As summer wraps up, it’s time for brand owners to get excited about the back-to-school season! With teachers, students, and parents gearing up for a fresh school year, there are so many fun opportunities to market your brand and boost your sales. In this blog, we’ll share 9 awesome back-to-school marketing ideas that will help you succeed and get an A+! 🌟
Ready to dive in? Grab a pencil and paper to take notes. Let’s go! 🚀
✏️ Pin Your Favorite Back-to-School Marketing Strategy
- When Does the Back to School Season Start?
- When to Prepare for the Back-to-School Season?
- Why Should You Plan a Back-to-School Marketing Strategy?
- 9 Ink-Credible Back-To-School Marketing Ideas You Need to Implement
- Last Words!
- FAQ – Back-to-school Marketing
When Does the Back to School Season Start?
The much-anticipated back-to-school season varies around the world, and even within the United States, start dates can differ. Here are the key dates for 2024:
- Australia and New Zealand – First Week of February 🌏
- Brazil – First Week of February 🇧🇷
- Canada – Early September 🍁
- Germany – Late August 🇩🇪
- India – Mid-July 🇮🇳
- Mexico – End of August 🇲🇽
- United Kingdom – First Week of September 🇬🇧
- United States – Early August 🇺🇸
🗓️ Never miss an important e-commerce date again! Check our up-to-date calendar and stay ahead of the game.
When to Prepare for the Back-to-School Season?
Now that we’ve got the dates, it’s best to start prepping two to three months in advance. Shoppers love to get a head start on their back-to-school and college purchases, so make sure your online store is ready! 🛒
Most people begin buying supplies between early July and early August, but remember, there are always some last-minute shoppers. Big retailers stock up months ahead, and you should do the same! 🌟
🤑✨ Looking to skyrocket your back-to-school sales? Don’t miss out on these amazing back-to-school printables – you and your buyers will love them for the upcoming school season! 🍎😊✏️
Why Should You Plan a Back-to-School Marketing Strategy?
Back-to-school season is one of the most important retail periods after the winter holidays. In 2023, according to the National Retail Federation, consumers were expected to spend a record $41.5 billion on back-to-school and back-to-college shopping, an increase of nearly 12% compared to 2022!
Shoppers will be on the lookout for everything they need to start the new year: school supplies, clothing, accessories, shoes, and electronics. So, why is it essential to prepare in advance? Here are some reasons:
🟩 1. Define the Products You Really Want to Sell
The back-to-school market is huge, but some items always sell well. Backpacks, notebooks, and lunchboxes are top sellers, so take some time to analyze what’s trending and review your numbers to decide which products to focus on.
No matter how great your campaign is, you won’t see your sales increase if you’re marketing the wrong product. Promote items your customers will actually use or need. Do your research to find the right trends and products. Exploring different sub-niches, like goodies for kindergarten, primary, and college students and teachers, is always a good idea. ✨
Another thing to consider is the back-to-school trends. For example, if buyers are interested in acquiring more electronics during this season, consider how to use this information to benefit your print-on-demand business. While you might not produce electronics, you can sell complementary items like custom mousepads, desk pads, phone cases, Apple Watch bands, and pop sockets. Additionally, you can offer cool back-to-school t-shirts! Selling back-to-school themes on your products will make your merch very popular during this period.
🍎 Pro tip: Choose eco-friendly materials for your back-to-school products. Buyers nowadays love stylish, ecological alternatives!
😉🌟You might like reading Personalized School Supplies to Add to Your Shop.
🟦 2. Prepare Your Online Store
Once you’ve chosen the products you want to sell, ensure your online store is easy to navigate. Include clear menus, prices, available colors and sizes, size charts, descriptions, and care instructions. Make it simple for your customers to find and buy your awesome products! 🌟
Also, don’t forget about mobile-first. We live in the mobile era, so a big portion of your customers will visit your store through their devices. Check this feature to be fully prepared.
As the shopping season approaches, consider dressing up your site and digital channels to let customers know you’re ready for the back-to-school season. At Placeit by Envato, we have a variety of covers for Etsy, Facebook, and Twitter, as well as banners to make your site look fantastic and increase visibility.
🟪 3. Define Your Back-to-School Marketing Strategy
Planning in advance lets you establish the best back-to-school strategies for your niche. Ensure all your marketing efforts and materials are ready on time. This involves writing emails, planning discounts or promotions, organizing giveaways, crafting blog posts, developing social media content, scheduling posts, and finding the right partners for collaborations.
So, good planning means fewer hiccups and more room for creativity. It helps you improve last year’s strategies, makes you feel more relaxed, and shows your customers that your business is solid and well-prepared. They’ll trust you for the next back-to-school season! 😊
9 Ink-Credible Back-To-School Marketing Ideas You Need to Implement
After reviewing the basics, it’s time to finally jump into the best back-to-school ideas to start your campaign on time and, most importantly, skyrocket your sales during this profitable period. 🚀📅 🤓
@placeitapp Check out these valuable #backtoschool marketing tips that will make your campaigns stand out from the crowd! #backtoschoolideas #marketingtips #marketing #backtoschooltips #capcut ♬ original sound –
🤑 1. Offer Discounts
Offering discounts can attract teachers, students, and parents to your shop, especially during the back-to-school season. Discounts are powerful tools to drive sales, create demand, attract new customers, retain current ones, and outshine competitors. Here are some tips to consider before launching your discounts:
- Establish a Customer Base: Only offer discounts once you have a regular customer base to avoid losses.
- Set Clear Guidelines: Ensure the discount criteria are clear for you and your customers.
- Limit Discounted Items: Apply discounts to a few select items rather than the entire back-to-school collection. Focus on items you want to promote.
- Promote Your Discounts: Display discounts on your homepage, social media platforms, and email newsletters to increase visibility.
- Creative Discount Tactics: Instead of a flat 15% discount, reduce the original price by 5% and offer an additional 10% discount. It creates the perception of a more significant discount.
✨ Common Types of Discounts:
- Buy one, get one free
- Percentage-based discounts
- Dollar amount discounts
- Free shipping
- Bundle discounts
- Clearance and seasonal discounts
- Flash sales
- Volume discounts
You can use custom back-to-school ads to promote your discounts on social media. Keep in mind with Placeit by Envato, you can create stunning ads in seconds with super cool templates such as product demos.
🍎 2. Partner With Schools
Partnering with local schools is a fantastic way to promote your brand. Here are some ways to collaborate:
- Sponsorships: Sponsor schools or their sports and cultural teams to promote your brand and show community commitment. Donations of school supplies or a portion of your sales can also demonstrate your support for education.
- Special Discounts: Create back-to-school bundles and offer special discounts to students and teachers. Communicate these offers through school newsletters, printed bulletins, and social media.
💡 Don’t have a school logo yet? Check out thousands of cool school logo designs and create your own now. Accompany your new logo with great school campaign slogans.
🚀 3. Launch Social Media Campaigns
Social media platforms are essential for creating back-to-school campaigns. Highlight your products on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, showcasing their benefits and functionality for different audiences.
Tips for Success:
- Use relevant keywords and hashtags to increase visibility.
- Offer exclusive discounts to your followers.
- Write witty, back-to-school captions and SEO-optimized descriptions.
🌟 Learn more about this with our SEO guides for Instagram and TikTok.
Create Interactive Content
Interactive content, like quizzes, polls, or sweepstakes, can boost engagement and promote your brand. It also helps you understand customer preferences and what they want to see and purchase from your site.
⭐ 4. Promote Bundle Deals
Create bundle deals that include two or more of your products at a discounted price. This can encourage customers to purchase more and boost your sales. Pair products that complement each other, like notebooks, stickers, and pens.
You can also create themed bundles such as “Basic Back-to-School Kit,” “Teacher’s Favorite,” and “Lunchbox Time.” These themed bundles give buyers a clear idea of what to expect and make shopping easier for them.
Use Placeit’s social media bundle templates to promote these bundles and create consistent content that aligns with your brand. Share posts about your products, promos, and even user-generated images! 📸
🚌 5. Host In-Store Events
Hosting in-store events, like product demos or special promotions, can attract potential customers and increase brand awareness. To draw even more customers, create a flyer or poster announcing that every visitor will receive a freebie—something small but valuable for the back-to-school season.
If you have an online shop, you can host a live stream to showcase your products, answer questions, and offer exclusive online deals!
✏️ 6. Craft Back-to-School Gift Guides
Create a back-to-school gift guide highlighting your products to help customers find what they need and promote your brand. Make sure to create guides for all your sub-niches, as their interests and needs vary. For example, parents of kindergarteners will have different needs than teachers.
You can create downloadable PDFs, upload this content to your blog, or add an FAQ section to your website. This ensures that all the information is clear and accessible. 📚
💡 7. Collaborate With Influencers
Partnering with influencers in the education or parenting niche can increase your brand’s exposure and build trust with potential customers. You don’t need to spend a lot—reach out to micro or nano influencers or user-generated content creators, who are often more relatable.
Before reaching out, make a list of your goals and identify the features and values you share with the influencers to ensure a cohesive message. Establish clear guidelines to cover all details and plan carefully for the best results! 🚀
🌈 8. Create Unique Packaging
Create unique packaging for your products that stands out on store shelves and catches the eye of potential customers. Custom packaging not only looks fantastic in-store but also makes online deliveries extra unique. Adding cute free stickers can elevate your customers’ experience even more!
Use our patterns to create beautiful designs that are vivid, colorful, and related to school themes like pencils, stars, happy faces, apples, books, paper planes, and school supplies. Learn how to design your patterns with Placeit by reading Use Pattern Templates to Enhance Your POD Store Creations.
Don’t forget to browse our beautiful and massive packaging mockups to start right away!
📚 9. Send a Back-to-School Newsletter
Email marketing is a great way to boost your back-to-school campaign. Design a special newsletter featuring your deals, sneak peeks, promo codes, new launches, early access for loyal customers, and back-to-school tips. Include recommendations based on their recent purchases and other relevant content.
To make your newsletter stand out, make sure to include eye-catching photos and mockups, which you can design with Placeit!
Last Words
The back-to-school season can be a lucrative time for brand owners. By implementing these marketing ideas, you can increase brand awareness, attract new customers, and boost sales. Ready to get an A+? 🎉📚🚀
✨🎃✏️ Come in and get ready to boost your seasonal sales! Check out these 2024 Halloween Marketing Ideas to scare up your creativity!
