Posts filed under 'Marketing'
The newest issue of Gift, Gourmet and Decor magazine is now available online. One of the best features in the magazine is the “Idea Calendar”. In the January issue, you’ll find an idea for promoting your gift baskets for each day of February and March.
In this same issue, I found several articles that prompted marketing ideas that could be applied to any gift basket business. For example, the article entitled “Lasting Ties” talks about how you can promote your business in the collegiate market. Another article, “Plush Perfection” lists the latest products and news from the plush toy industry. (Stuffed animals have long been a popular addition to many gift basket designs.) After reading “Not Your Mother’s Diaper Bag”, I realized that a diaper bag might in fact, be a terrific container for a New Baby gift basket!
Don’t miss future issues of Gift, Gourmet and Decor magazine. There’s a lot to learn! Go to Gift, Gourmet and Decor Plus to receive your own free, digital copy.
January 30th, 2011
You may attend a certain number of industry trade shows to find new products for your gift basket designs. I recently posted a blog about one of the biggest trade shows for gift basket businesses: The NASFT Fancy Food Show in San Francisco. But there are also many trade show opportunities where you can display and sell your gift baskets.
Go to SmartTradeShows.com to learn how to find a trade show that’s right for you. The first step is to write some goals: what do you want to accomplish by being a vendor at a trade show? For example, do you want to “engage current customers, initiate new contacts, or reach future key decision makers?”
Next, you can easily find information about trade shows all over the country. “Public libraries and the internet both provide directories and descriptions of upcoming trade shows. Another good idea is to check for regional and national conventions, since many associations hold trade shows simultaneously with conventions.”
Once you identify the trade show opportunities where you might set up a display, contact the show organizers to collect some more information. Find out how many people attended prior shows and collect demographics to determine if attendees might be potential buyers of the products you sell. You can also get a list of other vendors who displayed at the show in the past and call them directly to find out about their experience.
Read the full article for more trade show tips. Also, check out Amazing Mail, one of many companies that can help you promote your business at a trade show.
January 19th, 2011
The Blogging Success Summit 2011 is for you if you’re thinking about starting a blog for your gift basket business. It’s for you if you’re an experienced blogger and want better results. This on-line business conference will take place over three weeks in February, 2011. Instructors will be presenting their sessions live… in real time…on your computer screen….in your office or your home.
You will hear from 23 of the most well respected blogging experts will be featured. “They’ll reveal all the latest techniques and proven business-building tactics that you need to know to immediately benefit from blogging.” You will learn how to:
- market your blog
- build an engaging blog presence
- increase traffic to your blog and your sales
- integrate social media platforms with your blog
- build loyal readers
You will also have opportunities to network with other bloggers, ask questions and get immediate answers.
Sign up now and save 50%. Go to Blogging Success Summit 2011 for more information.
December 29th, 2010
We hear so much talk these days about social media marketing. So many articles and resources espouse the importance of using Facebook, Twitter and other social media tools to connect with our customers. But should we all just jump on the social media bandwagon? What about that “old fashioned” method of getting the word out to our customers: US Mail.
“If there’s one painful lesson that every investor learned when Wall Street crashed, it’s that you need to diversify. So when haven’t marketers learned that same lesson when it comes to their communications?”
This quote, from an article in the October issue of Deliver Magazine, published by the United States Postal Service, should be seriously considered by all gift basket business owners who are hoping to stand out from the crowd this holiday season.
Consider this: “the average consumer receives 14-15 emails a day from companies or brands…the average household received about 16 pieces of advertising related mail per week“. This means that regular “snail mail” offers some great potential for capturing the eye of the receiver.
But this doesn’t mean that we should ignore on-line marketing strategies. Our USPS piece of mail can provide an address to your web site, a nod to your Twitter and Facebook pages. Furthermore, you can actually get a sample of your product to the customer….what could be be more persuasive than a taste of the delicious products they’ll get in one of your baskets.
Check out the USPS for tips on getting the most from a direct mail campaign.
November 23rd, 2010
In the September issue of Gourmet Retailer Magazine, check out “Gift Items” for a review of products that consumers are likely to purchase this holiday season. Author Anna Wolfe, cites statistics from Unity Marketing’s Gifting Report 2010 ranking the top gift selections for 2009 holidays. “Ranking #11 was gift baskets with 16% of gift givers saying they gave a Gift Basket, including cookies, snacks, fruit, candy, wine and other consumables.” Based on these survey results from 1,680 gift buyers, we can be optimistic about the holiday season sales for gift basket businesses.
Other interesting notes and ideas from Pam Danzinger, president of Unity Marketing…
“consumers want more bang for their gift buck and want to give, and receive, gifts that are perceived to be high quality and more expensive than they really are”…With this perspective in mind, Gift Basket professionals should carefully consider the “extras” (keepsake containers, bows, wrappings, ornaments, etc) that can be used to enhance the perceived value of their gift basket designs.
“as much as 44% percent of consumers’ gift -giving budgets are spent on personal gifts such as birthdays, friendship, anniversaries, baby showers, etc. that occur throughout the year”….This should remind us that gift baskets are a perfect solution for other special occasion gift giving. Consider giving a gift certificate for a future purchase to the buyer AND the recipient of your baskets that they can use on a future purchase.
November 15th, 2010
Read “Winning On The Web” for a plethora of exceptional suggestions for revving up holiday sales. Author Marshal Marcovitz includes recommendations for planning your promotions, analyzing your promotional mix, marketing on a shoestring and managing your customers.
He also points out it that “costs seven times more to acquire a new customer than to retain a current customer”. Keeping that in mind, he proposes that we consider a customer “life cycle” in which there are different tactics for securing new customers, growing their business, and retaining their loyalty.
Read the full article article for some of the best marketing ideas I’ve seen!
November 7th, 2010
Read in Gourmet Retailer online magazine: a summary of NASFT’s annual report on consumer purchasing habits and trends in the specialty foods category. Most of the products that we include in our gift baskets fall under the category of “specialty foods”. Not only will you learn about WHO is buying specialty foods these days, but also a lot of valuable information about their buying habits. This can give you great information about what products to include in your gourmet baskets, and also, who your target markets might be.
Some things you’ll learn:
- Those in the 25-34 year age bracket are big consumers of specialty foods. With this in mind, you may choose to market your gift baskets in particular print publications and online venues that appeal to consumers in that age group.
- The specialty food consumer is concerned about sustainability of the foods he/she purchases. This might prompt you to include products in your baskets that have been produced in an environmentally and socially responsible way.
Read the full summary, and look for the full report in the October issue of the NASFT’s Specialty Food Magazine.
You can learn more about sustainable food products at these web sites:
October 24th, 2010
How engaging is your web site design? You can answer this question by taking a test that appeared in the July online issue of Target Marketing magazine.
Author Joe Dysart poses five questions that will help you take a new look at your website. You’ll learn:
- the maximum number of clicks that it should take to get to critical information
- what you should put on the right side and left side of the home page
- how often you should check out the effectiveness of your promotions
- the best time to ask visitors to register
- how fast your pages should download
Read the full article to learn how you can make your website be most effective.
October 10th, 2010
I just found a web site that includes a wealth of information about email marketing. Email Marketing Reports includes “hundreds of articles, reviews and links to help you start or improve your opt-in email marketing (whether you send one or a million emails).
Here’s a list of what you’ll find on the site:
Email advertising basics
Email marketing services
Email list software
Email and social media
Strategies and tactics
Online copywriting
Email formats & layouts
Email deliverability
Building an email list
Email marketing metrics
Publishing e-newsletters
Anti-spam laws | Blogs
Blacklists | Books
Wireless / mobile email
Need I say more? If you use emails to connect with your customers, take some time to browse Email Marketing Reports. It will be worth your time: there’s lots to learn.
October 4th, 2010
In the September issue of Target Marketing, I learned a lot of new marketing techniques in an article titled “Positive Anticipation”. Author Pat Friesen shares 13 tips on how to include the emotion of anticipation in your marketing messages. Why is it important to build anticipation into your marketing messages: “Anticipation leads to customer engagement and engagement leads to responses…clicks, calls and visits.”
Whether you communicate by email or snail mail, Friesen’s suggestions are easily applied. For example, her first tip, “create that special feeling” explains how words can make a difference. Words like ‘exclusive’ or ‘by invitation only’ can make your customers feel special…and that can lead to loyalty. Keep a thesaurus handy to come up with creative words to describe your products and services. In another tip, the author explains that pre-announcements, such as a Save the Date card, can increase customer responses by 30% – 40%. This leaves your customers watching and waiting for notice of your promotions.
Read the full article to learn more effective marketing tips for both your email and US mail promotions.
September 19th, 2010
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