I'm new to the business areana of Digi Scrapping...How did you begin to market yourself? How do you continue to market yourself?

I have a brochure, bizness card, forms but I want to get the word out.

"Just Married" Marketing


By Sue DiFranco
Copyright © 2002 Sue DiFranco/Fun Facts Publishing

In the first few months of the year, the crucial countdown is on for weddings happening in June. As scrapbook business owners, you should know that targeting brides and grooms is a marketing must * after all, this is a highly anticipated day for many people, and the need to preserve the memories from that day is imperative. But why wait until after the wedding is over?

Get your marketing tools in gear this month to target soon-to-be brides and grooms. What could be more romantic than a completed scrapbook on display at the wedding, showcasing the couple's most cherished memories? It's guaranteed to be one of the most talked about things at the wedding * and you can help make it happen.

First, you need to find out who's getting married within the next months. Here are some ideas:

Check your local paper for engagement announcements.
Rent a mailing list of newly engaged couples.
Ask all of your family, friends, and customers if they know of anyone planning a wedding.

Then, begin your marketing campaign. Remember, right now you are focusing the attention on the memory book to be displayed at the wedding, not on the actual wedding album (that will come later, especially with interested prospects). Some ideas:

Plan a direct mail campaign. Save money by using postcards.
Exhibit at, or simply attend, a bridal show. Hand out flyers and business cards, if you¹re allowed to. Network with these brides-to-be * remember, they are attending to make their wedding the best it can be. You can help that happen.
Ask your present customers if they have a friend or family member getting married. Encourage them to create this memory book as the ultimate gift for the newlyweds. Offer them a "special" on your wedding merchandise.
Offer free crop time or classes to scrappers who are working on this special book * whether it's the bride-to-be herself, or a friend who is creating it as a gift.
Don't forget the grooms! Though it's often thought of as "her day," men can be just as involved. Many men would love the idea of a scrapbook of memories on display at the wedding.
Post signage and put a notice on your Web site, using "Getting Married in 2004?" as your opener.
Start an email newsletter (otherwise known as an ezine) with scrapbook tips specifically for soon-to-be brides and grooms.

Once you've gotten positive responses from this marketing campaign, save those names! They'll be needing wedding albums soon, as well as honeymoon albums, and maybe even baby albums! Remember the famous marketing catchprase "80-20" * you get 80% of your business from 20% of your customers. Now get to it!


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sue DiFranco is the founder of Fun Facts Publishing and the author of more than a dozen books on building and marketing scrapbooking businesses and services. To learn more about how to turn your scrapbooking passion into profit, visit http://www.funfactspublishing.com to read a library of FREE information and get started today!

Note: you’re welcome to use this article as content for your web site, ezine, or newsletter. Please make sure it remains complete and unaltered, and it MUST include the “about the author” info at the end.

We also ask that you send a copy of your reprint to info@funfactspublishing.com. Thank you!

3. Scrapbooking Business Tip: Marketing with Older Magazines


This tip comes to us from Michelle Mathy of Scrappers' Alley in Villa Ridge:

Many storeowners from time to time wonder what to do with the leftover issues of various scrapbooking magazines that have not sold by the time the next issue has come out, and we are always looking for ways to promote our businesses and bring in new customers as well.

So why not combine these two needs? Take these issues and place a label on the front that says: "This issue is for 'Doctor's office name,' compliments of 'Your store name, address, phone number, and directions.' For more information on Scrapbooking or scrapbooking supplies, stop by or give us a call. Beginners and Advanced classes available."

Ask different area doctors' offices (Pediatricians, OB/GYN, or Orthopedics, just to name a few good choices) or hair salons if you can place a magazine in their waiting room. This is a good place to reach mothers or fathers who may not know about scrapbooking, and seeing a magazine that showcases what they can do with their photos may pique their interest. Or it may introduce your store to a current scrapbooker who hasn't been in your store yet.

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Great tip, Michelle! Thank you!

This tip can also work well for non-retailers too. Direct sales consultants, instructors, and custom scrapbook artists can also use magazine marketing to help spread the word about their businesses!

Bump...any other ideas...??

Are you selling kits or wanting to scrap for others? Try to think of your target audience and come up with a unique way to reach them It will depend on if its web based or or face to face.

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Lucrecia

I want to scrap 4 others...

I wondered how would I hold a Digi Scrap class wouldn't everyone have to have laptops or at least the program I'm familiar with?

For right now people have been giving me there pix and I make pages for them then print them out at Costco.

Maybe contact a local scrapbooking store and see if they've had any interest in digital and offer to hold a class for them.

As for getting your name out to scrap for others, does your neighborhood have a newsletter you could advertise in? Are there any kind of craft shows in your area - you could take books with your work and get people interested.

Have you thought about prices for this? I have no clue what people would be willing to pay.

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Lucrecia