a question they can answer in the comments, or an enticing call-to-action they can click.

Blogging can also add to your SEO. When I start working with someone one of the first things I look at is if they have a blog and the last time it was updated. Tying the blog to a newsletter will allow you to reach out to the contacts on your list. By effectively segmenting customer lists, you can see who might be interested in a given topic.

A client we have worked with segmented their list to businesses, government, nonprofits. Yet another client’s list is segmented, architects, engineers, and business. A third client has their list segmented by office locations.

Planning monthly blogs to various times of the year, community events and national awareness months allow customers to receive timely information. For example, an insurance company may talk about winter driving tips in January, but shift to drunk driving awareness near prom time.

What does all this boil down to? Planning. As we move into the last couple of months of the year, businesses are budgeting and planning for 2020. Want to grow your business, but aren’t sure how. Let the Edmiston Group help you plan for 2020. Email us or call 724-612-0755 to learn more.

About the author: Autumn Edmiston is the CEO and owner of the Edmiston Group. The Edmiston Group is a multifaceted Pittsburgh based marketing consulting firm providing senior-level marketing management services to businesses and non-profit organizations on a short or long-term basis. Core areas of service are business development strategies, website creation and management, social media management, marketing, strategic planning, and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business.

Email Marketing Tips for Effective Newsletters

Email Marketing Tips

by BlogCommunications

Email Marketing Tips for Effective Newsletters

No matter if you are a B2B or B2C, email marketing is a great way to stay in touch with current customers and business colleagues. There are numerous ways you can provide value to your recipients. They can receive special deals or coupons as part of a VIP program, or tips and education as a trusted resource provider.

Engagement makes all the difference with those who receive your email. Often I’m asked by clients, “Why can’t I just buy an email list and send it?” Businesses must stay compliant with the CAN-SPAM Act which was created to protect consumers from unsolicited email. This allows subscribers to opt-in from a signup form or text message program and a way to opt-out from your email. By not abiding by the CAN-SPAM Act, you run the risk of having your email blacklisted by the service delivery providers.

The value of information in your newsletter is key. We write content for our clients and it is important to research relevant topics and create content that’s personalized and relevant. For example, in our marketing calendar, we offer the first of the year we share monthly awareness events and marketing activities. By taking the time to plan out your strategy you know what you will focus on in the months ahead.

Subject Lines Count
Emails start with a strong subject line. Be specific on what the email is about and use a familiar sender name. Actionable subject lines inspire recipients to click on the email by instilling urgency. Make the subject line short and to the point. Shorter is better, and if the message is about an upcoming sale, delineate the specifics in the subject line. If it’s about something else, be specific once again. Bad subject lines are one of the main reasons why emails don’t get opened, so don’t be among that group.

Be Concise And End Strong
As an entrepreneur who does a fair amount of email marketing, I’ve learned that being concise and brief are the keys to success. Breaking up long pieces of information into short paragraphs and bullets help the reader scan the email and read and interpret the most important points.
Email marketing shouldn’t just be a bunch of words. Graphics, pictures and video help to increase click rates.

Include A Single Ask
The reader should know exactly what it is that you want them to do. Some actionable items may include

  • Click on a link to a specific blog post or website
  • Schedule a call with you using a calendar link
  • Redeem this coupon
  • Grow your social media followers.

The goal of your email is to prompt the reader to perform some follow-up action.

If You Aren’t Measuring You Aren’t Marketing – Track Engagement
Look at your reports. If you’re tracking engagement on your email marketing, you will typically be able to send the right amount of information to the people who are engaged the most. Lack of response to a potential customer signing up to learn more and the potential customer receiving a response weeks later, doesn’t leave a good first impression. If a valued client’s email starts bouncing as non-existent – it’s a good time to reach out to see who the new contact would be.

Solve A Problem
What is your customer looking for? Where are their pain points? Offering advice on solutions to problems faced by your customers or colleagues will provide valuable content to those who receive your email.
If your email campaigns are lacking luster, or you struggle with content ideas, we offer marketing strategy programs to help you get started. Want to learn more – give us a call at 724-612-0755.

About the author: Autumn Edmiston is the CEO and owner of the Edmiston Group. The Edmiston Group is a multifaceted Pittsburgh based marketing consulting firm providing senior-level marketing management services to businesses and non-profit organizations on a short or long-term basis. Core areas of service are business development strategies, website creation and management, social media management, marketing, strategic planning, and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business.

thought-leader

Thought Leader or Sales Pusher?

by BlogCommunications

thought-leaderBusinesses are seeing a value in being a thought leader. When done correctly, becoming a thought leader, an individual who drives innovation and new ideas in a given industry, is a valuable path for any professional. But there is a difference between expressing an opinion and always trying to push a sale. Thought leaders are popular, well respected and connected enough to drive real value to their respective businesses.

Consistency is key in establishing yourself as a “thought leader.” Identify the specific area(s) in which your company truly has the expertise required to become a thought leader. What expertise does your company have that none (or at least few) of your competitors have? That becomes your value proposition and should be what you key into. You may be good at various things, but you’re probably best known for only one or two.

Stay abreast of trends in the marketplace. These trends will be different depending on the type of business you’re in. What is the common denominator between your areas of expertise and these trends? Understanding the connection will help you join the conversation in a meaningful way.

Know who your target audience is, where their pain points and concerns are, and how you can solve their problems will bring value to the table. You can’t go to school to become a “thought leader,” nor can you complete a one-off program and earn some kind of certificate or formal recognition as such. Instead, you must implement a series of ongoing strategies, refine your skill sets and expand your professional connections consistently. In order to do that, you must hang out in the right places to be sure you’re networking with your target audience.

Understand your platform by defining the appropriate channels. Do you have a blog on your company website? Do you have a social media presence and/or an electronic newsletter? If you are a B2B company, LinkedIn posts by your thought leadership spokespeople might be a good way to reach your target group and ultimately new customers. But remember – personality and passion are key to your success. If the content is too dry, salesy or technical it is unlikely to attract an audience. Be a problem solver, not a sales pusher.

Consistency is key. Define a schedule and stick to it. Don’t jump into many platforms just to say you have an account and not be active. Pick 1 or 2 and do them right. Whether you decide to go for a blog, a vlog, a podcast series, or a series of LinkedIn posts, you need to commit to developing and releasing new content consistently. Becoming a thought leader doesn’t happen overnight, but rather builds as new content is released. Stay focused and keep building the relationship with your readers/viewers/listeners. Audience engagement isn’t one-sided. Don’t forget to keep an eye out for feedback and respond quickly to ensure that you keep the conversation going!

About the author: Autumn Edmiston is the CEO and owner of the Edmiston Group. The Edmiston Group is a multifaceted Pittsburgh based marketing consulting firm providing senior level marketing management services to businesses and non-profit organizations on a short or long-term basis. Core areas of service are business development, marketing, strategic planning and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business.

Evaluating-Your-Small-Business-Sales-Process

Evaluating Your Sales Process

by Communications

Have you noticed that your phone isn’t ringing as much, or that your foot traffic has slowed? You may have found yourself in the “dog days” of summer. “Dog days” refer to the time in late July and into August when the heat has set in, and so has the slow pace and lethargy. People are on vacation and decision makers may be less available.

So now that you have found yourself in the dog days, what can you do? Making the most out of your “slow” days can be the difference between a successful bounce back from those dog days and a fall flop. Having the right sales strategy checklist can help to keep you and your business on the track for growth this fall.

Now may be time to re-evaluate your sales process. When you evaluate your sales process, you want to find which areas represent your strength and provide a largest return. Additionally, there may be areas that are weak and need improvement. While your foot traffic is slow, take some time to re-examine the steps of your sales process.

Start with how your company intakes new inbound sales leads along with generating outbound cold calls, sales demos and the closing process leading to a sale. Determine which points in your process yield the highest return rates. Those are the areas you want continue to focus efforts on. Areas that you see little return are the steps in the sales cycle which you want to develop a new process or technique. One example of this is reevaluating your call script that is used for cold calling and outbound calls. Does your current process uncover a potential client’s pain points?

Business owners often get caught up in the hustle and bustle of dealing with the daily needs of customers and business. The key is when you hit a slow down to utilize your time wisely. If you could snap your fingers and make a change in your marketing effort, what would it be? Is there a new lead generation tactic that you would like to try? Can you possibly go back to a former client for repeat business or upsell opportunities? Should you be updating your current website? Are you asking for client testimonials? There are so many times in business that an opportunity is in plain sight and you simply fail to see it because you’re working in your business and not on it.

Examine how you regularly keep in contact with current customers and potential clients. Is it through email or an electronic newsletter? Do you have an editorial plan in place? Are you capturing email addresses through social media and your website? These regular touches with pertinent information keep you and your company top of mind. If this program seems like an insurmountable task, perhaps it’s time to outsource it. The Edmiston Group writes custom blogs and executes digital newsletters for our clients every month. We can help you get there!

We’ve asked a lot of questions within this blog. The reason is to have a business owner begin thinking about the strategy behind the sale of a product or service and uncover gaps that may exist. While the ‘dog days’ of summer are often slow for business, it doesn’t mean that you have to slow down as well. Use the slow time to work on your sales strategy and lead your company down a path to growth for when it’s back to business moving into the fall season.

About the author: Autumn Edmiston is the CEO and owner of the Edmiston Group. The Edmiston Group is a multifaceted Pittsburgh based marketing consulting firm providing senior level marketing management services to businesses and non-profit organizations on a short or long term basis. Core areas of service are business development, marketing, strategic planning and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business growth.