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Grow Nebraska Lunch and Learn

Grow Nebraska Lunch and Learn. Marketing Outside the Box With Julie Geiger, Owner Prairie Point Junction Quilt Shop, Cozad, Nebraska. Marketing Outside the Box. Julie will share strategies that enabled her to expand a small-town Nebraska quilt shop to reach a nationwide audience.

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Grow Nebraska Lunch and Learn

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  1. Grow Nebraska Lunch and Learn Marketing Outside the Box With Julie Geiger, Owner Prairie Point Junction Quilt Shop, Cozad, Nebraska

  2. Marketing Outside the Box Julie will share strategies that enabled her to expand a small-town Nebraska quilt shop to reach a nationwide audience. Learn easy, low-budget ways to market your business by capitalizing on your specific areas of expertise and networking with your target market.

  3. How do customers find you? Website: Is URL (web address) easy to find/remember/spell? Register more than one domain name to point to your website. Example www.prairiepointjunction and www.woolfeltcentral.com

  4. Start promoting with existing customers: Put web address on all packaging and promotional materials. Use newsletter, postcards, bag stuffers, e-mails, Facebook, etc to let your existing customers know about your site. Encourage sharing info about your business on social media.

  5. Network to expand your reach: • Join local Chamber of Commerce: • Opportunities to reach their membership • Utilize their publications and social media • Attend social functions • Join your industry’s trade organizations: • Network with similar professionals • Customer referrals • Develop joint events • Join professional organizations: • Grow Nebraska • Local Leadership groups • Community Organizations

  6. Be the expert in your field: • Offer to write a column or feature for various publications: • Small newspapers • Local insurance or utility companies • Special interest publications • Trade publications

  7. Be a celebrity: • Utilize media to share your expertise: • Appear on local TV, many have morning shows, etc • Create newsworthy message: New product, Interesting use of your product, Milestone or upcoming event • Create You Tube videos • Invite to visit your business • Virtual tour • Demonstration on use of your product • Showcase new product • Embed short videos on your website

  8. Be a teacher: • Share your expertise: • Host a demonstration day • Teach a class for community college, church groups, young mom’s groups, senior center • Work with groups such as Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, 4-H, Children’s Museum or Afterschool Programs • Participate in community education days, school special events, festivals, home shows, conferences

  9. Be social: • Share on a regular basis on social media • Watermark your photos so that when they are shared your brand stays with the photo • Post when new products arrive or are released • Announce when you ship something or somewhere unique • Shout-out when you see your product out and about • Showcase customers using your product and tag them in posts to boost sharing • Pose questions to encourage interaction and feedback • Use hash-tags to increase search-ability (Example: #grownebraska)

  10. Share your passion: • Offer samples of your products • Perhaps promotional pricing for business wanting to offer gifts to their clients • Free samples in swag bags for special events • Samples or informational fliers in Welcome to Town type of gift bags • Cross-promote with other businesses (Offer to trade a door prize gift basket with another business) • Cross-merchandise with another business (Quilt shop displays the Coffee shop’s holiday gift basket in our tablerunner/apron display, the Coffee shop displays one of our runners in her shop).

  11. Create positive press: • Apply for awards/recognition in your field • Sponsor a team, contest, award at fair • Host a charity event • Be sure to let press know about your milestones and accomplishements

  12. Create an event: • Create something unique to showcase not only your business, but also your community • Quilts Around the Block • Taste of Cozad • Nebraska Quilt Shop Hop • Participate in existing events: • Nebraska Tourism Passport Program • Junk Jaunt • Grow Nebraska Events

  13. Network with bloggers: • Seek out blogs that match your target demographic • Offer to do product giveaways on their blog. (Tip: Enter giveaway by visiting your website and then comment on the blog post about their favorite “something” from your site. Example: Favorite flavor of popcorn, scent of candle, type of soup mix) • Provide samples of your product for review. (Be careful about full disclosure policies)

  14. Host a blog hop: • Set up a network of bloggers • Pick a particular topic or theme • Pick a short time frame (7-14 days) • Each blogger posts a feature on their assigned day • Purpose to send readers to each other’s sites and increase exposure • Example: Assign each participating blog to put their own twist on your product such as creative uses for your company’s dip mix.

  15. Showcase your suppliers • Feature your designers/suppliers on your social media • Helps boost: • Celebrity factor • Offers behinds the scenes view of your products • Increases credibility • Drives their followers to your business • More networking/cross-promotion opportunities

  16. Keep current customers happy: • Communication through the entire ordering process: • When will order ship and how? • Keep regular shipping schedule • Communicate about problems with order, always offer suggestions to solve the problem. (Example: If out of stock of an item, offer suggestion for substitution) • Empower employees to handle questions and problems • Go above and beyond if an error is made

  17. Keep customers coming back: • Make sure opening a package from you is part of the experience • Packing should include complete contact info and social media platforms • Keep it fresh: Update website and social media often • Keep it consistent: Send e-mail messages on regular schedule • Offer specials periodically • Offer something value added: Product tips, recipes, patterns, decorating suggestions

  18. Julie Geiger/Prairie Point JunctionContact Information: • Store: 124 East 8th, Box 184, Cozad, NE 69130 • Phone: 308-784-2010 • Website: prairiepointjunction.com OR woolfeltcentral.com • Blog: woolfeltcentral.typepad.com • prairiepointjunction@yahoo.com • Find us on Facebook: Prairie Point Junction or Wool Felt Central • Follow on Pinterest: Julie Geiger/Wool Felt Central • Instagram: Prairie Point Junction

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