Gift cards are a great way to boost sales, attract new customers, and track consumer habits. They are an essential tool for extending your businesses visibility and enhancing revenue with minimal effort. Sure, as a business person, you probably already knew this; what you really want to know is how to get started. We have a few ideas!
Is it really worth the trouble of launching a gift card campaign? Absolutely! Gift cards act as a great referral source and have proven to be an easy up-sell at the register year-round. Not to mention: 65% of gift card recipients spend an extra 38% beyond the value of the card, proving to be an invaluable revenue-boosting tool.
Here are three quick steps you can take to launch a successful gift card campaign:
1. Keep Design in Mind to Boost Physical Promotion
In the age-old debate of face value vs. reloadable cards, we recommend the latter. Face value cards can make ordering and stocking a little more complicated, as you will need to balance tracking consumer habits with up-selling strategy. The other conundrum associated with face value cards is that they can only be displayed behind the register in order to prevent theft; so, physical promotion might become limited.
It is also important to note that the gift card should be viewed as a tiny billboard carried around in your customers’ wallet, given to new customers as a gift—a prime opportunity for marketing! Do not settle for a generic design or template. It is worth the extra effort to partner with a trusted company or graphic designer to ensure that your logo is front and center, eye-catching, and immediately identifiable.
2. Prioritize Social Media Promotions
Social media has revolutionized how businesses connect with customers and strategize sales promotions. It is imperative to launching a successful gift card campaign that Facebook, Instagram, and email campaigns are planned and deployed optimally. It might feel like a lot to wrap your head around, but our strategy is “play it cool, act naturally!”
After all, the point of social media is to authentically connect, therefore the most successful social media promotions are those that occur organically. Try seamlessly adding in a quick tag, “Gift cards also available for purchase!” with a link, to be included with the usual social media update.
Other ideas: Add a permanent link to purchase a gift card in all promotional emails. Even better—offer special promotions like an extra $10 for every $100 gift card purchase to every newsletter subscriber so that you honor your loyal patrons.
Don’t forget to consider timing as you launch your gift card campaign! Diligently promoting gift card sales via social media during the holidays allows businesses to reap the benefits during the post-holiday shopping slump.
3. Choose a Trustworthy Partner
As you juggle the numerous responsibilities of managing a business, we understand that you likely do not have the time nor the energy to spend on planning the details of a gift card campaign. You need a reliable industry expert to guide you through the decision-making process of designing and ordering the right gift cards for your purposes. Card Market offers gift card solutions, including design, promotion, and fulfillment—a one-stop shop to begin your gift card campaign!
As you can see, gift cards are an essential business tool to gain community visibility, attract new customers, sustain base customers, and boost sales. The best part? An effectively designed gift card with a strong promotional campaign is easily attainable with the right resources.
Card Market can help your business plan and execute a gift card campaign that is right for you. Contact us today to schedule a consultation!