Back-to-School Campaign Ideas for Local Small Businesses

Did you know that back-to-school is typically the second-largest retail season next to the winter holidays? For small business owners, this marks an excellent opportunity to spark consumer interest by launching campaigns that cater products and services to an interested audience, helping to boost sales and strengthen community relationships.

Below are some back-to-school campaign ideas for local small businesses that can be easy to implement, while remaining cost-effective:

• Design a back-to-school starter pack
• Promote a back-to-school giveaway on social media
• Run an in-store, back-to-school deal
• Host relevant after-school events
• Lead a community donation drive
• Run a back-to-school influencer campaign with local influencers

Design a Back-to-School Starter Pack

One of the biggest factors that consumers look for when it comes to back-to-school shopping is convenience. In fact, 71% of parents say it is more important than price. Designing a “starter pack” or bundle of items can be a great way to tap into the back-to-school rush and offer a fresh take on existing products or services, helping make shopping faster and easier for your customers.

The contents of the starter pack(s) will depend on your small business but can be customized to meet the specific needs of your customers, creating a more personalized experience. For instance, you could create starter packs for students in various grades (such as young children, high schoolers, or post-secondary students) that include items like a first-day outfit bundle, lunchbox essentials, student athlete gear, and essential study supplies. You can also create starter packs for teachers, such as a “first day back” bundle or a “teacher appreciation” pack. This is a great opportunity to get creative!

Promote a Back-to-School Giveaway on Social Media

Almost half of millennial parents and 75% of Gen Z parents are expected to use social media in their back-to-school shopping journey. By promoting a giveaway on your social platforms, you have the chance not only to help attract a younger demographic during this period (if that aligns with your business goals), but you can also help boost brand awareness and bring more potential customers to your social media account(s), which can help increase engagement.

Creating organic social media posts is a cost-effective strategy, as there are a variety of tools, such as Canva, that can help you create imagery to promote the giveaway.

One of the first steps in planning a back-to-school giveaway is to determine the prize and the duration of the giveaway. It should run close to the start of the back-to-school season and end shortly after to build urgency and excitement.

Next, choose a format that is both fun and simple to ensure effective customer engagement. For example, if you decide to host a photo contest on Instagram, you can invite parents to share pictures of their creative lunch ideas and tag your small business. To make it more relevant to your industry, encourage them to take a photo of something related to your business. Another effective option is to run a “like and share” contest, where followers are required to like a post about the giveaway and share or tag it with a certain number of friends. Be sure to follow each platform’s contest rules. Once the giveaway concludes, you can pick the winner(s) at random.

After the giveaway, consider using key performance indicators to evaluate its success and identify areas for improvement in future giveaways. Did it help grow your followers? Could the rules be optimized for next time?

READ MORE: How to Promote Your Small Business in the Fall

Run an In-Store, Back-to-School Deal

Despite the popularity of online shopping, there are still many parents who are more inclined to shop either mostly in-store for back-to-school items or who have reported a 50-50 split. Additionally, according to recent data, 70% of parents are looking for sales and discounts when back-to-school shopping, with 69% reporting that they’ve set a budget.

If your small business is strictly brick and mortar or you are looking to boost in-store sales, running an in-store back-to-school deal can be a great way to help attract customers seeking discounts, bring new customers to your small business, and maintain existing customer relationships.

A great way to promote the deal, particularly to those in your community or passing by, is through printed materials. Create window displays featuring posters and banners in your branded font and colours that highlight the deal. Additionally, distributing flyers around your community can effectively attract a local audience.

Host Relevant After-School Events

Depending on your small business and the products or services you offer, there may be an opportunity to host events in your store during the back-to-school season. This can be a great way to help attract customers, create positive experiences, build long-term relationships, and boost sales.

Instead of a one-time gathering, consider making these events part of a full back-to-school campaign by promoting them around town or online. This approach can generate excitement and have a lasting positive impact on your small business beyond just this season. The events can focus on school preparation, such as a school readiness event, or offer fun activities after school. For example, if you sell pottery, you could host after-school pottery classes or an event where children can create back-to-school mugs for their teachers.

Pairing an interactive activity with a chance to shop for potentially discounted items can be a great motivator for potential customers to attend and can further increase sales. During these events, you could also provide free gift bags for attendees filled with branded promotional items, helping to keep your small business fresh in their minds.

READ MORE: How to Use Promotional Products to Benefit Your Small Business

Lead a Community Donation Drive

Running a donation drive can be a meaningful campaign that connects your local small business to your community in a positive way. This initiative can not only help support local families who cannot afford back-to-school-related items, but it also helps demonstrate your business’s values and mission to current and potential customers. Since over 80% of Canadians report that they prefer supporting businesses that give back to their communities, running a back-to-school campaign that includes a community donation drive can be a powerful way to make a significant impact on local customers.

For example, the campaign could include setting aside a certain percentage of sales that go toward charities supporting students or creating a donation bin at your store for back-to-school supplies that you can give to a local school. Finding a way to align it with your small business and what you can afford to give back is key.

Run a Back-to-School Influencer Campaign with Local Influencers

Influencer campaigns are not limited to big brands! Small businesses can also benefit from collaborating with local influencers who can highlight back-to-school items. With 74% of consumers reporting that they have purchased a product because it was recommended by an influencer, small businesses have an excellent opportunity to use these campaigns to amplify back-to-school messaging (related sales, products, etc.), increase brand awareness, connect with new audiences, help drive online and potentially in-store traffic, and help showcase products or services in a relatable way.

One way to start is by identifying local influencers (such as on Instagram or TikTok) who are already creating content related to your industry. For example, if you own a restaurant, look for foodies who produce the type of content you want and appeal to your target audience.

Smaller influencers, often referred to as nano-influencers, will have between 1,000 and 10,000 followers. If you have a limited budget, nano-influencers can be a great choice, as their content fees are generally lower than those of influencers with larger followings. Some may also be interested in promoting your small business in exchange for free products. It is best to discuss the arrangement with them and come up with a mutually beneficial plan.

Get Ready for Back-to-School Season with The UPS Store

Looking for ways to help your small business shine during back-to-school time? Visit The UPS Store near you to find out how we can help with our Small Business Solutions. Our team of experts can assist with the variety of services we offer, including printing, shipping, mailbox rental, and more.  Also, be sure to check out our online print shop, where you can find a variety of print options that can enhance your small business.