Not every bookshop is in a big city. Many smaller towns and rural communities have thriving bookstores that cater to the needs of their local customers.
If you own or manage one of these businesses, there are ways to make it more successful while keeping costs down.
Here are some tips for growing your book shop:
Be involved in your community.
- Get to know your local customers.
- Invite local authors to your store.
- Be active in the community online and offline.
- Provide a space for people to meet and talk about books, whether it’s through book clubs or other events like author talks or workshops.
Use social media to your advantage.
Social media is a great way to connect with customers and promote your store.
You can use Facebook and Twitter to share special offers, events and competitions, as well as product updates. It’s also an excellent tool for engaging with customers on a personal level.
if you have time, it’s worth setting up a blog so that you can respond directly to comments or queries in the comments section of each post.
Create an online destination for your store.
With an online store, you can bring your products to the world. It’s a great way to reach new customers, even if they don’t live near your physical location.
- Create an online store where people can buy books from the comfort of their own home or office. You’ll need a domain name and hosting service for this step (more on these later).
- Promote your new website through social media channels like Facebook and Twitter by sharing links with friends and family members who may be interested in buying books from you. This will help generate traffic for your site as well as increase awareness about it among potential customers who might not otherwise hear about it otherwise!
Look for ways to increase customer loyalty.
- Create a rewards program.
- Offer free shipping.
- Give discounts on your website, such as $10 off your next order if you spend over $100.
- Offer a loyalty card that gives special deals every time someone uses it in store or online, like 10% off all books for life!
Consider book subscription programs.
A book subscription program is a great way to build customer loyalty and get people coming back to your store.
Customers can subscribe to a book of their choice, and the store will deliver it on a regular basis.
This gives customers an incentive to visit again, so you’ll have a steady stream of traffic coming through your doors!
You can also offer occasional promotions for new and bestselling titles–for example, if someone buys two books in one month at full price.
They’ll get an additional 20% off all other purchases made during that time period.
Ask for customer feedback.
- Ask for customer feedback.
- Customers want to feel that you value their opinions, so ask them what they would like to see in your store, how you can improve your store and even if there are any events coming up that could be of interest.
Host events in your store.
Hosting events in your store can help you get more customers and earn money. You can host author events, book signings, and other types of fun stuff that will bring people into the store.
- Use your event space as a way to promote yourself and your products. You can use your event space to sell books or merchandise from other stores in town (and make some extra money). Or maybe there’s something else going on nearby that you could tie into–like a concert or sporting event? Maybe someone has written a book about one of those subjects!
- Host non-book related events too! If you have an area that people can sit down in without feeling like they’re standing on top of all the bookshelves or browsing racks full of books but still feel connected enough with all things literary then go for it! Events like these can really help build community between authors/publishers/readers/lovers (etc) while also providing opportunities for new connections between those groups which might lead somewhere interesting down the road!
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many ways to grow your book shop and make money. If you’re looking for inspiration, check out our top 10 tips for growing your business and earning more money!
