Back-to-school shopping is the second most important retail period, just behind the winter holidays. With students and parents on the lookout for trending school supplies, academic essentials, stylish clothing, and other student needs, now’s the time to focus on marketing to capture this audience. The S&P Global Market Intelligence study projects that the back-to-school season will continue to increase every year — in 2024, it was projected to reach over $1 trillion in sales. With many families looking for discounts and Labor Day promotions, customers start searching for new products to get ready for the upcoming school year as summer comes to a close. This time of year, stretching from the middle of summer to early fall, can be your business’s opportunity for record sales.
Back-to-school season is a great way to increase sales if you market it in the right way to the right people. A study by Capital One Shopping showed that most households spend $597 per child for K-12 and $1,366.95 for those in college. Historically, back-to-school shoppers compare prices online, so having a solid online marketing plan is important. To attract this market, businesses should focus on showing off the value of their products along with offering special back-to-school deals. Let’s delve into some impactful marketing strategies and innovative ideas to capitalize on this potential and drive success. Here are 19 creative marketing strategies from mid-summer to early autumn to engage customers and boost sales.
6 Essential Strategies to Market Back-to-School Products
Redesign Your Storefront and Website
Enhance your online and offline presence by incorporating seasonal themes that reflect the spirit of this time of year. By adding a Back to School banner on the top of your website or refreshing other website visuals and social media posts, you help the customer identify you as a top choice for their purchases. Pepper marketing materials with colors, images, and messages that resonate with the school season. For your physical spaces, consider adding decorations and signage that celebrate local schools’ team colors, as well as seasonal changes, creating an engaging and inviting atmosphere for your audience.
Build Multi-Generational Appeal
“Your marketing needs to resonate with Gen Z students and their millennial parents,” says Allie Pellerano-Rendòn, CEO & co-founder at The Collection Atelier, which focuses on fashion design and marketing. “Highlight value-driven benefits like quality, versatility, and longevity. Position your products as smart investments rather than one-time purchases, appealing to practicality and style preferences.” This double-edged marketing sword helps customers make purchasing decisions with confidence in your brand.
Offer Exclusive Discounts for Students and Teachers
Build loyalty with special deals for students and educators, who have a lot of clout and might spread word-of-mouth marketing. A lot of items that parents will buy for their children are obvious: pencils, notebooks, and backpacks, but you might also look at teacher needs and offer them at a discount. Of course, check your margins to ensure you’re still within profits, but you can stay competitive by keeping price points lower than other vendors in your market.
Personalize Your Email Campaigns
Divide your email list into specific segments based on factors such as customer preferences, purchase history, and demographics. This allows you to craft personalized recommendations that resonate with each group. Offer exclusive discounts tailored to their interests to enhance engagement and foster customer loyalty.
Incorporate User-Generated Content
Encourage customers to share their purchases on social media using a designated hashtag or visual template. Consider running a giveaway or competition for the best user-generated content (UGC) created by your followers. Repost your customers’ stories on Instagram and TikTok, or post about them on your website’s front page. This not only builds community and excitement around your brand but also helps improve your website’s ranking on Google, as sites with UGC are favored over those without.
Promote Back-to-School Bundles
Offer discounted bundles that cater specifically to various age groups, school grades, or demographics. For instance, take a closer look at the selection of products available in your catalog that would be particularly suitable for third graders or students aged 8 to 10. Think about items such as educational supplies, fun stationery, or engaging books that would resonate with that age group. You could also make bundles specific to certain sports or academic activities. By thoughtfully curating these bundles, you can provide great value and also meet the unique needs and interests of young students.
6 Ideas For a Successful Back-to-School Marketing Campaign
Create Seasonal Video Content
Create captivating videos that highlight your products in real-world scenarios, demonstrating their features and benefits in action. Show potential customers how your offerings can enhance their lives by providing visual storytelling that captures attention and sparks interest, and make sure it ties back to the back-to-school season.
Harness Themed Social Media Campaigns
Start a “Back-to-School Countdown” or other vibrant campaigns to position your brand as an authority in the space. Spark enthusiasm with engaging campaigns that feature smart tips, how-to guides, or parenting advice along with your essential products. This strategy will captivate your audience and build trust.
Host a Back-to-School Contest
Boost your social media engagement by running fun contests with great prizes! Encourage followers to share their photos or ideas related to your brand. Offer appealing rewards like exclusive merch or gift cards. Get the word out about these contests with fun and eye-catching posts to boost excitement and get everyone involved. It’ll help build a lively community and strengthen those connections with your brand.
Curate Back-to-School Guides
Create downloadable checklists for essential items tailored to various demographics, such as first graders, high school seniors, or your Taylor Swift-loving pre-teens. These practical lists make it easy for users to keep track of important items while also introducing them to new products. As a bonus, they can be easily printed or saved for quick access, establishing your authority in the field and increasing brand loyalty.
Launch a Referral Program
Motivate your customers to refer friends and family by offering attractive discounts for both the referrer and the new customers they bring in. This mutually beneficial program rewards your loyal patrons for spreading the word about your business and incentivizes newcomers to try your products or services at a reduced rate. It’s a win-win situation that fosters community and growth.
Organize a School Supply Drive
Collaborate with local schools to host a school supply drive, offering incentives like rewards for high contributors. This initiative encourages community support and ensures all students have the essential supplies they need.
Back-to-School Marketing Phrases and Slogans to Try
Use these marketing slogans to come up with ideas for your company’s back-to-school marketing campaigns.
Back to school means back to savings!
Unlock amazing savings on all your back-to-school essentials.
Gear up for the year ahead — grab everything you need for school success.
We’re giving this back-to-school sale an A+!
Find great deals on all your back-to-school supplies.
What’s better than extra credit? Extra savings!
Make the grade with school supplies that won’t break the bank!
Considerations When Launching Your Back-to-School Marketing Campaign
“The back-to-school marketing landscape has transformed dramatically in recent years, shaped by shifting consumer behaviors and a digital-first-world approach,” Pellerano-Rendòn says. “Today’s campaign planning requires a nuanced understanding of generational attitudes and the changing nature of education.” As you build out your 2025 marketing campaign for the back-to-school season, include these key considerations.
Timing is Everything
If you’re wondering, “When should I launch my back-to-school marketing campaign?”, you’re already ahead of the crowd. Timing, in fact, is everything when it comes to marketing campaigns. After all, you don’t sell Christmas toys in February or Valentine’s gifts in August. Think seasonally and follow advertising algorithms.
“Back-to-school campaigns start early because parents budget big purchases months ahead,” says Vivian Au, founder of Air Corporate, which facilitates online company registration and provides accounting and other services for entrepreneurs and SMEs. “Early promotions capture shoppers who spread costs across paychecks. Retailers compete for limited household budgets, making first-mover advantage valuable.”
You’ll want to start social media posts about two to four weeks before your target sales dates to give them enough time to gain traction. Paid ads (via Google, Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok) can take up to two weeks to find your target customers, and social media posts can take up to four weeks to catch on.
Invest Where Your Customer Is
Where does your customer spend time? Are they kids looking for trendy products on TikTok? Savvy dads reading Google reviews? Or are most of your purchases coming from moms who price compare through an app? When planning your back-to-school marketing strategies, focus your budget on the platforms where your target customers are most active to engage them effectively. Remember, you always want to invest your money where your customer spends their time.
Specificity is Key
Parents and students focus on the current year, so you don’t want to market algebra tools to a kindergartener or crayons to a middle schooler. Market your products for each grade or a range of ages, or create bundles so parents can buy them all in one place. If you operate a local business, consider reaching out to schools in your community to inquire whether they have released their school supply lists. Obtaining these lists will allow you to align your inventory with the specific items that students and parents are looking for. By ensuring that you stock the supplies suggested by the schools, you can better meet the needs of your customers and attract more business during the back-to-school season.
Back-to-School Consumer Trends
Back-to-school consumer trends are shifting towards personalized shopping experiences. Keep this in mind, and create lists or product pairings that work for specific groups or ages. Shipping and convenience are essential, as well, and families are seeking efficient purchasing options that allow for quick delivery and a hassle-free experience. Ensure that your digital platforms have a great user experience and that your shipping is seamless and speedy.
Back-to-School Marketing Campaign Success
The most successful back-to-school campaigns focus on strategic marketing techniques that resonate with your audience. “I recall one particular campaign we ran for a client in the education sector,” says Andy Golpys, the co-founder of the award-winning branding and web design studio, MadeByShape. “We decided to launch a social media campaign that would run from June to September, targeting parents and teachers who were preparing for the upcoming school year. We created a series of engaging ads and social media posts that highlighted the benefits of our client’s educational resources and partnered with influencers in the education niche to promote our client’s products. Looking back, I realize that our success was largely due to our ability to understand our target audience and tailor our marketing efforts accordingly.”
Optimize your marketing by using clear messaging and eye-catching visuals to attract attention. Launch engaging promotions, such as limited-time offers, to excite students as they prepare for the school year. These strategies will enhance sales and build lasting customer loyalty.
Key Takeaways
Implementing impactful back-to-school marketing strategies offers a valuable opportunity for businesses to substantially increase sales. By tweaking your online presence with engaging visuals, offering exclusive discounts, and addressing the needs and preferences of students and their parents, businesses can effectively navigate the dynamic landscape of this crucial retail season. These targeted efforts not only drive immediate sales, but they also cultivate lasting customer loyalty, so you can bring your clients back for the holiday season and position your company for future success.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What does back-to-school season mean?
The back-to-school season refers to the period when students and parents prepare for the new academic year. This typically involves shopping for school supplies, clothing, books, and school-year gear like backpacks and lunch boxes.
What month is back-to-school in the U.S.?
While the back-to-school season can vary by location, most businesses in the United States target late July to early August for their back-to-school marketing strategies.
Why do back-to-school ads start so early?
Back-to-school ads start early to capitalize on consumer readiness and psychological triggers. Retailers aim to capture shoppers’ attention before the rush, promote early discounts, and encourage families to plan and budget for supplies, clothes, and other essentials well in advance.
What are the most popular back-to-school products?
Back-to-school shopping lists primarily feature electronics, clothing, shoes, and administrative school supplies like pencils, markers, and notebooks. With technology playing an essential role in education, devices have become as marketworthy as traditional items like backpacks and binders. You might also consider selling tech products, devices, and accessories like USB cables and detachable keyboards.
