How to promote independent bookstores?

The trend among independent bookstores is to conduct market segmentation. Finding suitable user groups is more important than blind promotion.

Nowadays, bookstores are more diversified, so they can develop some novel and interesting services. For example, some bookstores in Japan open limited-time comic-themed coffees, and some provide overnight stays. Some domestic bookstores also open "late-night canteens" to recruit volunteers. In the long run, these can lay the foundation for word-of-mouth publicity, but they require creativity and long-term persistence.

Instead of new users, many bookstores are beginning to find repeat customers. For example, some children's picture book stores and women's bookstores have launched membership systems.

It is also a good channel for bookstores to open online stores to sell their own cultural and creative products.

Independent bookstores have strong characteristics of their own, so they can gather a group of users who match this temperament. They will also be sticky users, also known as loyal users. When your temperament matches the group base, the greater the number of users. The bigger you can do it, the more niche your temperament is, then it’s suitable for a small circle.

So don’t carry out too much general promotion, as that will have little effect, and will often bring in some users with different values ????or quality views from the sticky users, causing conflict of feelings, which is not conducive to the operation of the bookstore. .

Since we have established a bookstore business, especially an independent bookstore, we must be fully mentally prepared to fight a protracted war. Brand characteristics need to be shaped by culture, and cultural shaping is not just a matter of twos and threes. What can be built in the sky requires intensive work and accumulation over time to gradually expand the audience group it affects. In terms of publicity, word-of-mouth promotion is more suitable. It is ideal to conduct word-of-mouth promotion through yourself and sticky users. At the same time, do more interactive activities that meet the characteristics of the target group to attract target groups who are not yet sticky users.

In the current social environment with information expansion, trusting acquaintances has become the first choice source of information for most people. Therefore, do your best first. A good independent bookstore is really one that is not afraid of the dark alleys.