Black Friday and Cyber Monday are two of the biggest retail shopping days of the year, but small local businesses can struggle to compete with big-box stores and online giants. Here’s how to leverage the power of print to draw customers away from Walmart and Amazon and into your store, so you can dominate Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Postcards
No budget for Christmas catalogs? Postcards can be just as good at a fraction of the cost. Direct-mail postcards allow you to reach a highly targeted audience that matches customer demographics without the distraction of online ads. If you’re targeting a local market, you can take advantage of low-cost Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) postcard postage rates to put your promotions in front of everyone in selected zip codes.
Use postcards to:
- Showcase your most popular products and best deals, then invite customers to shop online or in-store with a discount coupon code
- Promote early bird specials so people can beat the crowds and get great deals before Black Friday
- Highlight the benefits of shopping local: easy returns, no waiting for shipping times, the ability to see products in person before buying and keeping money in the local economy
- Offer incentives that make your store attractive, such as free gift wrapping, in-store personal shopping assistance or a loyalty rewards program
- Promote a kids’ shopping day, in which children can buy low-cost items for everyone on their lists; alternatively, you can promote a kids’ play area that makes it easy for parents to shop stress-free
Postcard for Vintage Garage Chicago
Door hangers
Want the benefits of postcard marketing without the postage cost? If you can brave the cold, door hangers are low-cost marketing tools that put your Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals in customers’ hands. Unlike postcards, door hangers don’t compete with other mailers – they’re impossible to ignore, so your holiday promotions are sure to get noticed. Distribute your door hangers in targeted neighborhoods where your customers live.
Use door hangers to:
- Tease your most popular products and invite customers to your store or website to see your entire catalog
- Offer time-limited discounts or early bird discounts so they can beat the Black Friday crowds
- Promote last-minute deals for those who missed the big Cyber Monday sales
- Highlight the benefits of buying local; and, specifically, from your store with incentives such as gift wrapping and shopping assistance
Greeting cards
Greeting cards are more than mere marketing tools; they present the opportunity to thank your customers and add a personal touch to your message. Greeting cards remind customers that you offer personalized, face-to-face service, and can foster loyalty during the busy holiday shopping season.
Use greeting cards to:
- Invite customers to a special VIP holiday shopping event
- Ask customers to join you for hot cocoa during a family-friendly holiday festival
- Deliver a special time-limited offer
- Remind customers about the positive impact of buying locally
- Share personalized sentiments that foster trust and loyalty
Free holiday card template from PsPrint Design Library
Flyers
Flyers are versatile holiday marketing tools. They can be placed in many different locations, especially those your audience frequents. Use flyers to put your promotions in front of your customer base multiple times so you can enjoy the benefits of repetition. Highlight your special offers, give customers a “map” to your store and showcase the benefits of shopping locally to get the most out of your flyer marketing.
Flyer distribution ideas include:
- Community bulletin boards
- Grocery stores, restaurants and pharmacies (with permission)
- Insert flyers in local newspapers. Insertion is typically affordable, and families often share the ads after Thanksgiving dinner
- Ask non-competing retailers to stuff your flyers in shoppers’ bags; you can return the favor
- Windows, walls, doors and mirrors in prominent locations
- Hand flyers to passersby in malls and retail districts
- Partner with other local businesses and create a special flyer that promotes local holiday deals; you might even set up a fun “holiday trail” shoppers can follow, with incentives for visiting every shop on the list
Club card flyer design by Josh Davidson for Park Pink With Winterfest
Banners
Vinyl banners are ultra-affordable ways to promote your Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales to a local audience. Print banners and place them in strategic high traffic locations to maximize reach and get the biggest bang for your buck. Banners work due to their high visibility, repetition and ability to foster impulse sales. Use them to advertise your best deals, most unique products (help people find the perfect gift) and the benefits of buying local.
Place banners near:
- Busy roadways and intersections
- Shopping malls
- Downtown retail districts
- Your storefront
- Competitors’ storefronts
- Anywhere your audience frequents, such as popular restaurants, gyms, and commercial zones
Print marketing is a powerful way to compete with retail giants during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Print makes it easy to reach a local audience and promote the benefits of buying locally. You don’t need to break the bank to take advantage of print, either; low-cost postcards, banners and door hangers put your promotions in front of local customers without the distraction of online advertising. Ready to dominate Black Friday and Cyber Monday? Get started with discount printing today!
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