Back-to-school time is a hectic for kids and adults alike. Many local businesses take advantage of this change of pace by marketing back-to-school time as a time to shop. There are plenty of ways you can incorporate the back-to-school theme into your marketing; here are 5 simple ideas:

Branded School Supplies

School shopping is on everyone’s to-do list, but nobody’s want-to-do list. Give clients with children branded school supplies like notebooks, pens, pencils, binders, erasers, etc. They will use these items everyday, which means they will see your brand name everyday. If you are marketing to college students, branded koozies and bottle openers are a classic way to keep your brand name in their minds for the rest of the school year.

Student Rewards Program

Here’s a creative way to show your community that you care about education AND drive up your sales: create a rewards program for students or parents of students that gives them free gifts or discounts for getting good grades. A “Report Card Day Special” is a great way to get a ton of kids and parents into your business.

Sports Team or Theater Program Sponsorship

By sponsoring your local school’s sports teams or theater program, you’ll get your business’ name in front of the whole community. Theatre show pamphlets often contain a page or two of local business advertisements. Many school sports teams raise money by selling a coupon-book full of discounts from local businesses. Getting your business into either of these is a great way to drive up sales.

Social Media Contest

Contests are great for engaging your audience and getting them more connected to your brand. An easy back-to-school contest for social media is a kids’ drawing contest. Ask your followers to submit a drawing of something (preferably related to your business) and give the best one a discount or gift.

Direct Mail For College Dorms

If your business is in a college town and appeals to college students, you may be able to get your advertisements into the dorms. Many restaurants, bars, movie theatres, bowling alleys, etc. make deals with universities where they get a menu, coupon sheet, or refridgerator magnet placed in each dorm room at the beginning of the year. When students are hungry or need something to do, they’ll consult these mail pieces.

Take this back-to-school season to get back into the swing of marketing. Remember that it’s not all about driving direct sales, but also increasing brand awareness and making your community fond of your business so that they’ll continue to be loyal customers forever. Thanks for reading, we hope this article was useful and informative. Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter for more updates and marketing tips! If you ever have a marketing-related question or want a comprehensive analysis of your business’ marketing strategy, feel free to give us a call at 1-800-992-9663. You can also find more information about our services on our website. Get in touch with us and find out how we can help you grow your business!