10 Mother’s Day tips to boost sales

Don't worry about exceeding your marketing budget for this list of tips—they're mostly free. And the return for your time and effort could be a significant uptick to your bottom line.

Your Google Business Profile gives your business a searchable online identity. It can help shoppers find your business when they’re looking for—or Googling—products and services like yours in their local area. According to Google, customers are 2.7 times more likely to consider your business reputable if you have a Google Business Profile. Further, they’re 70 percent more likely to visit and 50 percent more likely to purchase if your profile is complete. That means having up-to-date contact details, business hours, and photos.

Keep in mind, since Mother's Day falls on a Sunday and your floral business may not typically be open on Sundays, your updated Google Business listing will display your special hours for Mother's Day.

You can also tap into free marketing tools from your Google Business Profile featuring social posts, posters, and customizable videos.

Your website is often the first point of contact for current and potential customers—not to mention shoppers frantically looking for a quick last-minute gift for mom. Be prepared to capture sales through those website visits with a prominent Mother's Day landing page and/or a featured space on your home page.

Design a promotional space that engages potential buyers as soon as they land on your website. Feature beautiful photos of your planned Mother's Day arrangements—making sure to use flowers, foliage, and vases you know you'll have in stock. Establish and highlight price points based on your recent Valentine's Day sales successes.

Build in online discount incentives if you can. For example, a tiered delivery rate structure could help you manage your delivery and production times, and also incentivize buyers with a discount.

Think of a gift guide as the easy button for your customers—and your sales. Customers can conveniently choose an option they like, and you can create package options that work with your inventory and encourage higher sales.

Try to tailor your gift guide to highlight different mom personas—teacher, lawyer, mother-in-law, mom-to-be, perfectionist, best friend—and include one or several gift ideas for each. Promote the guide on your website and social media channels, in customer emails, and with posters and flyers.

Promote flower subscriptions as the unexpected gift that keeps on giving. It's a fun and unique Mother's Day gift option. Offer a variety of packages—for example, three-month, six-month, and full-year subscriptions—for budget-friendly pricing. The recipient receives flowers every month, and you gain future sales.

Have fun with your messaging and promote your subscription option as a “you'll be the favorite child” gift. Promote it on your website, social media platforms, and in your store.

Don’t underestimate the sales value of sharing your store’s countdown to Mother’s Day through your social media channels. Give your audience a sneak peek of how you’re preparing for the big day. As you plan your Mother’s Day inventory and arrangements:

• Take a short video of your work and share it to your channels

• Post photos of different flowers you're featuring for Mother's Day

• Create polls for customer feedback

• Ask your followers to share their favorite mom advice

Begin four to six weeks prior to Mother's Day and keep the story going all the way up to the big day.

Email marketing is still a solid strategy to keep your customers up-to-date about your business happenings. Think about your own inbox and the number of promotional emails you receive. Your email campaign is a must—you're not the only florist vying for your customers' business on Mother's Day.

Begin at least four weeks ahead of time. Use creative subject lines, keep the email short, include images, feature a link to your online Mother's Day promotion, and don't bury your contact details. Increase frequency the closer you get to Mother's Day.

Here's an example email series:

• Mother's Day promotion introduction

• Early bird discount

• Mother's Day countdown

• Mother's Day gift guide

• Last-minute-shopper promotion

Be sure to comply with the CAN-SPAM Act rules.

Make a list that prioritizes your loyal customers and set aside a few minutes each day to call them. Let them know you appreciate their continued business. Share your Mother's Day promotions and gift guide. Suggest some custom bouquet ideas and reserve a delivery time for them. If you have extra time, consider also contacting customers who ordered during last year's Mother's Day event.

Connecting with your customers and community through blog stories can be a powerful tool to drive sales. In fact, research shows that when customers feel a strong connection to a brand, they're 57 percent more likely to increase their spending with that brand and 76 percent more likely to choose it over a competitor.

Don't oversaturate the topic, but try adding one to two blog articles in the month or two prior to Mother's Day. Here are some article topics to consider:

• The best advice your mom ever gave you

• Interesting facts about Mother's Day

• How to choose flowers for your mom this Mother's Day

• The meaning of moms through the ages

• Mother's Day poems

Turn your store into a destination by going all-out on Mother's Day decorations. Design your windows and store exterior so passers-by are so intrigued they want to stop in. Set up a coffee station so visitors stay longer. Feature an in-store drawing for a free bouquet redeemable at a later date.

A special holiday is the perfect opportunity to think outside the box. Create a thank you message with a next-visit discount to include with each order. Target the message to the buyer or craft a sweet note to the buyer's mom. Your goal is to make both generations a repeat customer.

Don't be afraid to step outside your comfort level when it comes to marketing your business. Put the same creative eye on your external promotions as you would on your in-house floral designs.

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