Let’s face it, 2020 has been a difficult year in a lot of ways. When the COVID-19 pandemic first made news and we realized we’d need to lock down and stay at home, we all hoped that the pandemic would be short-lived.
Since that hasn’t been the case, it’s important to acknowledge the reality of marketing in the existing climate. People are weary of being at home. They’re yearning for a return to the way things used to be. If you want to market your printables effectively, you must think outside of the box – and pay attention to what shoppers want.
With that in mind, here are 6 creative ways to market your printables to your pandemic-weary audience.
#1: Focus on Pandemic-Related Needs
The first thing I recommend is thinking about what your customers need and want in their present situation. To illustrate what I mean, let’s use educational printables as an example.
A lot of parents are feeling overwhelmed at the thought of another school year with kids at home and engaged in distance learning. Some parents live in areas where schools have reopened but may not feel comfortable sending their kids back to school. They need practical tools to help them cope with home schooling.
Your printables can be the solution – but you need to market them the right way. Focus on what parents and students need. For example, you might market your elementary grade printables by emphasizing that they’ll keep kids engaged and interested while parents work from home.
#2: Make Shopping Convenient
Stand-alone products are still selling but a lot of pandemic-weary shoppers are looking for bargains. It’s important to keep that in mind. Some of the people in your target audience may be struggling financially and you can help them by adding value to your products or making them a little more affordable.
One option that I love is creating value bundles of printables. You can create bundles in a variety of ways, but here are some examples:
- Bundle educational printables at the same grade level
- Bundle kids’ printables with related printables for parents
- Bundle products that you normally sell individually – such as party invitations or decorations – into themed bundles for easier shopping
The benefit of bundling is that you’ll be creating convenience for shoppers while also increasing sales for yourself. People may be less likely to buy multiple products if they need to search and choose them individually. Even if you offer bundle pricing, you can still come out ahead.
#3: Update Your Keywords
The next marketing tip related to keywords. Too many online sellers choose keywords once and forget them, but that’s not a good idea. Changing teams require updated search techniques. In other words, the way that people search has changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
One thing to keep in mind is that people may be searching for pandemic-specific solutions. I’ve noticed an uptick in the number of products that are designed to help people work from home or cope with distance learning. It’s impossible to shop online now without finding products that you never would have found a year ago. Fashionable face masks are the perfect example.
Think about the products your customers want and why they want them. Then, do some targeted keyword research and choose updated keywords that will help them find your products. Make sure to use those keywords in your product descriptions on Etsy and in your social media posts.
#4: Use Pandemic-Related Hashtags
People may be weary of the pandemic but that doesn’t mean they’re not in need of printables to help them cope with its realities. You can help them find your printables by using hashtags that are related to the pandemic and the problems it has created.
Some examples of hashtags that might be useful include:
- #distancelearning
- #workfromhome
- #homeoffice
- #socialdistancing
Using these hashtags and variations on them will help you cater to people who are looking for problem-solving printable products. Remember that you shouldn’t use more than two or three hashtags at most.
#5: Offer Discounts and Coupons
I already mentioned product bundling but there’s another way you can appeal to budget-conscious shoppers who are trying to save money during the pandemic. Creating discount codes and coupons can make your products more affordable – and help you to stand out from your competitors.
In terms of how to promote your coupons, you may want to send out a coupon code to your mailing list or via your social media accounts. Promoting a Facebook post, Tweet, or Pin can help you get the word out. You may also want to consider making your discount code shareable to get your current followers to recommend your products or shop to their friends.
#6: Have a Contest
Your customers may be tired of the pandemic, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t have fun with your marketing. One way to do it is to host a contest that asks your social media followers to highlight the creative ways they’ve used your printables to cope with pandemic stress.
User-generated content is great because it’s free. If you ask your followers to post images of how they’ve used your educational printables or planners, you should create a special hashtag and ask people to use it when they post. Then, you can share the content people post.
Make sure to create clear rules for the contest and stick to them. One of the things I like to do is to offer multiple ways to enter. For example, you get one entry when you share your image on your feed and use the hashtag. Then, you can get a second one by sharing the initial post with the contest rules and information, and a third one by Tweeting about the contest.
Conclusion
Marketing during a pandemic poses some challenges. The 6 tips I’ve listed here can help you to connect with pandemic-weary shoppers and sell your printables to them.
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