ABOUT US "WHAT'S THE BUZZ" BLOG NEWSLETTER Vendors Only Suggest A Vendor Vendor Login
FGmarket Logo | www.fgmarket.com
Find wholesale products or vendors...
Marketing | Welcome to FGmarket Buzz - Page 5

Welcome to FGmarket Buzz

Keep up with the latest trends, marketing tips & product info.

You are here: Home / Archives for Marketing

How To Improve Your Online Ads In 4 Easy Steps

by Leave a Comment

Online ads are…not the most exciting things in the world. They’re necessary for getting your products in front of potential customers, of course, but how often do you find yourself ignoring an obtrusive ad because it gets in the way of your web browsing experience? It’s no wonder that the number of people using ad-blocking software is 200 million people and growing!

Ads are important for increasing your revenue, but if your ads are turning people away, they’re not really doing you much good, are they? Luckily, we’ve got a few tips that can help you get back on the right track with your online ads.

Make It Pleasing

One of the keys to a great ad is making sure it’s designed in a visually pleasing way. No one likes to see a banner ad, or crawl ad that is just awful to look at, a.k.a. bad typeface, gross colors, ugly images. You have to draw customers into your ad though an awesome design. And just for the record, most of the time a simpler design works better than a really busy design that’s full of way too much text and info.

Make It Interesting

How does your ad present itself? Do you have an image of the product you’re selling, or have you gone a more creative route? There’s a balanced game that you have to play between keeping your ad visibly pleasing but also making it interesting and attention-grabbing. Think about some of the ads that have attracted you as a consumer, and look to emulate some of those ideas.

Avoid Steamrolling

When you go to a website and an ad immediately hits you in the face with its intrusiveness, how do you feel? Do you feel uncomfortable, or irritated? It’s called steamrolling, and it’s never fun for the consumer. It creates an immediate feeling of irritation in a visitor to your website so that instead of them easily accessing the information they came to your site looking for, they are forced to exit out of one or more pop-up ads. It makes your website a nightmare for visitors. Google has even begun punishing websites that use this kind of intrusive advertising on their sites by ranking them much lower than sites who don’t employ these types of ads. Don’t prevent your customers from easily visiting your website. Instead, integrate your ads smoothly and seamlessly into your website.

Make It Worth It

What’s the point of online advertising? It’s to attract customers to your website so that they’ll make a purchase, right? Then why would somebody click on your ad if you aren’t offering them a deal that they can’t find anywhere else? Answer: there is no reason, and they won’t click on it. If your goal is to get customers to click on your online ad, you need to give them a clear reason to do so. That means offering them an awesome deal that they simply can’t refuse, and clearly displaying the deal on your ad.

By following these few simple tips, you can begin to transform your online advertising strategy and bring in more customers to your website than ever before.

This article was originally published on Atwill Media’s blog. If you’re looking for a professionally designed custom website for your business, then check them out!

5 Consumer Trends To Keep In Mind In 2017

by Leave a Comment

We’re less than a month into 2017, and if you haven’t thought about it already, it’s time to start paying attention to what’s trending for consumers in the new year. While many of the same trends that have been rising over the past few years will continue into 2017, there are also some new trends to follow that can increase your business revenue if you pay attention and adapt to the trends.

To help you out for this brand new year, we’ve come up with a few trends based on data gathered by market researcher Euromonitor International, and compiled by the experts at AdvertisingAge.

More People Online

This should be an obvious trend because of the increase in internet access throughout the world, with more rural communities getting high-speed internet, but it’s important to pay attention to. There are going to be far more people online in 2017 than 2016. In fact, research predicts that 3.5 million additional people around the world will come online each week in 2017.

That means, now, more than ever before, it’s important for you to have a strong online presence. And what better way to have a strong online presence than by having a website where customers can find all your important and relevant information? A website is a perfect way to set yourself up for success in 2017, and our friends at Atwill Media would be happy to help you accomplish that goal.

If you’re a wholesaler, we suggest signing up for an FGmarket listing so people can search through our directory of amazing vendors, and find your products with ease.

Fewer People Using Cash

Research shows that, although cash is still a dominant way that people pay for products, card payments have finally passed cash up in terms of popularity. The data shows that 44.1% of payments are made with cards, compared to 43% for cash. This number could reach 49.1% for card payments by the year 2021.

What this data suggests is that in the current market that we live in, POS systems and e-commerce options are now more important than ever. Most people, especially the younger generations (millennials and the generation after) don’t even carry cash with them anymore. If you accept only cash at your business and no options for paying with a card, you’re missing out on a huge chunk of the paying population.

More People Living In Cities

The percentage of the global population living in cities has now increased from 50% in 2007 to 55% in 2017. That means there are now more people living in urban areas than rural areas, and this trend is continuing to move upward.

Why does this matter to you, a business owner? It matters because, depending on where you live, you might be seeing an increase in your customer base or a decrease, and you’ll have to learn to adapt to this population change. If you’re a rural business and you’re noticing your customers moving farther and farther away, you might need to increase your marketing area to reach those people and bring them back to your shop. If you’re seeing an increase in business due to your urban shop location, you might have to adapt to the influx of customers to your shop. This could mean increasing your inventory, moving into a larger space (if you have a storefront), or hiring more staff to help out.

Healthy Living Is Rising In Popularity

A big trend right now is healthy living, which includes healthy eating, using organic and natural products, and exercising more.

The more people who choose to begin living a healthier life, the more the demand for natural, organic and healthy products goes up. The health and wellness industry is a huge industry and was valued at $711 billion in 2016. That number is expected to increase in 2017. If you’re looking to change your business model to an all organic or all natural model, now is the prime time to make the switch.

It’s a huge decision to completely change your business model, of course, but the reward might outweigh the risk for this trend.

Social Media Userbase Is Continuing To Grow

Facebook is still the largest social media network (by a long shot) at 1.5 billion worldwide users, and that number continues to grow every day. Some of the other growing accounts are Instagram (at 400 million users), Snapchat (at 200 million users), and Pinterest (at 100 million users).

Social media is a constantly expanding beast of interconnected people and places, and if you’re not on at least one social media network by this point in the technology’s lifespan, you’re seriously missing out.

These days, besides having a website, your business social account is one of the first places people check when researching whether or not to shop from your business. If you don’t have any form of social media, then you can expect your customers to perceive you as outdated, out of touch, and not as accessible as your competition.

Social Media has been a trend for a long time, but it’s growing larger and larger every year. Make sure you stay on top of this important trend.

Keep these trends in mind as you journey through the twists and turns that 2017 is sure to bring, and for more on what’s trending in wholesale products each month, check out the Product Information category of the FGmarket blog.

Live Streaming and Webinars: The New Way To Connect With Your Customers

by Leave a Comment

Traditionally, before the advent of live streaming technology and the Internet, if you wanted to speak directly to your customers to teach them something you would have to put on a seminar or workshop event.

But now, thanks to dozens of new live streaming services, businesses have tons of options for giving their customers a personal, in-depth online seminar with just the simple click of a button.

These online seminars and workshops are known as webinars, and they are a fantastic way to not only add value to your business but to also make a little extra profit along the way.

If you’re looking to start broadcasting your own webinars or live events, check out our tips for what you need to know, and which services work best for your needs.

Where To Start

Before you get started with launching and hosting your own webinars, you need to do a little planning. As with any normal seminar, you can’t jump into it without a little research and rehearsal. Practice your webinar talking points a few times before your actual live event, just to make sure that your comfortable with the information you’re presenting.

You also need to make sure you are knowledgeable on the subject that you’re teaching. If you aren’t the most confident person about a certain subject, you can always ask someone else to lead the webinar for you, such as another employee or a guest lecturer. You want to make sure your customers and guests are getting the best information possible.

Once you’ve planned your webinar, and gotten the right person to host it, it’s time to figure out which service to use.

Services To Use

A few years ago, live streaming was limited in its availability and reach. Services like Meerkat and Periscope were some of the first companies to make live streaming available to the everyday consumer, but eventually, they were forgotten about due to the adoption of live streaming by many of the most popular social media services.

Here are just a few of the social media, and web app, services that offer live streaming:

  • Facebook
  • GoToWebinar
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Snapchat

And there are more and more people jumping on the live streaming bandwagon every day, which can make selecting the right platform for your webinars seem like a daunting task.

Every one of these services is great, but there are a few distinguishing features that you need to know about before selecting the right one.

First of all, most of these services are free to use. All you need to do is sign up for a free social media account (which most of us have anyway). Facebook is probably the most reliable service if you’re concerned with saving your webinars for later viewing or archiving, as it records your video and saves it to your profile after the stream ends. Other services, like Instagram and Snapchat, only keep the videos for a finite amount of time. In fact, Instagram only allows viewers to see your live video while it’s happening. After your stream ends, that’s it! The video is no longer available.

If you’re wanting to get more features and more data tracking capabilities with your live stream, your best bet is to use a paid service like GoToWebinar. This tool is built specifically for businesses looking to do regular webinars and live streaming sessions, and it comes packed with lots of unique features. The pricing of the service might be out of the budget for some businesses, but it’s a fantastic tool if you’re really serious about getting into live streaming and webinars.

Live streaming can be a great tool for connecting with your customers, and hosting your own webinars! Explore what’s out there and see what works best for you and your business.

How To Get Over The Holiday Slump and Get Back To Work

by Leave a Comment

With the Holidays finally coming to a close, workers all around the world are dreading those three simple words, “back to work.”

It’s not that work is terrible or boring (maybe to some people, but a majority of people love having a schedule and something to do each day to work their brains). People dread going back to work after the Holidays are over because that means relaxation, family time, and laziness are all over, and it’s time to get back to being a responsible adult.

One of the biggest problems with coming back to work after a relaxing time off of work is actually trying to get back into the flow of things and be productive.

If you’re having trouble being productive after all that eggnog and Christmas cookies, we’ve got a few tips that can help you out.

Get Organized

Nothing helps you get more things done than keeping a planner, and actually using it. The more organized you are, the easier it will be to accomplish tasks during your daily workflow. If this means planning each and every one of your daily tasks, then do it! If you stick with your planner and push yourself to stay on task and accomplish those daily tasks, you’ll notice an increase in your motivation, due in part to the need to finish your goals.

Plan For The Future

Have you laid out your business plan for 2017, and how it will be different than 2016? Do you know what you’ll be focusing on accomplishing month-to-month in the new year?

Planning your future goes along with getting organized, but takes the idea one step further. It means actually setting goals for the new year. It’s also what most people refer to as a New Year’s Resolution. People aren’t the only ones who can set New Year’s Resolutions; businesses can, and should, do it, too.

Get Some Exercise

Exercising before or after work can be a fantastic way to motivate your body and mind to do more. Some people have to sit down all day for their job, and that can be very detrimental to the average person’s health. It can also make you feel more exhausted, because even though you aren’t doing any physical activity, you’re making yourself more sluggish and sedimentary. Your body gets used to not moving and working itself, and so you get tired more easily. Plan for exercise at some point during the day, and see how much this simple activity can boost your motivation.

Set Goals For Yourself

Although this goes along with tip number two, planning for your future, this tip is a little different because it’s not talking about setting goals for your business, it’s more about setting goals for yourself.  Make daily goals for yourself, such as finishing that project that you’ve been putting off, or making sure you eat a healthy lunch during your break. Goals are fantastic motivation tools, and you should be using them in not only your business life but your personal life as well.

Eat Better

I know I’m not the only one who ate a little more food and a lot more sugar than they probably should have during the Holidays. All that sugary goodness comes with a price, however. Sugar can make you feel sluggish during the day because it’s burned up as energy at a much higher rate than other sources of energy. Try packing a salad, or a whole grain, low-calorie sandwich for lunch instead of going out to eat at a fast food place. You can also cut out sugary sodas and juices, and drink water and black coffee instead.

Holidays can sometimes be hard to recover from, but follow these simple tips and you’ll have no problem meeting your goals for the new year!

Get More Reviews With These 5 Simple Tips

by Leave a Comment

Reviews can make or break your company. If you’re doing well and tending to every need your customer has, then the chances of you getting positive reviews are very high. But, if you’re neglecting your customers by not offering them great deals, quality products, and awesome customer service, you’re highly likely to get a lot of negative reviews.

It’s easy to think that negative reviews are awful for your company, but that’s not always the case. Any review you receive can be used as a learning tool to improve on what you did wrong the first time and make it better for your customers in the future.

Make It Simple

Customers aren’t going to feel inclined to leave you a review if it’s difficult and frustrating for them to do so. Make your review tab, or review form, prominent on your page and easy to navigate to for your customers. You’ll find that a lot more reviews will be written when it’s easy to submit one.

Are you asking your customers to leave a review, or are you just assuming they’ll do it on their own? You can’t always assume that a customer knows that you’d like for them to leave you a review, or that they even know where to leave a review in the first place. You have to start encouraging them to leave a review. One of the ways to do this is by sending out emails encouraging reviews, with a link that goes directly to your review page. You can also include a simple message, like “Like us? Leave a review!” on a lot of your marketing material, such as newsletters, business cards, emails, advertisements, and more. Sometimes, people just need a gentle nudge in the direction you want them to go.

Social Media

Did you know that Facebook has an option for customers and followers to leave a review of your business? It’s built into your business Facebook Page and follows the same format as your Atwill Media review form. Make sure you’re using your Facebook Page to gather customer reviews as well. If customers aren’t willing to leave a review on your website, they are much more likely to leave one on your Facebook page for everyone to see.

You can also encourage reviews through social media, such as posting on Twitter and Facebook with a link to your review page or posting an Instagram pic directing customers to click on a custom link in your bio.

Incentives

Do you offer your customers incentives for leaving a review on your Atwill Media website? These incentives are oftentimes called feedback rewards, and they’re simple bonuses and coupons that encourage customers to submit reviews. These could be surveys that you send out that give customers a coupon code once completed or a special percentage off one of your products or services for leaving a review. Explore different ways to incentivize customers into leaving you a review.

Use Negative Reviews

Have you ever received a negative review and then chose to ignore it rather than respond? Did you know that sometimes negative reviews are advantageous to your online credibility? Negative reviews aren’t the end of the world; they actually show customers, and the smart folks at Google, that you’re a credible business. No matter what type of review you receive, however, you always need to respond to it. Not responding is a bad strategy and can make you seem disconnected with your consumer base.

Reviews are powerful tools and can help or hurt your business, depending on how you approach them. Use your reviews to your advantage, and grow your business for the future.

This post was originally published on Atwill Media’s blog. Need a new custom-built website for your business? Check out Atwill Media, for beautiful, customized websites that are made for success!

Easy Ways To Boost Your Motivation At Work

by Leave a Comment

It can be difficult to stay motivated on the job, especially when you work at a high energy job that requires all of your available attention for eight hours a day, five days a week. It can be mentally, and physically, exhausting to devote that much time and energy to something for so long.

Not only are you dealing with the struggles of exhaustion, you also run the risk of getting comfortable in your job (a.k.a., boredom) and not being challenged enough. This isn’t always because your job is bad; it could simply be caused by not enough effort being put into the job by you, the employee.

So how do you stay motivated in a workplace that requires so much of your energy? We’ve got a few simple tips to help you stay positive and get things done.

Set Smaller Goals

Setting big goals for yourself is great, but often these goals can feel daunting and impossible, with no end in sight. That’s why it’s important to tackle your tasks in smaller, bite-sized chunks. You might have a longer list of goals, but you’ll be motivated by how often you check things off your list. You might find this to be a more efficient way of getting things done as well since you’ll be more likely to organize your tasks by importance.

Fuel Up

You can’t conquer the day without first conquering your stomach! That means making sure you eat a healthy, and fuel-filled breakfast, and making sure you stop to eat lunch. You can also bring some healthy snacks, like protein bars, nuts, or fruit, to make sure you’re fueled and ready to work throughout the day. Avoid snacks that are high in sugar, however, as this can lead to major sugar crashes when the initial boost wears off.

Take Breaks

Breaks are awesome. They break-up (pun intended) the days work so you can take a breather, relax, and refocus on your work. It’s good to take short breaks every once in a while throughout the day. Ten to 15-minute breaks are the optimal amount of time to stop and do something else. You can use that time to take a quick walk around the office, get a snack from the break room, or stretch at your desk.

Do Some After Work Exercising

Fitting exercise into your daily schedule is an awesome way to stimulate your body and your mind. If you’re like most people, you’re probably sitting down at a desk all day and having very little opportunity to get your heart pumping. That’s why it’s a fantastic idea to fit in a little exercise time during lunch, or after work. About 30 minutes a day is all you need to keep your body healthy, which can lead to more restful sleep, and more motivation during the day! And if you want to calm your mind in addition to your body, try taking up a yoga and meditation class. Clearing your mind of stress and resetting yourself mentally can be a great source of everyday motivation.

Give Some, Get Some

It’s great to receive praise from your boss or your fellow coworkers for something awesome that you’ve done. But sometimes, it takes giving a little praise to people in order to receive some in return. If you see someone you work with doing something that’s worthy of praise, then let them know! Receiving praise is a great mood booster and can really get you refocused on doing the best work you can do.

Reward Yourself

Did you have a good day at work? Were you able to stay motivated through an entire week without getting frustrated? Then give yourself a reward! This is a great way to stay motivated because you’re setting a fun goal for yourself that can only be obtained by focusing on your work.

4 Easy Tips For Finding The Right Wholesale Vendor

by Leave a Comment

If you’re a store owner, you know the importance of establishing a solid working relationship with a good wholesale vendor. According to data gathered from the past few years, there are more than 300,000 companies who identify as U.S. wholesale distributors.  That’s a large pool of potential wholesalers to choose from. So how do you choose? We’ve got four easy tips to keep in mind before you choose your next wholesale supplier.

Quality

You might think that the right price is the first thing you should look for when seeking out wholesalers, but in reality, your first step should be to inspect the quality of the product you’re buying. You might find the right price for a particular product you’re purchasing from a wholesaler, but if that product is low-quality and prone to malfunctioning, are you really getting a good deal? Your customers expect high quality out of the products they buy from you, so you have to keep them in mind as well. Do a little research on a company before you make a deal with them, and maybe request a hands-on demonstration of their products as a precautionary measure.

Price

Now that we’ve gotten the most important aspect of choosing a wholesale supplier out of the way, it’s time to consider the second most important thing: price. The relationship between a wholesaler and buyer is symbiotic; they both need each other to survive. If one business suffers, then the other does as well. And if one succeeds, then the other is likely to see success, too. This is why it’s important for both sides to work together on a fair price that benefits each company. A wholesaler can’t give a buyer a bad deal and expect that relationship to continue, and vice versa. If the price is right, both sides will benefit.

Goals

Do you have a common goal in mind with your wholesaler? Are you both working toward reaching that goal through a similar business strategy? Finding a common goal with your wholesaler, whether it be through customer service, easy negotiations, or maybe even environmental concerns, is an important factor to keep in mind. It’s hard to work with another business that doesn’t share, or perhaps is even downright against, the goals and values that your business upholds. Finding common goals helps new relationships form, and maintains the strength of decades-old partnerships.

Research

It’s pretty easy to find the right wholesalers once you start looking around. We recommend you browse through the hundreds of categories on FGmarket to find exactly what you’re looking for. There are also plenty of trade shows to explore where vendors come out to show off their products and services. For more on trade shows that are going happening in 2017, check out our Marketing & Show Schedule!

Give Your Customers More By Selling Made In The USA Products

by Leave a Comment

When you buy products in retail stores or online, do you check first to see if the product was made in the USA? Does it matter to you if it wasn’t made in the US? For many consumers, this one simple difference in where the product is made makes all the difference on whether they’ll buy the product.

Many consumers feel that a product that is made in the USA is of a higher quality than a product that is made in China for less money and shipped back over to the States. As with any decision, there are advantages and disadvantages to making products in the US. But if you’re a business owner who’s trying to make this important decision, we have a few tips that can sway you toward making your products in America.

Job Creation

One of the easiest pros to see about making more products in the States is the creation of more jobs for American workers. Trade policies have both hurt and helped American job growth, as evident by the 5.7 million manufacturing jobs that were lost between 1998 and 2013. But by keeping many of the manufacturing jobs in America that many corporations send over to foreign countries, the number of available jobs in America could increase significantly.

Economic Boost

Not only does domestic manufacturing create more jobs in America, it can also add a significant boost to the economy. More jobs mean more workers making awesome products for consumers to buy. And happy consumers are more likely to keep buying and stimulating the economy. According to the Economic Policy Institute, every U.S. manufacturing job supports 1.4 additional jobs in other parts of the American economy. This adds a steady growth to the U.S. economy year after year.

Conservation

If you’re someone who cares about the conservation of natural resources and protecting the environment, then you might be interested in selling made in the USA products for that reason alone. Because of lax regulations in foreign countries (such as China and India), as well as the burning of fossil fuels used to transport goods across the ocean to the States, importing products often hurts the environment. Greenhouse gasses are continuously released into the atmosphere thanks in part to loose environmental regulations in those foreign countries. Manufacturing in America helps to reduce our carbon footprint thanks to EPA regulations.

Human Rights

Another big factor that can sway a business toward going American made products only is the human rights factor. Although this isn’t always the case, in many countries the rights of workers are vastly different than in the US. Instead of having strict laws that protect employees, many workers in poor and underdeveloped countries have to work in harsh conditions for long hours and little pay. Even in China, where much of our products are imported, the working conditions are inhumane, with workers spending 12 – 13 hours a day working and then spending the night sleeping in crowded and dirty dormitories with other workers. Child labor is also a big contributor to some overseas manufacturing plants and farms. You can check the International Labor Rights Forum’s website for more info on this subject.

As with anything, there are advantages and disadvantages to selling Made in the USA products. As a business owner, you must make the decision yourself based on research, budget, and what works best for your business model.

For more on the wholesale vendors who supply Made In The USA products on our website, click here!

What’s The Deal With Veganism? 4 Quick Facts

by Leave a Comment

Veganism

Have you ever encountered someone who was on a Vegan diet, or who preferred to buy only Vegan-made products? Veganism is defined by The Vegan Society as, “a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.” It’s a lifestyle choice that millions of Americans take seriously, and therefore expect stores to supply products that are made in a Vegan-friendly way.

So what should you know about vegans, veganism, and its benefits to your customers?

1. Vegan Products Are Animal-Friendly

This one should be a no-brainer, even for those with limited knowledge of vegan products, due to the fact that vegans refrain from any and all animal products, even dairy and eggs. If you care about the treatment of animals, which many of your customers surely do, then you might want to consider supplying people with vegan-friendly options. To be clear, this does not simply mean selling vegan foods; vegan products can also extend to apparel, toys, jewelry, and more.

2. Veganism Is Practiced By A Large Portion of the US Population

It’s estimated that around 15 million residents of the United States are vegetarian, and half of those vegetarians are vegans. That makes the total population of vegans in the U.S. around 7.5 million. Although that’s only a small percentage of the total U.S. population, it’s a continuously growing number of people. Many of these people refuse to buy from businesses that don’t supply some sort of vegan option in their store. Whether you’re a grocery store or a retail store, consider adding some vegan options into your inventory. And, if you’re really looking to go all out, consider switching to a vegan-only business model.

3. Linked To Many Health Benefits

Although veganism isn’t the healthiest diet a person can go on, it does offer a number of health benefits due to its restrictions. For example, since vegan diets eliminate animal meat, and meat is often associated with saturated fats and high cholesterol, vegan diets help to greatly reduce the risk of heart disease. In addition, most vegan diets require you to replace animal products with vegetables (much like a vegetarian diet) therefore adding some much-needed vitamins and minerals into a person’s diet. Vegan diets can also aid in reducing chronic diseases, such as diabetes type 2, and cancer. Your customers care about their health, and you might want to consider this point when deciding whether to supply them with vegan products.

4. Profitable For Businesses

You’re a business owner (or, at least, someone who is hoping to enter the business world), so you know how important profit is for business. In fact, a recent study shows that the market for plant-based, vegan meat substitutes will reach $5.17 billion by the year 2020. That’s a huge amount of potential profit for curious vegan-friendly adopters. If you’re looking to bust into the vegan market, consider starting small with a few vegan-friendly options, and then, if you see it working for your business, add more vegan options later.

If you’re looking for more info on vegan products and vegan wholesalers, FGmarket has you covered. We’ve got a fantastic selection of vegan vendors who would love to pursue a partnership with you. 

For more on FGmarket’s vegan vendors, click here.

Black Friday Tips For Attracting Hungry Shoppers

by Leave a Comment

Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the entire year, is almost upon us. It’s a time when buyers expect to get deep discounts and fantastic deals from retailers and will spend their hard-earned money on your products (if the price is right, of course).

Is your shop ready for this hectic shopping season? Have you stocked up on all the products you’ll need this year? As always, we’re here to help you get through this year’s Black Friday (or Small Business Saturday or Cyber Monday) and show your customers that you want to give them the best deals around!

Promote Specials to Certain Customers

Black Friday is all about deals and specials, and you need to promote some really great specials to your customers in order to attract them to your store. But, you don’t have to promote certain specials to every customer. In other words, you can promote exclusive specials to only a select number of loyal customers. This could be people who are subscribed to your email list, mailing list or follow you on your social media accounts. Giving loyal customers exclusive deals is a great way to make them feel special, and increase their loyalty to your store or brand.

Offer Extra Customer Support

Customer support is extremely important during Black Friday. Inevitably, your customers are going to encounter some issues, either with you, with another customer, or with a deal you’re offering. Prepare your employees beforehand, and educate them on some different ways they can handle belligerent or unhappy customers. Teach them some new phrases to use to calm down customers, and assure them that their problem is the highest priority for your company. If you’re an online store, make sure you have plenty of customer service representatives to answer phone calls. If needed, you can also hire temporary work to help out during Black Friday and into the holiday shopping season.

Up Your Ad Game

Whether you spend most of your budget on online ads or print ads, upping the number and quality of your ads in preparation for Black Friday will help you out exponentially. If you have old ads running, be sure to update them with your Black Friday deals (Google Ads, etc.). If you’re looking to reach more people for Black Friday, maybe increase your budget for ads and get them in front of more eyes. You can also use social media and sponsored posts to increase the reach of your ads. A few extra bucks will go a long way when trying to reach customers.

Offer Online-Only Deals

If you’re more of a Cyber Monday person than a Black Friday person, work on giving your customers some very exclusive online-only deals. You want more customers to visit your website anyway, right? Then give them a reason to do so. Offer some online-only deals (like percentages off, exclusive products, free shipping, etc.) to bring customers to your website, as well as your storefront (if you have one). Advertise your online-only deals alongside your normals deals to bring in more customers.

Constantly Remind Customers Of Your Deals

Repetition is oftentimes the key to success. Your customers might have heard about your Black Friday deals, but then life got in the way, and “Oops!” they’ve now completely forgotten. Make sure you’re sending out emails, posting social media messages, and reminding your customers that these deals are exclusive and are going to be gone before they know it.