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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent information for frugal promotion and marketing, March 1, 2009
Although A Retailer's Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions is geared toward retail sellers, it gives EXCELLENT information on how to drive your business--be it brick and mortar or self propelled. Carolyn Howard-Johnson has many years of success managing both.
If you are a writer, this will help you think about your work as a business and help you know ways to get the word out about what you do. If you are a card shop, this will help you know how to FRUGALLY market and give value-added service to your customers and suppliers.
No man is an island--neither is your business. A Retailer's Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions shows you how to connect to others and increase your profits in this nasty market we are in. The information in this book is well worth it's cost. In fact, it's an investment in good FRUGAL business practices.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Frugal Lady Does It Again!, July 7, 2009
While copyediting Carolyn's book, A Retailer's Guide to Frugal In-store Promotion, I enjoyed her sharing of experience and information regarding promoting a retail business. Even though the majority of my freelance writing business transactions and promotion is conducted on the Internet, I still found the advice given in this book useful because some of the ideas translate to any type of business. The events that a bricks and mortar store conducts are meant to attract customers to a particular location, at a certain time, for the purpose of making a purchase.
The bottom line of any business is to make a profit and to do so as frugally as possible--an art Carolyn has perfected and shared in all her books. Ms. Howard-Johnson liberally gives tips for:
* Getting clear on the basics of event planning
* Branding a store identity
* Planning for success by setting goals to bring greater results from promotional efforts
* Treating customers right
* Promoting and cross-promoting in every square inch of space available
From tried and true promotional events such as windshield flyers, phone calls, and old-fashioned thank you notes, to newer technology such as blogging, showcasing products on a Web site, or using social marketing, A Retailer's Guide to Frugal In-store Promotion contains up-to-date information for today's retail business owner. Do you know how to turn leftover stock and unsold items into money makers? You will once you've read this book! The plain and simple conversational text will make you feel like Carolyn is sitting across the room from you sharing her experience and wisdom. The appendix includes a sample of a media release and a blog entry. How's that for easy?
Regardless of the size of your event or business, you'll glean helpful tips for creating signs and displays, categorizing merchandize, partnering with local stores, and networking online. If you own a retail business, you will be doing yourself a favor and saving time and money by reading A Retailer's Guide to Frugal In-store Promotion before your next event.
Yvonne Perry
Freelance Editor & Owner of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Frugal Retailing at it's best! A bible for the small business owner!, May 24, 2009
I love Carolyn Howard-Johnson's Frugal Book Series. The first two (The Frugal Book Editor and The Frugal Book Promoter) are must-haves for any self-published author! Her latest is geared toward retailers, primarily independent business owners, but I jumped at the chance to review it only because I knew I'd find something I could use toward my own book marketing and indeed I did.
The first thing you have to know about Carolyn is that she demands organization. She's a note taker, a list maker, and a thank you card writer. And she doesn't assume everyone has a computer to help them do it. A lot of her philosophy is based on the old-fashioned file keeping and letter writing techniques that have worked for businesses for years. We've just forgotten about them! Carolyn also appreciates a nice piece of stationery and even devotes a page in her book strictly to note writing.
Leaving no stone unturned, for the business owner Carolyn's book discusses how to capture a mailing list and cater it to each individual customer's needs, how to keep customers in your store longer by offering satellite services (packing, shipping, stamps, and the like), how to use your public bathroom or waiting area as advertising space, how to organize a yearly calendar, how to gain repeat business with reward cards and referral programs, how to host in-store contests, and much much more.
For the author in me, I loved the section on how to build a contact list. Most of us think of a mailing list as being a name, street address, and zip code. Carolyn takes it a step further and says you should try to obtain email addresses, birthdays, and even anniversaries. Don't categorize them by zip codes, but rather by what aspects of your business each person likes best. For business owners, record what each customer bought or browsed. Use these features of your contact list to help build and promote future events. Also add media contacts to your list to help you promote those events. Having your staff ask for this information is the most logical way to get it. For the writer at home with a computer, they might opt to offer a newsletter which visitors can sign up for on a blog or website. They might offer small freebies to their readers for signing up.
Bag stuffers, post cards, phone greetings and recordings, window signs, viral marketing, coupons, and themed give-aways, there are numerous sections in the book to help you plan and promote events to build a customer base. And I found a list of at least two dozen ideas that could easily be applied to an author event like a book signing or club reading. For instance, offering customers something free at check out. Carolyn even plugs Vistaprint for marketing materials. Authors could print up bookmarks to give away with each purchase, or give readers several to take with them to give to friends and family. Carolyn mentions a bowl of candies with invitations tied to them sitting in a waiting area. Authors could use themed candy and tie business cards to each piece advertising their online blog or newsletter subscription. Carolyn loves gift wrapping services as an added perk for customers! Why not offer free gift wrapping at your author table for readers buying multiple copies for gifts?
If you are a business owner, big or small, or you are an author and just looking for new ways to build readership and boost sales, then there's definitely something in this book for you. There are ideas that can be developed into almost any type of retailer or book event. If I owned my own bookstore or business of any kind, Carolyn's book would be my bible! From maximizing floor space and slow sellers to using your entire community and fellow organizations as promotional targets, A Retailer's Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions covers it all and does so in a matter-of-fact way which anyone can relate to.
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