Secretly, though, I looked forward to the return to school - books to read, paint to splatter, and of course, new clothes and supplies to buy. I longed for rainy days so I'd have an excuse to head to the mall, and couldn't wait to get my hands on new binders, notebooks and the all-important first-day-of-school outfit.
If your clients cater to teacher's pets like me, or to parents shopping on behalf of reluctant children, then you know August is peak time to market to this audience:
Source: Google Insights for Search, US Web Search Volume for "back to school" for 2008
With that in mind, here are some last-minute tips to maximize clients' reach during this busy retail season.
Be online
It may sound simple, but if you have skeptical clients, maintaining an online presence can be a tough sell. If so, reassure them with data. For example, the graph below shows that "back to school sale" searches are rising faster this year, compared to 2008:
Source: Google Insights for Search, US Web Search Volume for "back to school sales" for 2008 and 2009
If your clients still aren't convinced, remind them that retail shoppers consume more media online than through any other channel (41% compared to TV, which is second at 27%).[1] In sum, to maximize conversions from last minute shoppers, encourage your clients to be where their consumers are - online!
Capture traffic across the purchase cycle
Being a few weeks away from the start of school, extend clients' reach with campaigns designed to capture users at all stages of the purchase cycle. Let's take searches for backpacks as an example. If we examine top searches and rising searches related to "backpacks," we see that the list includes both branded and non-branded queries:
Source: Google Insights for Search, Search terms related to backpacks, US 2009
Both branded and non-branded clicks are important throughout the entire purchase funnel. For example, non-branded queries are almost as likely as branded queries to be the first click in the conversion cycle, while the final click before the conversion is more likely to be from a branded term.[2]
Because consumers tend to refine their searches as they approach a purchase, consider expanding and optimizing clients' keyword lists to capture the full range of search activity. For help identifying relevant keywords, check out the Search-based Keyword Tool and the Wonder wheel.
Target last-minute shoppers
Finally, data suggests that most consumers still have not completed their shopping. According to NRF's 2009 Back-to-School and Back-to-College Surveys, up to 82% of consumers complete their shopping between August 1st and after school starts.[3] For example, "back to school coupons" searches peak the week of August 10th, but have a resurgence the week of August 24th:
Source: Google Insights for Search, US Web Search Volume for "back to school coupons" April-September 2008
Hone in on these last-minute shoppers with call-outs such as product availability, fast shipping, convenient store locations, and extended sales (if applicable). Consider promoting discount codes in ad text to entice users to buy online. If you're promoting in-store sales, ensure that your clients have local business listings, and consider creating coupons that customers can use for in-store purchases.
To identify last-minute back to school search trends specific to your clients, visit Google Insights for Search. And even though you may not be heading back to the classroom, enjoy the rest of your summer.
Sources:
[1] Google Touchpoints Consumer Study, January 2009
[2] 360i and SearchIgnite, Giving Clicks Credit Where They're Due: What You Need to Know When Allocating Your Search Budget, May 2006
[3] NRF’s “2009 Back-to-School and Back-to-College Surveys,” released July 14, 2009. 1. Percentage total of those who begin shopping 1 month to after school starts, based on all Adults 18+ response from Back-to-School Survey. 2. Based on all Adults 18+ response from Back-to-School Survey
