Foreword Online is proud of its long history of helping stores promote themselves to succeed and help students save. That said, social media can really change a lot in a short amount of time. Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter redesign their users' profiles, adjust their algorithms to make it harder for businesses to reach prospective customers without paying for advertising and even do some seemingly minor things that can really change the way a business promotes itself, like change the optimized size of their profile images.
Since those things can also change how effective our marketing materials remain over time, there comes a point where we need to update things to not only adhere to the new best practices for social media marketing, but also tweak the message to stay topical and appealing to today's college students. Here are the latest free marketing materials you can use to promote your store during rush, buyback and the times in between, all optimized for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and customizable printed posters!
#Goals
If you glance at social media, college-age students are very goal-oriented. Not only does this apply to their education and career aspriations, but they have goals for the day-to-day things in life: meals, fashion, friend groups and relationships.These are often expressed on twitter with the sometimes tongue-in-cheek hashtag #goals. But there's one common goal that all students have: saving money on their textbooks. Use the #goals marketing materials to show your customers you're there to help them succeed — without breaking the bank — with your readily-available inventory of used and rental titles.
#Shelfie
It's become commonplace for the book-lovers of Instagram and Twitter to show off the titles in their ever-growing libraries by using the hashtag #shelfie. You've got some great books for sale, so why not get in on the trend and showcase your lower-cost inventory with these images?
Assemble Your Books
It should be no surprise that the wave of blockbuster superhero movies are insanely popular. When students are stuck paying high prices for the materials they need to succeed in class, they could use a hero themselves. Save the day and promote your rush prices with these super materials.
Buy Local
The Buy Local Movement has taken off in recent years as a way to support and stimulate your local economy while resisting the notion that shopping with big box retailers is unavoidable and the only way to get a good deal. While it may not always feel like it, your store is very much part of a local community: your campus. Use these materials to showcase how buying from your store supports campus activities and student scholarships, while selling books back to your store at the end of the term ensures more students can buy affordable used options in the future.
#nofilter
Another hashtag popularized by Instagram, "#nofilter" denotes that a particularly good-looking selfie or colorful landscape was not augmented by one of Instagram's many built-in filter editing options. Show that your store doesn't need to use deceptive filters to make its offerings look good with this marketing kit.
Sellback is Coming
Fantasy is in now, thanks in large part to the popularity of "Game of Thrones." Get students hyped for the upcoming seventh season and your buyback with these images.
We Love Books
You probably can't make it too far for too long in the college retail industry without a love of books. In order to keep your used inventory up and meet demand for next term, you probably love buying books back, too. And when students realize that by keeping their materials on campus they can help their classmates out next term, they'll love your buyback as well!
We Want You
The Uncle Sam recruitment posters were eyecatching for a reason. Tell your students you want them to participate in your buyback and get more money for their books in hand.
