When should you start to plan a school holiday shop for Black Friday? Two weeks in advance? Three weeks? The answer is neither. You will want to start planning now.
Why so early when most parents and children are preparing for the Back to School season? The reason why you should start now is because the big retail chains are already prepared.
For example, during the 4th of July season, while parents were standing on line at party goods stores, store managers were receiving shipments of Fall decorating products. The last thing on anyone’s mind, in the middle of summer, is Fall foliage products! Customers are focused on barbecues, the beach or lakeside picnics.
Retail stores, on the other hand, are working behind the scenes planning for the future seasons. So, it’s important to start planning as soon as possible. Don’t wait until the last minute.
In addition to starting early, you will want to make sure you are promoting your in school holiday gift shop as much as possible.
Remember, parents and children will be exposed to a myriad of Black Friday advertisements as we draw closer to the holiday season. They should be reminded of your holiday shop as often as possible.
Here are a few effective ways to attract kids and parents to your holiday gift shop.
Full Size Posters and Parent Letters
At the School Holiday Shop we provide the marketing materials you need to promote your holiday shop. We provide full sized posters and colored 8.5” x 11” parent letters – delivered to you four weeks before your start date. Yes… parent letters are a very important step when you plan a school holiday shop.
Don’t forget to stick a note along with your parent letters about your Black Friday event sale!
Email Marketing Newsletter
Email marketing is crucial for every school, business or non-profit. If you haven’t already, make sure you ask parents to opt-in to your email newsletter. Then send out a newsletter on a bi-weekly basis. Provide parents with valuable parenting tips and information about upcoming events.
Start creating your Black Friday newsletter content now. Make sure you include a call-to-action to your in school holiday gift shop. So, be sure to use email marketing when you plan a school holiday shop.
Facebook Advertising
Facebook ads are a very powerful marketing tool. In most cases, it can be more powerful than print advertising. But, it has to be done the right way. Make sure you use a high resolution photo that’s captivating.
A photo of a Santa, with his reindeer, carrying a bag full of gifts or children and families opening gifts are perfect photos to use. Posts with images of people tend to have a higher connection rating than photos without, according to Facebook.
If you are bold and you want even higher rankings, create a sponsored post with a fun marketing video targeted to local parents. Videos have the highest ranking. Just make sure your ads are fun and engaging and not ‘salesy’.
One thing about Facebook advertising is that you do not have to spend a lot of money. Ads start as low as $5 per day and you can run your ad for as long or short as you want. You’re only charged when people begin to click or view your ads.
You can create your own ads and find quality photos on free stock image sites like Pixabay.com or Unsplashed.com. However, paid sites like iStockphoto and Bigstock tend to have a wider selection of quality holiday photos.
You can also use your own photos to give your ads and sponsored posts a more personalized feel.
Plan a ‘Black Friday’ Week
Have you noticed that giant retail chains launch their Black Friday events for a week? Some stores launch their campaigns for two weeks! One way to get parents interested in your Black Friday sale is to have a week long celebration.
Tip: If you have been marking your products up by 20%, you can adjust it during your Black Friday event.
Plan a school holiday shop & announce it in the local paper
It doesn’t hurt to announce your in school holiday gift shop Black Friday sale in the upcoming events section of your local paper. Good news still travels fast in the newspaper!
Set up a Booth at a Local Craft Fair
There are a few local craft fairs between now and the holiday season, depending where you live. Google the keywords: ‘vendor craft fairs near me’. You should see a listing of sites that provide information about participating in craft fairs. Most local craft fairs only charge $25-$40 for a table and two chairs.
You can rent a booth (or space) and promote your in school holiday gift shop. Make sure you offer a free gift, such as candy or healthy popcorn and bottled water. This will attract parents and kids to your booth. Then discuss your shop and your Black Friday event. Make sure you have plenty of posters to hand out.
So when is the best time to plan a school holiday shop? Start now! The sooner you start the better you can advertise your holiday gift shop. These are just a handful of ideas that you could use to help drum up excitement about your gift shop. Do you have any fun holiday promotion ideas? Please share in the comments section, we would love to hear from you.
