Back-to-school season is underway. Students will soon be flocking back to classes and parents will soon be flocking to Amazon to stock up on essentials for the upcoming school year.
If you sell products that fall into the back-to-school category, it’s time to get your Amazon store BTS ready.
Why should sellers prepare for back-to-school?
Back-to-school is the second largest retail holiday in the US, with about 60% of all Q3 sales coming from back-to-school shoppers.
BTS shopping is done by everyone, from parents and children to educators and caregivers.
Although inflation is on top of shoppers’ minds, customers aren’t cutting back on their back-to-school spending. In fact, 2022 back-to-school spending is at par with 2021’s record-breaking back-to-school spending. NRF predicts that BTS spending for the year 2022 will hit nearly $37 billion, so it’s clear that US shoppers are ready to shell out big bucks to stock up on BTS supplies for their kids.
Source: NRF
Popular back-to-class products are: computers, furniture, books, electronics, apparel and stationery. If you are looking to freshen up your offering this back-to-school season, make sure to include products from the above list.
How is back-to-school 2022 different?
The global pandemic that led to the shutdown of schools, colleges, offices and pretty much everything is finally coming to an end. This year marks a return to in-person learning, so students will want to return to the school with a bang. Kids will need many supplies they might not have needed in the last two years. Items like lunchboxes, backpacks, shoes, clothes, water bottles, snacks, etc., will be in high demand once more.
When is the right time to kick start back-to-school promotions?
School start time varies with each state, but it generally continues from early August to mid-September. Sellers should implement their back-to-school strategies from mid-July and end in late September.
If you are planning to target shoppers on all Amazon marketplaces, keep in mind that school starts on different dates in each country:
United States:Mid-July to mid-September, depending on the state
Canada:Early September
United Kingdom:August end or beginning of September
Spain: Mid-September
Germany:Late July or early September
France:Beginning of September
Italy:Beginning of September
New Zealand, Australia:January or February
Back-to-school selling tips for Amazon sellers
Back-to-school is an excellent opportunity to get over the post Prime Day sales slump and build a loyal customer base. Optimize your back-to-school shopping strategy with these winning BTS selling tips.
#1: Optimize your copy with relevant BTS keywords
Don’t rely on your current messaging. Tweak your product copy so it speaks directly to the parents, kids and educators. Make them understand how your product will help them with their new routine. Add back-to-school related keywords in your copy to increase visibility on searches like “back-to-school products” or “back-to-school supplies.
A study from The Rubicon Project states that about 60% of parents plan to use mobiles for back-to-school shopping. So optimizing your detail page and storefront for mobile is a no-brainer.
To get your listing ready for the back-to-school season and beyond, hire Amazon listing optimization services experts from eStore Factory.
#2: Hire mommy bloggers
Parents and kids are browsing for back-to-school supplies and discounts on social media. Rakuten Marketing, in a study, found that “Almost a third (30%) of parents are willing to spend more on an item of clothing for their child if it has been endorsed by an online influencer”.
There is no shortage of mom bloggers on social media; you can easily search around a bit and strike a partnership.
#3: Stack your store with back-to-school deals
Parents with multiple children will look for ways to save. According to Rakuten Advertising, 75% of the shoppers will look for coupons and deals for back-to-school shopping. Offering budget-friendly options will help you keep up with the competition and attract shoppers looking for affordable back-to-school supplies.
Most popular back-to-school discounts include: Percentage discounts, coupons and buy-one-get-one offers. Get help from our PPC consultants to create and schedule promotions and Lightning Deals for BTS.
#4: Bundle-related BTS products together
Bundling back-to-school products together is a convenient way to increase total order value. Sellers can use virtual bundles to package similar items together and give a special discount to appeal to shoppers looking to save money. We recommend bundling your most popular BTS items together to maximize sales.
Related post:Everything you need to know about Amazon virtual product bundles
#5: Retarget your Prime Day shoppers using Amazon DSP
If you have a DSP setup, use it for retargeting shoppers who viewed your product pages on Prime Day. DSP’s sophisticated targeting methods and in-market or lifestyle data will let you target by age or demographic for better campaign performance.
#6: Leverage social media
Social media is one of the best places to engage with parents and children looking to purchase back-to-school supplies. Run a BTS social media campaign by hosting fun contests and giveaways. Contests activate much more interest than regular social media posts. According to Outgrow, you can expect 64x more comments and 3.5x likes for contests compared to regular posts.
Here are some ideas for a successful social media campaign for BTS promotion:
- Social media promo code
- Photo competition
- Tag a friend contest
- Trivia
- Follower appreciation giveaway
#7: Email marketing
Send a heads up to the email list to know about your upcoming BTS sales. A punchy subject line, concise copy, clever graphics and a clear call to action are essential components to nail your emails.
To increase the success of your email marketing campaign, send a promo code. It will make your subscribers feel more special and increase the chances of them buying from you.
#8: Dress your creatives
Get into the spirit of this exciting and stressful season by adding BTS-related content on your Amazon storefront design, A+ Content and listing images. Adding a banner in your A+ Content or a listing dedicated to BTS can help you connect with your target audience. Your storefront can also feature a dedicated page for all your back-to-school merchandise.
If you have a blog on your website, share useful tips that can help parents get their kids ready for back to classes and show how your product can help with that. Offering helpful information – no strings attached – will definitely help you grab the shopper’s attention.
#9: Spruce up your advertising efforts
Like any other sale event, sellers must take their advertising efforts up a notch to get noticed. Here’s how you can use each of the three Sponsored Ad types to maximize sales in BTS season:
- Create Sponsored Brands campaign with a custom creative and tagline tailored for the BTS audience. You can either redirect the shoppers to the product detail page or a dedicated BTS page on your storefront.
- Create a Sponsored Brand video campaign using a video specifically created to promote BTS products. Show how your product fits in parents’, students’, or educators’ life.
- Create a dedicated Sponsored products campaign using back-to-school-related keywords.
- Use Sponsored Display to retarget shoppers who have checked your product or a similar product from your niche.
What if I don’t sell BTS products?
Back-to-school isn’t just for sellers selling notebooks and stationery.
Anything from backpacks to mousepads can be advertised, keeping in mind BTS shoppers. Show them how your products can fit in their school and college lives. If you are selling furniture, show them how convenient it is for a dorm room; if you are selling stationery, market your products as essential for any classroom.
Kellogg’s cereals aren’t exactly on the BTS shopping list, but their attempt to blend in is successful.
View this post on Instagram
Go beyond targeting supplies for kids. BTS is just as exhausting for parents and teachers. You can advertise a coffee mug or relaxing candle. Regardless of what you sell, if it fits in children’s or parent’s day-to-day life, it is worth advertising for.
Here are some of the products that can work best for your back-to-school campaigns: products that increase productivity, lunch boxes, notebooks, water bottles, hair accessories, gym bags, backpacks, stickers, pillow cases, blankets, mugs, tote bags, t-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, leggings, footwear, beanie, caps, lamps, clocks, desks, timers, headphones, organizing supplies, toys, books, bulletin, marker boards and more.
Class dismissed; now it’s time for homework
Follow the tips listed above to get the most of this lucrative yet highly neglected sales opportunity. Partner with a professional Amazon agency like eStore Factory to effectively hone your business strategy and scale your offerings. From optimizing your listings to managing your advertising campaigns, with our holistic Amazon FBA consulting services, we can manage all aspects of your back-to-school strategy.