Tip #243: Create Holiday Emails That Drive Sales

Imagine trick-or-treating as a kid and coming home to find out your neighbors were passing out items from their junk drawer instead of candy (old batteries, a stray sock, an unpaid bill).

Sound a bit like your email inbox? Every once in awhile you'll come across a real "treat" among a slew of marketing emails that evoke similar feelings to the time when the neighborhood kids toilet-papered your house (delete, delete, delete...).

For retailers, creating marketing emails that delight your customers, rather than make them shriek, can be tricky...If only there was a checklist to ensure you deliver perfect emails that engage, inform and drive action from your customer base this holiday season…

Below we've highlighted expert marketing tips (no tricks) from RCI partner, Constant Contact, from their easy-to-follow Holiday Email Template Checklist. Click here to read the full article from Constant Contact.

1. Holiday header

• From Name and Email
• Subject Line
• Preheader Text

These three elements could be the difference between your email getting opened or sent straight to the trash!

2. Holly, jolly email body

• Company Logo
• Text/Images
• Call to Action

According to a 2015 study performed by Constant Contact, email campaigns with a combination of 20 lines of text and three images resulted in the highest click-through rate.

3. Festive footer

• Social Media Links
• Address/Contact Information
• Unsubscribe Option

Don’t underestimate the power of making your business easily accessible. Make sure to include your contact information, such as a link to your website and a phone number, as well as links to your social media sites.

Check your list twice to create business-driving emails that delight your customers this holiday season!

RCI Members: Constant Contact Email Marketing offers a fast, effective way to get your message out to customers and keep your organization top of mind. Start your email marketing today and receive an RCI member discount of 20% for purchasing the 6 month prepaid option or a discount of 25% for purchasing the 12 month prepaid option. Already use Constant Contact? Contact RCI to begin receiving the member discount.

Tip #242: Implement a Mystery Shopper Program

According to an American Express survey, 70% of shoppers state that they are willing to spend up to 13% more with companies they believe provide excellent customer service.

How does your customer service measure up? One way to find out is to develop a mystery shopper program for your business. According to Inc.com, “mystery shoppers provide objective quantitative and qualitative feedback about their customer experience and conditions.”

7 Benefits of an Effective Mystery Shopper Program

• Monitors and measures service performance
• Improves customer retention
• Makes employees aware of what is important in serving customers
• Monitors facility conditions
• Ensures product/service delivery quality
• Supports promotional programs
• Identifies training needs and sales opportunities

Source: RetailDoc.com

Many experts would advise you to hire a third-party to work with you to develop and implement a mystery shopping program that suits your business and in some cases offers consulting for how to best use the results of your findings. If you do choose to hire a third party, beware of mystery shopper scams. Look for a certified mystery shopping provider near you through the trade association Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA).

If you’re considering bypassing a third party, here’s three points to consider when creating your own mystery shopper program.

1. ESTABLISH CLEAR EXPECTATIONS

What do you wish to accomplish by employing a mystery shopper program (view the list of benefits above for ideas)? Use your goals for the mystery shopper program to determine the direction of your shopper evaluation. If your goal for the program is to measure service performance, your evaluation should focus on customer service.

2. CREATE AN OBJECTIVE EVALUATION

It is difficult to make improvements based on results to subjective survey questions such as “did you enjoy your shopping experience?” Instead, specific questions like “Did an employee greet you with ‘Good morning/afternoon/evening within five minutes of entering store?’” If the answer to this question is an overwhelming “no,” a corrective action should be easy to come up with.

3. FREQUENT SHOPPER

Experts agree it is best for mystery shoppers to visit your retail shop at least two to four times to set an accurate performance benchmark. "One shop every six months is so random that it reveals little," says Bob Phibbs with The Retail Doctor. "Over time, patterns emerge that make managing your customer experience much clearer."

A mystery shopper program can be a powerful tool to fix, change or improve your business, but the true value in an effective program is putting into place actionable steps to help you reach your end goals.

Stay connected with RCI through Facebook for more tips and inspiration dedicated to the retail candy maker. Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

Tip #241: Go Mad For Plaid

Plaid is not just for lumberjacks. From bold buffalo checks to traditional plaid patterns, the plaid trend is everywhere! Consider incorporating plaid into your fall and winter merchandising themes to create dynamic displays and gotta-have-it gift ideas.

Image source: Target 

If the just the sight of the word “wallpaper” makes you cringe, consider a more temporary solution to getting your plaid fix while creating a dynamic merchandising display with peel and stick wallpaper. Check out Devine Color’s buffalo plaid Peel & Stick wallpaper, available at Target. As the name suggests, it is self-adhesive and removable. It is available in a roll that covers a 27.5 square-foot area. Click here to learn more.

Image source: Zulily

 Aside from being their own kind of eye candy for display, a vintage or like-vintage plaid thermos could be a fun vessel for your hot chocolate mix or hot chocolate truffles.

Source: Kara’s Party Ideas

Another idea to add some plaid to your store front, would be to snag a variety of plaid fabric, preferably flannel, to make your own garland with rustic charm. Use up your remaining scraps of fabric by tying them around your boxes, bags and containers to “dress” them for the cool weather.

By incorporating a trendy plaid look into your merchandising plan, your sure to make customers feel warm and cozy this fall and winter!

Stay connected with RCI through Facebook for more tips and inspiration dedicated to the retail candy maker. Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

Throwback Tip #165: Celebrate Sweetest Day

Photo credit: Cristopher Rodriguez (left), Patrick Doheny (right), Flickr

This year, Sweetest Day will take place October 21, the third Saturday in October. While the holiday is more significant for candy makers in the Great Lakes region (Buffalo, Cleveland and Detroit being the biggest Sweetest Day cities), the holiday is gaining in popularity throughout the country every year. Some RCI members even report sales from Sweetest Day exceeding Mothers Day.

Al Herz, RCI Board President 1929-1930, poses with the Little
 Rascals as they treat orphans in his local community with boxes
of chocolates and entertainment on Sweetest Day in 1928.

The history dates back to 1922 when Herbert Birch Kingston, a candy maker from Cleveland, decided to give candy and small gifts to the city’s orphans and shut-ins, all who are often forgotten and neglected. With the help of friends and neighbors, he distributed these small remembrances on a Saturday in October. For years to follow, other Clevelanders began to participate in the tradition, which came to be known as "Sweetest Day.” 

In time, the idea of spreading cheer to the underprivileged broadened to include everyone from family and significant others to coworkers and acquaintances with a kind act or a small remembrance. With a little help from movie stars in the 1930s, the idea quickly spread to other cities all over the country.

Sweetest Day is not based on any single group’s religious sentiment or on a family relationship. It is a reminder that a thoughtful word or deed enriches life and gives it meaning.

For many people, remembering takes the form of gift-giving. For this reason, Sweetest Day offers an unique opportunity to offer all kinds of gift items. Falling midway between Father's Day in June and Christmas in December, Sweetest Day provides an occasion for the opening of fall merchandising programs and the promotion of various products, not the least of which is candy and boxed chocolate.

Other Ideas to Promote Sweetest Day 

• Remind your customer of Sweetest Day through social media, email and in-store signage.
• Send press releases about Sweetest Day to your local media and let them know of ways your business can help customers celebrate.
• Be prepared to explain Sweetest Day and to make suggestions regarding appropriate gifts, keeping in mind that the possibilities are limitless.
• Create a prominent display of merchandise for Sweetest Day.

Stay connected with RCI through Facebook for more tips and inspiration dedicated to the retail candy maker. Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

Tip #240: Make the Holiday Sweet for those on the Naughty List

Recipe and photo courtesy of LorAnn Oils.

Create some laughter in your stores that is sure to generate impulse purchases this holiday season, with this recipe for cinnamon-flavored Candy Coal from RCI member, LorAnn Oils.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups granulated sugar

2/3 cup light corn syrup

3/4 cup water

1/2 teaspoon LorAnn Cinnamon Oil or 1 teaspoon (1-dram bottle) for a hotter cinnamon flavor

1/4 teaspoon LorAnn black powder food coloring or 1-1/2 teaspoons black gel food color*

Use of a candy thermometer is recommended

DIRECTIONS

1.  Have all ingredients and tools assembled and within easy reach of the stove. Line a 9" x 6" loaf pan or 8" x 8" baking pan with aluminum foil allowing foil to overhang sides. Spray with non-stick cooking spray, such as PAM.
2. In a 2-quart saucepan, mix together sugar, corn syrup, water and black powder food color (*if using gel color, add at step 4). Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Insert candy thermometer if using, making certain it does not touch the bottom of the pan.
3. Bring mixture to a boil, without stirring. Early in the cooking process, you can "wash down" any sugar crystals that form on the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush.
4. *If using gel coloring, add when syrup reaches 260º F. Do not stir. Boiling action will incorporate color into syrup.
5. Continue to cook and remove from heat precisely at 300º F (temperature will continue rising), or until drops of syrup form hard, brittle threads in cold water. After boiling action has ceased, add flavor and stir. USE CAUTION WHEN ADDING FLAVORING TO AVOID RISING STEAM.
6. Pour syrup into prepared pan. Do not refrigerate. Cool completely. Once candy is cooled, lift from pan and remove foil.
7. Break candy into small chunks to simulate coal pieces (see tip). For best results, store candy at room temperature in an airtight container.

For an eye-catching merchandising display, consider placing a clear candy bag of coal candies into cute Mini Glavanized Metal Pails from Oriental Trading Company. Add a chalkboard sticker like the photo above or a cute kraft paper label tied with ribbon or scraps of fabric for a rustic-chic look.

Stay connected with RCI through Facebook for more tips and inspiration dedicated to the retail candy maker. Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.