Back-to-school shopping is huge. Believe it or not, according to Mobile Marketer, it’s actually the second-busiest season for shopping (right after the holidays of course).

So how can your business stay on top of back-to-school marketing? Here’s a few tips to get you started.

  1. Understand who handles the shopping. A significant portion of back-to-school shopping is handled by the parents. Granted, the kids do have a pretty big impact. According to Deloitte, $27.6 billion will be spent on back-to-school shopping this year, BUT more than $21 billion of that will be influenced by children. Your marketing needs to reflect a balance of appeal between parent and child.
  2. Of course, an integral part of back-to-school shopping is also the college crowd. In fact, $3 out of every $5 spent on back-to-school supplies/apparel is for students heading to college, says MediaPost. According to the National Retail Federation, the highest amount of college spending is on electronics at $12.8 billion. Those laptops aren’t cheap!
  3. Mobile marketing should be a very real component of your efforts. With back-to-school marketing, you’re generally dealing with millennial parents and Gen Z students. Both generations are extremely mobile-oriented, so getting some sort of presence on mobile platforms is a major deal for both demographics. Having an effective mobile marketing plan doesn’t even mean you need to offer online ordering. Text-loyalty programs and having a high-quality mobile website are just a couple ways you can market via mobile.
  4. Social media is important too. SheKnows says that 1 out of every 2 moms and kids search social media when on the hunt for shopping ideas.
  5. Online is a major source of competition. Per the same Deloitte report, $5.5 billion is on the line with customers who are undecided on whether to do their shopping at the store or through the web. Therefore, more than ever, it’s essential to be hyper-aware of what your online competitors have on offer.
  6. Know that the traditional back-to-school season isn’t the only time of year for your business to employ this type of marketing. Indeed, education-based marketing has developed into a year-round focus.

Market Digitally With CoGoBuzz

Whether you need to give your social media a boost, or an easy way to plug your business into mobile marketing – CoGoBuzz is the best way to excel at all of your back-to-school marketing. Leveraging advanced WiFi, SMS, and Email solutions, our state-of-the-art digital service promotes your business both in-store and out.

It all starts through a one-time connection to your business’s in-store HotSpot. From there, CoGoBuzz displays an interactive landing page on your customers’ mobile devices. There, you can show off your store’s hottest back-to-school sales and more! Through SMS, customers can enroll in your brand new text-based loyalty program. It’s mobile marketing made easy. Simply text your customers with your back-to-school deals!

But wait, that’s not everything! CoGoBuzz produces customer profiles for every customer that logs into your HotSpot. Gain a deeper understanding of your business’s best customers! On top of that, we even hook you up with automatic Facebook followers!

Check out the rest of our site to learn more about CoGoBuzz!

What’s your back-to-school marketing plan look like? Let us know in the comments!