Powell Lawson Enterprises

Put Back-to-School Content to Work for Your Sales

back to school supplies for sale in a store

Parents already began planning for their children’s back-to-school shopping. That means if you’re a manufacturer, retailer, or e-tailer of school supplies, clothing, or dorm needs, you need your ads, blogs, commercials, and promotions planned and currently executing.

What’s at Stake?

According to the National Retail Federation (NRF) this year, consumer back-to-school spending will reach $82.8 billion between kids returning to school and young adults returning to college. That divvies up to $27.5 billion for kindergarten through high school needs and $55.3 billion for young adults going to college. Your piece of that depends on your product and your effort.

When Shopping Starts

Parents plan now for back-to-school and shop starting around Amazon Prime Day which in 2018 fell on July 16th. That’s when 84 percent of retailers saw an upswing in the past and reported it via a RetailMeNot survey. Of those retailers, 60 percent planned to begin their promotions before Prime Day.

How to Target Shoppers

Most parents window shop and compare prices from their mobile phones. You need to know your customers’ likes and wants. According to Invalid Inputs, you need to determine the preferred content lengths, media, and outlets of your customers and your target audience. Provide what your target audience needs to position yourself in front of the advertising and marketing glut.

Hit the times of day that these users will most likely target their searches and browsing. Career dads and moms shop from work, so that means coffee breaks and lunchtime posts. If your business or storefront lies within a major city with many bus or train commuters, blog in the early morning, then hit Twitter and Instagram with the promos of it timed to hit the top of their feeds at 7 or 8 am when their commute begins.

Don’t ignore live advertising either. The week before school starts provides the ideal window for in-store promotions. Have small giveaways that build brand memory. Your pen, mouse pad, or t-shirt stays in a consumer’s head while a coupon you hand them goes from you to them to the checker when they purchase.

Don’t ignore online coupon opportunities either. Provide a coupon that works for existing and new customers on websites like RetailMeNot or Coupon Cabin. Universal coupons help you retain customers while attracting new customers. Retention plus new customers equal bottom-line growth.

Major Purchase Categories

Aside from the obvious office supplies purchases like paper and notebooks and pens, what categories will consumers mainly purchase from on the go, you ask? In overall back-to-school shopping on the go, apparel will receive 53 percent of the purchases. Electronics comprise 67 percent of all purchases. For furniture, because, yes, little kids need study desks, too, 74 percent of purchases. The college crowd needs things like mattresses, small appliances, etc. Finally, housewares come in at 64 percent because everyone gets a lunchbox and thermos. (My Oprah homage. You get a lunch box and thermos. You get a lunch box and thermos.) For the college crowd, the big buys include starter dishes.

It’s time for your back-to-school campaigns. Plan and execute your ads, blogs, content marketing, and more to increase your reach and your sales. Let Powell Lawson Creatives help you provide your customers with content that educates, informs, and sells your products. Let us help you earn your piece of the back-to-school pie.

17 thoughts on “Put Back-to-School Content to Work for Your Sales”

  7. I can see that you are an expert at your field! I am launching a website soon, and your information will be very useful for me.. Thanks for all your help and wishing you all the success in your business.

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