How Can I Let Buyers Know I have New Products?
Congratulations! You’ve begun to compile a list of buyers who are interested in carrying your products in their stores. How Can I Let Buyers Know I have New Products?
Now that you’re building relationships with these buyers, it’s important that you keep them updated anytime you have a new product release. There are a number of ways you can do this, which we’ll cover today. But the main thing I want you to know is that not every buyer will want to consume this information in the same way. You may have to “meet the buyer where they are”. For example, they may not spend a lot of time on social media, so email or text is the best way to communicate. Let’s dive in!
Social Media Updates
Maintaining a presence on social media is a great way to keep your buyers up to date whenever you release a new product. You can also use social media to create good relationships by interacting with their content. Make sure to repost to your feed or Instagram Stories anytime they post about your products.
Community Building Groups
One of the best ways to build relationships with your buyers is to create an exclusive online group where they can access all the materials related to your business and products. I recommend adding sales tips, product verbiage, and photos/videos they can use in-store or on social media. In this group, they’ll be able to ask questions and strengthen their knowledge about your business and your story. You can create this group on Facebook or over on Instagram using the group DM feature. Pro Tip: Create a “Close Friends” list on Instagram of your buyers. When you have a new product to release, post some behind-the-scenes footage of it to your Close Friends!
Email Updates
One of my favorite ways to communicate with buyers is through email because it’s “algorithm-proof”. If you already have an email account set up through a provider such as Mailchimp, ConvertKit, or Flodesk, set up a new “Segment” just for your buyers. When you exchange information and begin the relationship, add them to your “buyers segment”. Then anytime you have an announcement, such as a new product launch, you can email them directly with all the information and assets they would need to market your product. The easier you can make it on your buyers to market your product, the better the relationships will be.
Phone Call
If you’ve been working with buyers for a while now, and have built a list of VIPs, updating them via phone call is a great way to be more personal with them. But calling can be a hassle if you have a lot of stores on your VIP list or if the buyer is busy. Try to reach out via email or text first to schedule the call, that way everyone can add it to their calendar!
Post Card
We’re going old school! Sending a traditional postcard showcasing your new products is a great way to let buyers see your product first. If the postcard is beautifully created, it will end up on a bulletin board and they will be able to reference it often for displays.
Box of New Release
First things first, I don’t recommend sending out products to stores unless they’ve specifically asked for it. However, if you have built a good relationship with the buyer, then you can offer to do a “trunk show” with your new products. If they accept, you’ll send the “trunk” of products, and they sell what they can on consignment to do how it performs in their store. When the “trunk show” is over, the store will either buy out the rest of the merchandise or send it back, with payment for what was already sold. This option is great for stores that you’ve been working to get into for a while!
Download my free Pitch, Please e-book for more tips to use for media and stores.