Spam Your Customers With Flowers
Everybody hates getting spammed with junk in their email in-boxes. But had you ever considered that there are positive ways to spam people?
Yup! And what is one of the best things you can force on people that they would want to receive? Flowers, of course!
That was the tip one florist offered up as an alternative to direct mail when discussing options for increasing Mother’s Day sales. And it was so creative that we decided it was worth sharing. (Actually, sharing again—we referred to it a few weeks back in a previous edition of this newsletter…)
How does this positive spamming work? It’s sweet and effective. (One florist who used the method said she had booked several weddings after using the technique.) And it can take on a variety of forms. Here’s four of them, all recommended by florists who have used them and give them a big thumbs up:
Option 1: Mother’s Day Wallop. The florist who initially suggested the idea of spamming with flowers described her technique this way:
On the actual day of Mother’s Day, you send a crew outside your shop to hand out flowers for free.
“It might be a busy day at the shop,” she wrote, “but try to use Mother's Day to create a connection with future customers.” She suggested printing a tag you could attach to single stems. Include your shop’s contact info and the message “I love my mother!” Then pass the blossoms out at a location within your intended demographic. Simply ask recipients, “Forgot it was Mother's Day? We didn't! Here! Take one!"
“It may not mean direct client conversion, but it is definitely more memorable, and it (will) make people talk.” After all, she pointed out, “Word of mouth is still the best strategy for retailers. Instead of writing down how good you are, you get to show them!”
Option 2: Parking Lot Punch. Another florist had a similar idea, though she doesn’t use the technique on Mother’s Day. “We give out unsalable flowers with our business cards regularly in the parking lots of the two (local) grocery stores,” she said. She reported having booked several weddings from use of the tactic, as well as raising awareness among customers who said they weren’t familiar with her shop (despite its longevity at its location). (When asked by other florists about quality concerns with “unsalable” stems, she explained that the person handing out the blossoms tells recipients that the flowers are “too pretty to toss but not nice enough to sell.” She makes sure to let customers know the flowers don’t have much vase life left.) She said she also has had great luck having “a parking lot sale” on Saturday mornings with nice weather. “People see the stuff and come in droves,” she said.
Option 3: Public Love Smack Down. Handing out flowers at competitions or charity events was a tactic used by another florist. She suggested contacting the local newspaper ahead of time to let them know you’ll be providing the giveaways. “The free publicity is always good!” she said. Similarly, another florist used to have good luck handing out flowers at her small town’s annual parade. “My girls were young, and they had a basket full of them to hand out....fun for everyone!” she wrote.
Option 4: Hospital Hit. A less obvious site at which to give away free flowers is your local hospital. One florist noted that she had tried newspaper inserts, direct mail and e-mail through a third-party vendor with no results from any of those methods.
“Then we took 500 carnations and business cards, went to hospital and handed them to every person we came across,” she said. Her staff offered an added incentive to recipients: If they came in to the shop and said they had received a flower at the hospital, they got 10 percent off. It was a big hit, she said—big enough that she now repeats it annually. “It always pays for itself, and we gain new customers,” she wrote.
What about you? What have been your most successful marketing promotions—for Mother’s Day or otherwise? Send your advice to [email protected] so we can share your suggestions with other florists.
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We hope you’ve enjoyed this article. And, since you’re already online with us, take our quick, 3-minute intro video tour here to find out about all the great resources we offer.
Next, delve into more great articles like the one above in our "Blooming Banter" section. "Blooming Banter" is filled with content exclusively written for florists.
If you like what you see, sign up for membership! You can join for FREE! You'll automatically get a 30-day trial to our Pro-level membership. No credit card required.
Pro-level membership gives you access to all areas of the site, including all the forums, the photo gallery, blogs, videos, webinars and downloadable resources.
At the end of 30 days, your membership will automatically convert to our Basic level unless you choose to remain a Pro member. Heck, for the price of about two of those fancy coffee drinks each month, you can continue as a Pro member with all the benefits!
We look forward to seeing you in the forums!
Everybody hates getting spammed with junk in their email in-boxes. But had you ever considered that there are positive ways to spam people?
Yup! And what is one of the best things you can force on people that they would want to receive? Flowers, of course!
That was the tip one florist offered up as an alternative to direct mail when discussing options for increasing Mother’s Day sales. And it was so creative that we decided it was worth sharing. (Actually, sharing again—we referred to it a few weeks back in a previous edition of this newsletter…)
How does this positive spamming work? It’s sweet and effective. (One florist who used the method said she had booked several weddings after using the technique.) And it can take on a variety of forms. Here’s four of them, all recommended by florists who have used them and give them a big thumbs up:
Option 1: Mother’s Day Wallop. The florist who initially suggested the idea of spamming with flowers described her technique this way:
On the actual day of Mother’s Day, you send a crew outside your shop to hand out flowers for free.
“It might be a busy day at the shop,” she wrote, “but try to use Mother's Day to create a connection with future customers.” She suggested printing a tag you could attach to single stems. Include your shop’s contact info and the message “I love my mother!” Then pass the blossoms out at a location within your intended demographic. Simply ask recipients, “Forgot it was Mother's Day? We didn't! Here! Take one!"
“It may not mean direct client conversion, but it is definitely more memorable, and it (will) make people talk.” After all, she pointed out, “Word of mouth is still the best strategy for retailers. Instead of writing down how good you are, you get to show them!”
Option 2: Parking Lot Punch. Another florist had a similar idea, though she doesn’t use the technique on Mother’s Day. “We give out unsalable flowers with our business cards regularly in the parking lots of the two (local) grocery stores,” she said. She reported having booked several weddings from use of the tactic, as well as raising awareness among customers who said they weren’t familiar with her shop (despite its longevity at its location). (When asked by other florists about quality concerns with “unsalable” stems, she explained that the person handing out the blossoms tells recipients that the flowers are “too pretty to toss but not nice enough to sell.” She makes sure to let customers know the flowers don’t have much vase life left.) She said she also has had great luck having “a parking lot sale” on Saturday mornings with nice weather. “People see the stuff and come in droves,” she said.
Option 3: Public Love Smack Down. Handing out flowers at competitions or charity events was a tactic used by another florist. She suggested contacting the local newspaper ahead of time to let them know you’ll be providing the giveaways. “The free publicity is always good!” she said. Similarly, another florist used to have good luck handing out flowers at her small town’s annual parade. “My girls were young, and they had a basket full of them to hand out....fun for everyone!” she wrote.
Option 4: Hospital Hit. A less obvious site at which to give away free flowers is your local hospital. One florist noted that she had tried newspaper inserts, direct mail and e-mail through a third-party vendor with no results from any of those methods.
“Then we took 500 carnations and business cards, went to hospital and handed them to every person we came across,” she said. Her staff offered an added incentive to recipients: If they came in to the shop and said they had received a flower at the hospital, they got 10 percent off. It was a big hit, she said—big enough that she now repeats it annually. “It always pays for itself, and we gain new customers,” she wrote.
What about you? What have been your most successful marketing promotions—for Mother’s Day or otherwise? Send your advice to [email protected] so we can share your suggestions with other florists.
So Glad to Have You Visiting Us!
We hope you’ve enjoyed this article. And, since you’re already online with us, take our quick, 3-minute intro video tour here to find out about all the great resources we offer.
Next, delve into more great articles like the one above in our "Blooming Banter" section. "Blooming Banter" is filled with content exclusively written for florists.
If you like what you see, sign up for membership! You can join for FREE! You'll automatically get a 30-day trial to our Pro-level membership. No credit card required.
Pro-level membership gives you access to all areas of the site, including all the forums, the photo gallery, blogs, videos, webinars and downloadable resources.
At the end of 30 days, your membership will automatically convert to our Basic level unless you choose to remain a Pro member. Heck, for the price of about two of those fancy coffee drinks each month, you can continue as a Pro member with all the benefits!
We look forward to seeing you in the forums!