It is the time of the year where kids swarm into schools and back-to-school shopping trends peak. This year is going to be a lot different. The coronavirus pandemic has forced schools into a delayed start.
Though most of the states are getting back to normal in some way, safety is still a big concern for schools considering in-person classes. Fall is the season most of the schools across the United States are considering to bring back students to their desks.
Well, there is a positive side to it. Retailers who have not prepared their digital marketing strategies for back-to-school shopping, here is a time window to capitalize.
Back-to-school shopping is big business. According to the NRF, back to school spending in 2019 topped $54.5 billion, or $976.78 per household. School supplies, books, and electronics – these are the items that account for the bulk of back-to-school shopping.
As an online merchant, back-to-school shopping is always an opportunity to win new customers and build long-term relationships with them. Still, there are some challenges you’ll need to overcome, beginning with the timing of campaigns.
Timing
Timing for back-to-school marketing is enormously complex for many reasons. The start of school varies by region. For this reason, back-to-school campaigns should be rolled out in phases. Let’s consider data from the past year to study the shopping peaks in different regions.
The coronavirus pandemic has added hurdles to the reopening days already, but that seems to be a positive sign for eCommerce retailers. Bloomberg News reported that fear of shortages have parents worried, and will begin their shopping earlier than ever.
For 84% of shoppers, Amazon Prime Day marks the launch of back-to-school shopping; however, that won’t be the case this year. Amazon has pushed back Prime Day due to the pandemic. Some say it won’t occur until sometime in September. This provides you with an excellent opportunity to capture some of those purchases.
The bottom line: Unlike the Holiday Season, which is set in stone, the lucrative back-to-school shopping season occurs in stages, and is geographically dependent.
What Parents Buy
In 2019, the NRF predicted that K-12 families would spend an average of $239.82 per household on clothing and accessories, $135.96 on shoes, and $203.44 on computers, calculators, and phones.
| Age Group | Products of Interest | Role in Purchase | Precipitation Purchase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Children (age 6 – 10) |
|
Influencer | School Prep |
| Tween |
|
Influencer |
|
| Teens |
|
Influencer/Purchaser |
|
| Coeds |
|
Influencer/Purchaser | Moving to School |
Where Parents Shop
According to NRF, K-12 families spend most of their back-to-school budget at department and discount stores such as Walmart and K-Mart, or online. Amazon, with its Prime Day, grabs a big chunk of the budget.
But as we said, parents may opt to avoid shopping in big box stores, and Amazon Prime Day appears to be in disarray, so back-to-school 2020 may be a unique opportunity for smaller retailers to win new customers.
In terms of college, the NRF predicts that most shopping will occur online, as 85% of college shoppers plan to take advantage of free shipping), followed by department and discount stores. College bookstores will be a primary source for many school supplies.
Strategies for Winning Back-to-School Sales
- Think mobile. The Deloitte 2019 Back-to-School Shopping Survey found that 60% of consumers plan on using smartphones for their shopping, while just 42% plan on using desktop or laptops. Mobile users rely on their phones to get pricing information, collect discounts, and obtain coupons or sale information. Therefore a mobile campaign is table stakes for winning new customers.
- Loyalty programs. Consider a loyalty program just for students, as Fit Small Business recommends. Rather than give away discounts, Fit Small Business recommends tactics such as holding an exclusive annual sale for loyalty members or offering tickets to educational events in exchange for points or referrals.
- Smart content. Help parents with kids experiencing big changes — starting kindergarten, entering high school or going off the college — with shopping guides and checklists. Not only will this help you boost AOV, it can also be part of a smart SEM campaign as parents Google, “what does my child need for high school.”
Don’t Hold Back on Your Back-to-School Marketing
It’s tempting for business owners to assume that it’s wise to cut the marketing budget during a recession but the data says otherwise. Do you know what these 13 massive companies — including GE, GM and IBM — have in common? They all launched during an economic downturn. When no one else is advertising, there’s room for smaller and new retailers to be noticed and grow. Filling the void in advertising was how Post Cereal was able to grow its brand during the Great Depression.
Right now, we have a unique opportunity: Advertising is cheaper now as major players stopped their campaigns. Think about it, the world’s biggest advertisers — airlines, travel, hospitality, department stores, sports franchises — have pulled their marketing budgets, leaving a void.
On top of that, fear of crowded spaces means consumers are spending more time online. This is your opportunity.
How Ziffity Can Help
Ziffity has considerable expertise in digital marketing and can help you design, launch, and execute your back-to-school campaigns.
Our digital marketing campaigns are the last mile runners in getting your eCommerce store, and brand story conveyed to your target audience. From organic search to content marketing and paid ad campaigns, our strategies are aligned to the four fundamental principles of marketing: attract, engage, convert, and sustain.
- Organic Search
- Ad Campaigns
- Social Media mgmt
- Mobile Ads
- Content Marketing
- Email Campaigns
Ready to get started? Get in touch today.
