Make It Your Day
World Ampersand Day: How We Made it a Blooming Success
Hi, everyone. I hope that you're doing well. Today, I want to share some insights into how we set up our World Ampersand Day event and how it turned out to be a great success. Karissa suggested this topic, and I think it's a fantastic idea to delve into the things we did to encourage participation and spread awareness.
Choosing the Perfect Day
First off, you might find it interesting that World Ampersand Day is an actual day. Just like there are many quirky days for various causes, I'm certain you can find one that relates to your business too. We chose a date that falls perfectly for us: after the hectic tulip bulb substitution phase and before the arrival of the bulbs that need to be shipped out. This downtime provides the ideal moment for us to engage in such an event.
Inventory and Sales Strategy
At this time of year, we usually know which products we have in surplus and which ones are scantier. This knowledge allows us to confidently mark certain products down for a sale, encouraging customers to help us move those items.
Giving Back to the Community
Staying true to our mission to help others and give back, we linked our event to a fundraising effort. This initiative is vital to us and separates our company from competitors. Giving back resonates with our values and helps foster a sense of community.
The Power of Giveaways
We incorporated a couple of giveaways into our event to drive participation:
T-Shirt Giveaway:
To participate, followers just needed to comment on an Instagram post with a flower or garden-related pun. This entry method was simple and required minimal effort from participants. We used an Instagram comment picker app to select winners randomly.
The giveaway not only increased engagement on that particular post but also expanded our post's reach to a broader audience as people creatively contributed their puns.
2. Photo / Video Contest:
We asked customers to create our ampersand symbol using flowers or plants, then share it on their Instagram feeds. Participants had to mention our bulb company, which further amplified our reach.
This contest generated beautiful and creative entries that we enjoyed sharing on our feed, providing mutual recognition and exposure. Consequently, our Instagram following grew by about a third during the event.
Engaging Content and Attractive Rewards
We made sure our giveaways were worth participating in. For the photo and video contest, the stakes included three full bulb crates of tulips for the first-place winner, two for the second place, and one for the third. These prizes, valued at around $600 for the first prize, enticed many participants.
Special Sales
We set up some special sales tailored to our inventory and typically popular items. Notably, we offered a special pack of peony roots at a discounted rate, which sold out quickly. Additionally, we did a 24% off sale, celebrating the founding year of Ampersand Bulb Co. We might keep this tradition or switch up the percentage next year. This sale also saw great success in moving products.
Reflecting on the Event
Overall, we saw increased sales during the event, not just for discounted items but also for regularly priced items and merchandise. Our careful planning, low-effort engagement opportunities, worthwhile giveaways, and strategic sales offered a perfect blend for success.
Creating Your Holiday Event
Why not create your own holiday? Announce it, use it as an opportunity to teach people about your company, your values, and what you're passionate about. Find a time that fits your schedule and allows you to put in that extra effort to capitalize on slower sales moments.
I hope these insights have sparked some ideas for you. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out. Have a great night, and I’ll talk to you next time!