"Character is the ability to carry out a good resolution long after the excitement of the moment has passed."
-- Cavett Robert

by Jami Petersen

With the market's current state, we hear many heart-wrenching stories about lost jobs and homes. It's gotten to the point that it's sometimes difficult to even listen to the news. One of my outlets in tough times is scrapbooking. It is an escape from the daily craziness even if for a moment. In these rough patches, it's important to keep your chin up and press forward. This may also be an opportunity to create a new client base. Market your store, education programs, and special services in a way that lets people know your store provides a community of caring people who are dealing with the same issues. Look for more marketing tips in this week's feature article.

Jami Petersen
newsletters@a-z.com

Sakura

Gelly Roll White is now available in 2 packs!


Consumers love the smooth, opaque ink of Gelly Roll white for writing on dark paper and adding accents to illustrations and crafts. Now this popular, proven seller from Sakura of America is available in a convenient two pack. Contact your local wholesaler for details.


www.sakuraofamerica.com

Press Releases

News you can use about the latest media coverage of hot trends, noteworthy events and dynamic industry leaders. Learn more about the current headlines in arts and crafts by clicking on the title of each article segment.
 

Sara Naumann leaves Hot Off The Press. "It’s been a pleasure working with everyone in this wonderful industry. I’m busily writing a book of short stories and creating pieces for art exhibitions here in Amsterdam. I’m happy to say I’ll continue to represent HOTP on television in the UK. And you’ll still see me on the Weekly Webisodes for a bit longer, too."

The Memory Tradeshow

The Memory Tradeshow is the premiere market for scrapbooking and related products, family history and digital imaging.

It is the most important gathering of this industry regionally, and it’s attracting executives from all sectors: manufacturers, retailers, distributors, suppliers, sales reps, designers and press. The show’s goal is to provide the highest ROI show within the industry with a greater focus on the business of the memory industry, education and best business practices.

Learn more and save >>

by Kindra Foster

When you have a couple of successful months in a row, it is tempting to take a deep breath and relax for once. Undoubtedly, you deserve a break because you have worked so hard to get where you are.

However, as many savvy marketers know, the “up times” are the most critical times to push ahead with marketing. That’s because good times, while gratifying and well deserved, can trap you into thinking you have arrived at a permanent level of profit making. Even if you know better, it is easy to fall into this trap!

How do you avoid the trap? Make a deal with yourself to focus on marketing EVERY month. In fact, schedule time on a weekly basis to attend to marketing activities.
The following marketing tips will help you create an ongoing “slight edge” to help cushion against dry months.

Write an Elevator Speech and Use It
When you meet someone, you have about 15 seconds to explain what you do and interest that person enough to pay an actual visit to your store. If you are like most retail owners, you believe it’s enough to say, “I own Pieces and Parts, a scrapbooking store on the south side of town.” That gives the person information, but what have you said to motivate a visit? Give her a real reason to come see the store. Tell her how it will benefit her. Then invite her to visit.

Try this: “I own Pieces and Parts, a scrapbooking store on the south side of town. We specialize in digital scrapbook pages you can make right in the store. I hope you’ll come down sometime on a Saturday afternoon and bring a friend. Every Saturday we have fun, free demonstrations with lots of giveaways.”

Communicate with Customers
Once you have netted a new customer, she becomes one of your most valuable marketing tools, because word of mouth marketing has built-in credibility. As you gain more loyal customers, you are in effect building an informal sales force for your store. You should continue to communicate with your “sales agents” and give them reasons to keep spreading the word.

Look for communication opportunities like these: send thank-you notes for large or consistent purchases, share industry information, spread the word about upcoming events, send greetings for the holidays, and provide follow-up after a big event.

Another way to keep in touch with customers is to set a regular schedule for contact. Use your planner to program recurring customer check-in dates. Tell them what is going on in the store at the time, or tell them you are taking an informal poll to see what past customers would like you to order.

Place Regular Ads
Often, one of the first things to go when times are tight is advertising. What makes our brains think advertising is an option? If no one knows about your store, no one will come. Advertising might seem like a luxury when you have a stack of bills staring you in the face and not enough funds to cover them. However, THIS is the most important time to bite the bullet and get out the ads—in whatever forms that work best for your particular store.

Here are some ways to maximize advertising in tough times: get another store in your vicinity to help pay for the ad and promote a joint event; solicit local editors of newspapers and other publications to see if they would be interested in doing an article about your business; opt for a series of smaller ads rather than one big ad that may or may not be seen by any one person; keep ads simple and include a special offer designed to get people into the store soon.

Speeches are Marketing
Scrapbooking is still a phenomenon of which not everyone is aware. Many people have heard about it, but think of it as a mysterious, “cute” hobby that someone they know does. This creates an opportunity for you to be the educator.

Contact local schools, community centers, civic groups and others, and offer to speak to their membership or patrons about scrapbooking. If possible, link the talk to something they care about. For example, the local German-American Society promotes preserving ethnic traditions. Show them how scrapbooking does just that, family by family.

How about the local hospital? Hospital stays are big time events in people’s lives, and they often keep mementoes, even if bittersweet. Offer to give free talks in the hospital auditorium about scrapbooking health events. These occasions will benefit the hospital because they can offer an added service to customers. They benefit hospital patients and families because you give them something interesting to do during long hospital waits. They will benefit you because you have an opportunity to help people, and at the same time tell them about your store.

Find Ways to Help Others
The only reason any product gets purchased is because it helps someone accomplish something. To stay on track with marketing, keep thinking about whom your product helps and how it helps them. These thoughts will lead you to a plethora of ideas for contacting potential customers and communicating your store’s services.

One group you can help is new mothers. You help them remember the exciting events surrounding the birth of their babies. Market to them by offering classes that fit their schedules and provide babysitting; discounting baby-related merchandise, or giving new mothers a free Birth Day Scrapbooking Kit.

School clubs are another group you might help. Yearbook sales testify that kids want to remember their school years. You can help them chronicle meets, games and special events. There are many ways to market to this group. Contact club sponsors and offer to give a free class on scrapbooking where you can sell a pre-planned kit for the homecoming game. Circulate flyers with samples about a school mascot demo night at the store. Or, distribute one-of-a-kind mascot die-cuts that you custom designed yourself. (AccuCut is one company that offers custom die design. For more information, call 800-288-1670.)

Keep Thinking Marketing
Keep marketing at the top of your list with whatever little tricks work for you. Place sticky notes on the bathroom mirror, jot reminders in your account books, and put an employee in charge of monthly marketing powwows. Every little thing you do toward marketing will create a slight edge that adds up to success faster than you think!

(Originally printed in Scrapbook Business Magazine and reproduced with the kind permission thereof.)

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New Multi-purpose Glue-All Formula Tackles Household Projects with More Might

Elmer’s® Products Inc., an industry leader in adhesives, arts and crafts, office and educational products, re-introduced today the company’s first multi-purpose household glue, Elmer’s Glue-All®. The iconic glue, first introduced to the marketplace in 1948, is shedding its reputation as an arts and crafts-only glue and taking on bigger projects around the house with its new, stronger formula.

According to Mary Beth Cowardin, senior marketing manager for Elmer’s Products, “A common misperception of Glue-All is that it is interchangeable with Elmer’s School Glue®. The strength, versatility and durability of Glue-All makes it ideal for quick-fixes and projects from the entire house yet it remains non-toxic and safe for children.”

The new Glue-All is formulated to bond a wide variety of materials including paper, fabric, wood, ceramic, cork and leather. To showcase the many uses of Glue-All, Elmer’s today launched a series of how-to videos. The videos feature a wide variety of household repair projects from the kitchen, bathroom, living room and garage and will be available at www.Elmers.com and on YouTube.

A 4 fl oz bottle of Glue-All retails for around $1.99 and is currently available nationwide at major grocery stores, drug stores, big box retailers and craft stores.

About Elmer’s
Elmer’s® Products, Inc., headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, has been a trusted brand and industry leader for more than 60 years. Elmer’s produces a variety of well-known adhesives, arts and crafts, educational and office products for use at home, school or business. Elmer’s branded products are developed to provide project solutions and to inspire people to create, build and learn for life. Elmer’s also markets the number one instant adhesive in the U.S., Instant Krazy Glue®, and X-ACTO®, a leader in innovative cutting blades, knives and office supply products.