We all know that Black Friday and Cyber Monday are nearly upon us, however we are in a very unique industry in that most people will not be purchasing medical supplies for gifts. So the question becomes, how can we use these manufactured holidays to sell more cash and retail items.
Below I have listed a few ways in which you can use creative marketing and advertising to reach more customers and attract potential new ones.
Play into consumers’ state of minds
Gift cards: Your customers will already be in the “shopping state of mind” so to speak, so play into this by offering them gift cards to stores where they may already be planning to make purchases. For example, you could have a promotion that says “Spend $75 or more today on Incontinence items and receive a $5 gift card to Target.” It’s not a lot, and I know some of you may be saying “My margins on cash already thin, I can’t afford to give away $2 dollars let alone $5!” I would agree with you on that, however by offering a discount around the “shopping state of mind” season, you will evoke a great brand building interaction with your customer.
Offer something free
Shipping: If you have an online store, free shipping is the No. 1 discount by far. Try to offer free shipping site wide for Cyber Monday. Research your competition and ask yourself, “How can I do this better? What can I do that is more compelling and unique?”
Email Blast
Leverage the hype: Use Black Friday and Cyber Monday as an excuse to reach out to your customer base. As we talked about previously, everyone is already in the shopping state of mind, and from my experience customers are more open and receptive to advertising based around these days for our industry.
Get personal: The holiday season is the perfect time to get personal with your customers. Try working in “from the desk of” email blasts. These are emails that come from C-level executives and usually have a small blurb about the holiday season and how important the customers are to the business (which they really are).
In the fast moving age we live in, it can be difficult to keep up with the large companies and brands that have huge advertising budgets and planning. However we have the unique opportunity to really shine in our industry as our customers trust us with the most important gift of all, health. Use this time of the year to let your true colors shine as a provider, vendor, or manufacturer. Tell your story, tell customers why it’s important that their health and well-being matters. I’ve always liked the saying I learned when I first started in this industry: “Our patients never take vacations from getting sick, and we never take vacations from providing them the products and services that allow them to live the best possible life”
Justin Racine serves as Marketing & eCommerce Manager for Geriatric Medical in Woburn, Massachusetts. Geriatric Medical is a medical supply distributor that stocks thousands of name brand and generic products at the lowest possible price. As Marketing & eCommerce manager, Justin is in charge of overseeing all marketing and eCommerce efforts for both Geriatric Medical and its customers.
