Photo Credit: iStock
News agencies report over 8,600 stores are expected to go out of business by the end of 2019, including the big brands and major retailers, children’s clothing stores, as well as discount, footwear, and apparel stores. Your business does not have to be one of them. Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday are hands down theee biggest shopping days of the year with roughly 168 million people spending $12 billion in 24 hours on Black Friday alone.
Get ahead of the game with these tips to increase your holiday sales.
Photo Credit: iStock
1. Have your top sellers IN STOCK.
Ain't nothing worst than promoting what you can't produce. Not only are you frustrating your loyal customers, but you are also failing to capture potential customers because you never have the products they want. Scheduling buying trips in advance. Confirm with your vendors, your products will be delivered in advance. Stay ready so you don't have to get ready.
2. Leverage your accreditations and certifications
Are you Better Business Bureau accredited? Is your business a certified Women Owned Small Business (WOSB) or a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) certified by the U.S. Small Business Administration? Do you have your Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) Certification? If you create "natural products", have you taken the time and spent the money to acquire your B Corp Certification? If you served your country, did you apply to be listed as Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB) and/or Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) Certified? If you have converted a portion of your home into a "green" workspace that is environmentally safe, did you apply for your Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification?
If you answered YES to any of the above, you need to remind your customers that you have been tested and approved by regulatory agencies and government bodies to receive these certifications. Validate your business’ reputation and bring new customers to your business by letting them know you, your products, and services are TRUSTWORTHY and LEGIT.
3. Leverage Word of Mouth Marketing (my favorite)
Basically, you need to get other people talking about your business. Your posts are great! Your email blasts are awesome! But you need others to toot your horn too.
Brand Ambassadors
Influencers
Product Reviewers
Facebook Reviews
Yelp Reviews
Amazon Reviews
Good Reads
Podcasters
News/Media Coverage
People trust the opinion of others more than any other form of advertising. Periodt.
Marketing and Advertising Opportunities are Available with Minority Report featuring Black Owned Businesses Click HERE.
No Brand Ambassadors? No Product Reviews? No problem. Minority Report featuring Black Owned Businesses is here with a few more tips to help you increase sales this holiday season.
4. Using Your Email List and Social Media Every relationship requires communication! It's the major key (in my DJ Khaled voice). If you want to remain competitive, you have to say LOUDLY, CLEARLY, REPEATEDLY, ”We have this product in stock right now and it ships TA-DAY!” Customers want it now therefore, market what you have in stock. Soooo, tell them.
*Your exclusive customers in your private Facebook Groups and your newsletter subscribers expect to know before the general public. Creating "exclusive" or "member's only" pre-Black Friday sales ads and promotions are a huge hit. I'm just saying.*
Photo Credit: iStock
5. More Pictures Minus the Text
Don’t confuse your customers with too many messages or too much text. Use pictures and spare the lengthy text. A gang of pictures. All of'em. Your goal, especially in the early part of the season, is to provide a preview of your inventory.
Photo Credit: iStock
6. Think Like A Customer
What do we all want? OPTIONS! Consumers like variety. If you are a husband looking for a gift for your shoe-loving wife, what should you consider? Flats? Heels? Running shoes? Make it a list gift-givers can print out ahead of Black Friday and share. And if you can't think like your customers, ask them what they want!
7. Be Visible
"Out of sight is out of mind." One thing major retailers know: IMPRESSIONS. It takes at least 6 impressions, points of contact from various sources of media, before a consumer will purchase your product. Yessss, they need to see it 6 times, possibly 6 different ways, before they spend a dime. They need to see someone else purchase the product, read a review, see an ad on Facebook, on Instagram, on (Black) Twitter, on YouTube, and get an email from you before they BUY.
They pay for Google ads, they will email you, they will text you.
And you should too.
So get yourself out there!
Photo Credit: iStock
8. Have one call to action
I recently interviewed someone who ran a GoFundMe campaign to raise capital for their business. This person spent $2500 with an influencer to gain visibility. The person did acquire 20,000 new followers due to the partnership with the influencer, yet this business owner DID NOT REACH their GofundMe goal and had to return ALL of the money they raised. The ad with the influencer... did not have a call to action. SMH. Bruhhhh, one picture on social media for $2500 and NOT ONE MENTION about the GofundMe campaign?? Where do they do that at?
Remember: Be clear about what you want people to do and how you expect them to part with their money in exchange for your product. Tell them to come into your store, or bring in the email for a free gift, or go to your online store but make sure you tell them to respond in some way.
9. Make'm spend more than they expected... The Art of the Up-sell
I am an entrepreneur but I am also a consumer and a parent.
Hey, Parents: Have you ever wanted to buy something for yourself, walked into a store and left with that 1 thing you wanted and 17 things for your children??
Yeah, me too. It may feel like parenting guilt, but master marketers know how to up-sell you. Marketers play on your psyche. You may deny your kid that one thing they keep asking for, but eventually (after those 6 impressions followed by the 63 times your kid begged for whateva they want) you will buy it - and you more than likely buy more than one of "it".
Business owners, prepare yourself and your staff for the upsell. Notice what is in their carts and offer an item to compliment the gift. Track your loyal customers repeat purchases and offer them 10% off if they buy 2-3 MORE.
Then after they have made purchased for everyone else, state, “Now what’s for you?”
Photo Credit: iStock
All Hands on Deck, Places People... It's Showtime!
Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday are only a few weeks away - make this your time to shine. You can settle for mediocre sales or you can strategically use Word of Mouth Marketing, email, and social media to remind your admirers who already know and love your brand about all the greatness you have to offer.
This blog post is sponsored by:
Comments