Summer is right around the corner, which means it is time to spruce up your bookstore, rearrange your displays, and get ready for the summer marketing season. Have you planned your children’s story times yet? If not, make sure you read our story time tips here!
At Cardinal Rule Press, we’re always game for helping you think outside of the box. Here are our marketing recommendations to help make your summer a success.
Display Summer Bridge Books Prominently
Summer Bridge workbooks are a great way to help prevent the summer learning slide. They’re not on the radar for children, but parents are likely to purchase these tools if they can find them!
Pro tip: Consider displaying the benefits of summer learning to entice more people to purchase.
Read the article If You Build It, They Will Come (to Your Bookstore!) for more marketing tips!
Curate Summer Beach Reads
Is there anything better than a summer beach read? We here at CRP love a great piece of literature just as much as something fluffy. Highlight your favorite summer reads with a shelf note card or make a full display.
Recommend Required Summer Reading
Many schools require their students to read specific books to be read over the summer. Increase your sales (and parent appreciation) by making these books easy to find. If you have the space to pull together a display, perfect. Otherwise, find out the book lists from the schools and make sure you’ve got copies of the list available at the register.
Pro tip: Let everyone know you’ve got the required book lists by hanging up flyers by your front door, near your bathroom and in your children’s book area.
A Summer Reading Challenge
A summer reading challenge is a great way to build community, increase sales and get more people reading. At the end of the day, that’s what we all want, right?
Here is our favorite summer reading challenge for adults:
- A book from written the year you were born
- A book by your favorite author
- A book recommended by a bookstore staff member
- A book you can finish in a weekend
- A classic you’ve been meaning to read
Goodreads Is A Great Resource
One of the hardest parts about reading is figuring out what to read next. Goodreads is a great resource to help customers save a list of books they would like to read, discover their next great read and connect with others.
Pro tip: Make sure to remind your customers that you can help them get their hands on the books from their Goodreads lists! Want our Goodreads guide? Click here.
What will you try this year? We can’t wait to see! Snap a photo on tag us on Instagram @cardinalrulepress.
For more tips, tricks, and helpful resources, make sure and subscribe to the Cardinal Rule Press Newsletter HERE.
Author Bio
NJ Rongner is a digital marketing expert who consumes books like she does air. She loves marketing, books, coffee and living in MA (although not necessarily in that order).
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