Learn how successful schools sell more popcorn
While meeting with neighbors, family and friends is still a great strategy, schools are now incorporating alternative strategies when it comes to popcorn fundraiser sales. After all, you can only approach so many people on foot. And even though face to face selling is still a ‘tried and true’ method, it’s no longer the only way that schools are raising money.
Here are 3 additional methods that schools are using that can also grow your sale to unprecedented levels.
1. Promote Your Popcorn Fundraiser Online
With today’s technology, there is no reason you can’t take advantage of this opportunity as well. There are many reasons why this should be incorporated into your sale:
- Larger Market: Your sellers can promote your sale anywhere in the country.
- Easy Promotion: Online stores make it easy for students to reach out to friends and family.
- No Delivery: Product ordered online is shipped directly to the customer, not the school (Unless purchasers choose the ‘ship to school’ option).
- Prize Credit: Students receive prize credit for online sales as well.
- Bonus Earnings: Your group makes the same profit percentage selling online as you do through the brochure.
Many parents don’t feel comfortable with their students selling popcorn out in the community. Even when they are approaching people that they already know. Many neighborhoods are not safe, so going door to door regardless of parental supervision, is strongly discouraged. This makes approaching family and friends by promoting your sale online a viable alternative.
Ever wonder how some students always end up selling so much more than everyone else? It’s because they're taking advantage of making sales in person, as well as promoting online. Schools are reaping the benefits as well with a significant increase in profits.
We have several schools that now raise as much online as they do through in person. We had one school in Florida raise $20,000 in face to face, and then another $20,000 online. And there were plenty of other schools that sold even more.
To get more students involved with online selling, schools should:
- Sell the idea that a diversified selling strategy will bring in more sales.
- Announce at your kickoff meeting that more sales will translate into better prizes.
- Send a letter home with ideas that parents can use to promote your sale online.
- Constantly remind students to invite family and friends to buy popcorn online.
One of our suppliers offers incentives to students just for sending out automatically generated emails to
their friends and family. To win these ‘internet prizes’, people don’t even need to make a purchase. The take home message is clear. Just get the word out and bring people to the online store. If they’re going to buy, they need to see it first.
2. School Fundraisers are About Teamwork
Instead of just having mom or dad accompany their children when making sales, why not ask them to do some of the selling for them? Teaching your children how to approach people in a safe environment under supervision is great preparation for the types of things that they’ll encounter in the future. However, students can also learn about the concept of ‘leverage’. Getting multiple people involved in the selling will significantly improve sales.
Students should be asked at their kickoff meeting to make a commitment to go home and approach their parents about helping them make sales. It's not uncommon for parents to take the popcorn to work and ask their colleagues to make a purchase.
Every popcorn fundraiser has a top seller. One of the primary reasons some students sell so much is because they can get multiple family members involved. And a parent is unavailable, why not ask other people, like older siblings and close relatives to help? The more people that students can get involved, the more sales they’ll be able to make.
3. Leverage the Power of Social Media
Talk about greatly expanding your marketing base. Social media promotion works especially well when it comes to promoting online sales because you can post the link to the online store along with your comments. Be sure to upload an eye-catching image that will draw more people to your post.
Schools need to promote this type of marketing directly to parents, particularly when younger students are involved. With older students, as opposed to approaching their friends on Instagram or Snapchat, they should be encouraged to connect with older family friends and relatives who have the financial means to make online purchases.
Engaging multiple audiences on social media giants, like Facebook and Twitter are great for get the word out about your sale. And not only should parents be encouraged to reach out to their individual networks, but if the school also has social media outlets, they can do the same. Be sure to make your message personable and relevant, but also simple.
Because of the advancement of digital technology, the opportunities available to make additional popcorn fundraising sales has never been greater. The key is to not just work hard, but to work smart.