Fall 2012 Hardlines Strategies

ADVERTISING

customers hanging on to the ads longer than they might other ads because they see those familiar people on the pages.” Serrano’s July circular focused on a local festival with reminders about Randall Lumber’s long-standing relationship with the community. Those personalized messages help him distinguish his circulars from his competitors’ advertising, which utilizes messages that are more generic. Drive Sales Online When you use the Blish-Mize online circular program to design and publish your own circulars, the options don’t stop with the printed page. Try using the AdViewer feature that allows you to publish circulars on a website, a Facebook page or email. “You can create a link to your ad in AdViewer and put that on your store’s website,” Sarah Lee, advertising coordinator for Blish-Mize, says. “Set the dates for when the ad appears and when it should come down. Customers can create a shopping list of items from the ad to print out or email to the store. It comes at no additional cost.” At Randall Lumber, Serrano posts each month’s circular on the store’s website. His next project is to get it up on the store’s Facebook page. To help drive extra traffic to the website, he also offers a $5 coupon, available only online, that’s

good on any in-store purchase over $20. At Lincoln Building Supply in Lincoln, Kan., Vicki Meier finds having the flexibility to create her own ads allows her to target specific groups of customers. “I’ve tried Facebook to catch some of the younger customers,” she says. There, she posts photos of new or featured products and uses the AdViewer program to post each of her sales fliers. It’s easy to use, she says, and it’s one more bit of exposure for her store. “As long as they look, then maybe they will come into the store and buy something,” she says. For another segment of her customers, she finds traditional paper circulars are the most effective. She can also create fliers for specific store events, like a contractor’s night. Whether it’s online or in print, what’s important is that you try something, she says. “I advertise because it’s what I need to do to keep my name out there. There are still people that come into the store that don’t understand what I sell. You have to try different things, too, to get that message across.” How to Sign Up Sign up for the 2013 On-Demand or Customer advertising programs at the Fall Buying Market or anytime during the month of September and you’ll get

the added benefit of AdViewer, a $300 value, for free. At the Market, Lee will be available to demo the process of displaying an ad on your website, Facebook page or email campaign. You can visit her in the Retail Services Booth. “In just a few easy steps, your customer advertising piece can be available to a larger crowd without the expense of printing,” says Lee. “Be sure to take advantage of this offer to bring your brand and your customers together.” “I wanted to make our ads more community- oriented and use the familiar faces customers will see around the store. As a result, I see customers hanging on to the ads longer than they might other ads because they see those familiar people on the pages.” —Hilario Serrano

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STYLES TO INSPIRE WHOLE HOME COORDINATION

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Fall 2012 • Hardlines Strategies