Gift Basket Business Marketing

One of the most important aspects of any business is marketing and the gift basket business is no different. No matter how great your product is you will not be in business for long if you don't have a strategy, methods and systems for getting those products to the consumers who are looking for them. Many businesses fail because they focus too intensely on product development instead of on sales and marketing.

Here are some ideas to help you put together a marketing section as part of your gift basket business plan.

Product Packaging

The first step in developing a gift basket business marketing plan is to take the results of your research and put together a portfolio featuring your product line so that you have something to offer for sale. If you have walk-in clients you can have gift basket models or 'mockups' on display so that clients have an idea of what to expect. Depending on the kind of baskets that you do then photographs may be a better option as product models with plastic fruit can start to look pretty dull after a while. If you are doing business predominantly online then professional looking photos are essential and you should have a range taken to feature on your website. Consider compiling photos into a brochure or album so that you have something presentable to show clients when you have face-to-face meetings.

Go after the Right Niches

When you start a gift basket business it may not be practical to offer a full product range in your first year of business. Focus on a few niches and make sure that your products are the best in that area, whether they are baby shower baskets or organic food baskets. When doing your research you should try to identify niches that are under-served in your area or niches that you have a competitive advantage in (possibly due to specialist skills or relationships with suppliers).

Marketing a Brand

Establish a brand for your gift basket business that you can build over time into something that customers immediately recognize and mentally associate with quality and reliability. This will gradually make your marketing burden much lighter. If you get your brand out there on your gift baskets, advertising and signage, and you then back up your brands promise with quality products and services you will be building a very valuable company asset. Recognition of your brand by customers will make it easier to sell baskets and easier to charge a premium price for them. Try to create a brand that is refreshing and unique in the market in order to stand out.

Advertising Gift Baskets

Running effective advertising campaigns is a major part of a companies marketing effort. Try as many advertising methods as your marketing budget will allow for and test results to see which ones are cost effective and which are not.

Word of Mouth Marketing and Referrals

In the gift basket business you will be relying on repeat customers so to keep them coming back you have to ensure that you have great products and offer great service. If you do you will not only retain your existing customers but they will spread the word and refer their friends and associates to your business as well.

Remember that there is no room for error in this business as people are buying your products for important events. Customers expect that you will get their order right, it will look great and that it will be delivered on time. Anything less than perfect products and services will strongly encourage customers to try another business next time they need a gift.

But there is much more to 'word of mouth' marketing than just having good products and high service standards.  Think of other ways to make your customer's experience with your business and your gift baskets so interesting, unique and memorable that they won't be able to resist telling friends about you.

Networking

Try to network with other businesses owners. They may be able to sell your products on a commission or you may agree to cross-promote each others products. Try to get close to other businesses in the 'gift' industry such as florists and gift shops. Bear in mind that woman are twice as likely as men to order a gift basket so also target businesses popular with women such as hair salons and beauty spas. Depending on the gift basket niches that you are catering to, having relationships with other businesses such as pet stores, wedding shops and baby supply stores may be beneficial. A great way to meet other local businesses is to join your local Chamber of Commerce.

Drop Shippers

Selling through drop shippers can be a great way to promote your gift baskets. Drop Shippers will usually set up a website promoting your products and when they take orders they give you the details for delivery, they take payment and then they forward the money on to you, less their commission. Drop shipping works well if you want to focus on the practical, basket creation side of the business and don't want to get too heavily involved with sales and marketing.

On the other hand, if your strengths are in marketing then you can look at becoming a drop shipper or other ways that you could outsource gift basket production.

Marketing to your Existing Clients

It is much easier to sell to customers that have already used your services than to go out and find new customers. You can easily market to your existing customer base by encouraging everyone that buys one of your products to join a mailing list in order to receive discounts and promotions. A newsletter or email sent out just before a holiday such as Valentine's Day can work wonders for your sales.

Marketing is undoubtedly the most important aspect of starting and running a profitable business. Set out a solid gift basket business marketing plan that can give you the sales volume and market reputation that you need to grow a successful business over the long term.

For a free sample of a gift basket business marketing plan and to learn more about a software program that can help you to prepare a professional marketing plan click here.