Gift Basket Advertising - How to Sell Gift Baskets

With all the talk about viral marketing and networking these days it is easy to forget that it is good old fashioned advertising that helps a business grow a solid customer base and ensure that a steady stream of new enquiries are coming in over time. To be successful you need to know how to sell gift baskets and advertising is still one of the best ways to do so.

To make sure that you get the most out of your advertising budget make sure that your advertising is as targeted as possible. Test out a variety of advertising methods and see which ones produce the best return on investment. If you ask each customer how they found you or use other methods to track enquiries from the advertising that generated them then you will soon learn what is cost effective and what is not.

A great way to start out is to look at some of the methods that other well established gift basket companies are using. Copy their methods but don't imitate their campaigns too closely as you are better off with original advertising design and copy that will stand out.

Let's examine some of the gift basket advertising and promotion methods that you can use to promote your products and services when you start your gift basket business.

The Business Owner

One of the best advertisements for your gift basket business will be you, as the owner. You should view everyone that you talk to as a potential customer but you don't have to be too heavy in the way that you push your products on to them. When meeting new people, wait until the inevitable "what do you do?" comes up in the conversation and then let them know about your gift basket service. If they are interested then give them your card and let them know that you do a 10% discount for friends. They will undoubtedly need to buy a gift basket at some stage and may remember you.

Signage

If you are operating out of commercial premises then you can benefit by displaying signage in a prominent place on your buildings exterior. Check this out before signing a lease. If you run a home business it may also be possible to use signage to advertise your business. You must confirm that this is allowed though as some residential areas have ordinances that forbid advertising signage.

Community Events

Fairs and other community events can offer you a great chance to showcase your products. People may not need a gift basket right away but you can aim to make them aware of your company so that you can secure their business in the future. If you sell baskets made up of non-perishable items then people will often buy one in advance as they know that they will be stuck for a gift for someone sometime in the near future (usually within the next few weeks or months). To really get some good publicity at an event you can always offer one of your larger, more impressive gift baskets to be auctioned off for charity or used as a prize in a charity raffle.

Word of Mouth Advertising

When customers talk to their friends and associates and recommend your business to them they are helping you by sending clients your way. The cost of acquiring these clients is absolutely free. Work on encouraging 'word of mouth' advertising by making your customers experience with you so unique, interesting and positive that they can't help but talk to people about you. If you can't get them talking about you voluntarily then you can always offer a reward program for customers that refer a lot of new business to you.

Advertising a Gift Basket Business Online

This area is very broad and includes a variety of methods for driving traffic to your gift basket business website.

Getting listed in the right directories is helpful as consumers will sometimes search for a directory of gift basket suppliers in order to quickly look over some of their options

Pay-per-click advertising with search engines like Google offers you the chance to have your business advertisement come up alongside the search results for any keywords that you like. So if somebody living in Sacramento for example typed in 'Sacramento gift baskets' your advertisement would come up if you had chosen those specific keywords.

It is possible to get free traffic by optimizing your website for the search engines although you will probably need extensive knowledge or expert help to rank well. Also try to exchange links or banner advertising with similar businesses in your area that are not in direct competition with you.

Business Directories

Directories like The Yellow Pages are still often the first place that people look when searching for a business. This is particularly true with people in the older demographics who aren't used to using the Internet for search. Effective 'Yellow Pages' advertising can make or break a business so you must do all that you can to make sure that your advertisement stands out and is the first one that people call.

Community Notice Boards

Posting a flyer on a notice board is usually free and is an approach that can work well, particularly in smaller communities. Always ask for permission first.

Vehicle Advertising

As a gift basket business owner you will undoubtedly be spending a lot of time driving around the market area that you serve. Getting an advertising wrap fitted to your vehicle with your branding and contact details on it only has a small up front cost and can give you years of free advertising.

Local Publications

Newspaper advertising can still work well if you can purchase advertising space for a reasonable price. A local newspaper may also do an article on your business if you request it and have something newsworthy to offer.

Remember that advertising is usually more effective when done in campaigns as it usually takes a number of views before your message will sink in to the viewers mind. For this reason you should always run advertisements for each method continually for a certain time period instead of giving each method a 'one off shot'.

Advertising is a key part of a gift basket business's marketing strategy and a considerable budget should be allocated for this important purpose.

Additional Articles -

How to Market Gift Baskets - Our Gift Basket Marketing Plan

How to Price Gift Baskets - A Gift Basket Pricing Strategy

Selling Gift Baskets to Corporate Clients

Gift Basket Dropshipping - Becoming a Dropshipper or a Vendor

Gift Basket Business Cards