So far, we’ve only looked at online modes of marketing and branding. But there is one very obvious opportunity to connect with your buyers in a visceral way: by branding your parcels and using them to market.
There are two particular advantages of using this channel. Firstly, it’s free from eBay’s gaze. You are free to market your own website, or indeed, anything you like, without fear of eBay taking umbrage and slapping your wrist. Secondly, when buyers get their parcels they are excited and hopefully in a good mood. This is a good time to encourage them to come back for more. A satisfied customer is ripe for the picking.
At the very least you want to make sure that you’ve got some marketing bumf inside your parcel. Simply including a PayPal or eBay print-out isn’t enough. Look at creating either a professional leaflet (you’ll find some very affordable print deals on eBay) or doing your own custom despatch note. You’ll obviously want to thank your buyer and probably encourage them to contact you if they have any bothers, but otherwise it’s a blank canvas.
You don’t need reams of text, just stick to a few important messages: visit my website, check out these deals, try my Shop for these complementary items. Brand the leaflet/flyer in your colours and make it congruent with your on-eBay presence. Don’t forget to use images!
Some of the more imaginative marketing and branding I’ve seen has been on the outside of parcels. Stickers and ink stamps can be very striking and effective. You might even want to get your jiffy bags custom printed for a very professional finish.
15 Responses
I know this is stating the obvious, but “here is your large diamond from Dave’s Large Diamond Store” is a poor message to put on the outside of your parcel: subtlety is key on the outside 😀 Though I do like stickers – smilie face stickers for some reason make me even happier than usual to receive a parcel.
I need shackles along with the Straight jacket cos I do non of the above
and aint about to stick a big notice on my packets saying nick me either
Have to say North it works well for Amazon….
amazon and me are a world apart,
none discript ordinary parcels that dont attract attention has worked well for me, make no mistake about it pilfering is major business the Royal mail spend tens of thousands and have a large dept trying to stop it
what works for amazon ,may not work for john & jane smith
One of the very best things you can include with a parcel (if you sell/stock the same items over and over of course) is a re-order form, with your website on also!
Yep, even though you have a website, recipients do indeed complete a paper re-order form and send it off with payment !
The thing about branding is that it really does not have to cost much either, in my previous life as a coffee shop owner, I used to enviously watch customers of the “big” cafe down the road passing by my shop clutching custom printed packaging containing cakes, panini’s and take away coffee etc. I couldn’t afford the specially printed colour packaging so I ordered a stamp, we then made sure that any packaging we ordered was “Kraft” or brown and stamped it like crazy, it was extremely effective and it did not look tacky.
I’m sure it would work well on parcels too, but like north says, one would have to evaluate if it makes the item more nick-able, I personally think that it is probably worth it for the increased “Brand Awareness” who cares if you are getting the odd parcel nicked if you are selling 10% – 20% more unless maybe that you send very high value items. Just my thoughts 🙄
I like my packages to look smart but non-descript on the outside. I enclose an A7 card with website info & offer, which hopefully is more likely to be kept than a larger leaflet.
However, I like the idea of the re-order form for ‘stock’ items – I’ve added that to my list of new things to try this year, thanks Eddie 😀
Thanks also Dan for the whole series this month – don’t think I’ve commented before, but I’ve read them all with interest 🙂
Hi Gill,
Thanks. It’s been fun and still a few days to go. It’s been fascinating reading the comments.
dw
I shall really miss your tutorials when February comes along…
😥
I don’t really brand mine (no space!!) but I’m positive the buyers remember pulling them about of the mailbox 🙂
https://i6.tinypic.com/73p8rcn.jpg
Sheesh Toby…. don’t they have higher value stamps in Canada? 😀
I’m one of those Sue has in mind I think, I don’t want it to be obvious whats in my packages 😯
I’ll 2nd the thanks to Dan while I’m here, excellent stuff!
Brian
Business Card with a discount on it…
Buyers will keep the card.
Getting the buyer to remember you is half the battle 🙂
Mark
Rarely post but I have enjoyed the tips series very much