Whether you have an enormous or small business, offering a great gift card program can greatly benefit your operation. Gift cards are beloved by retailers and shoppers alike. They are extremely convenient, easy to manage and often inspire people to spend more of their money at your store.

Knowing how to maximize gift card sales can elevate your business model and inspire more people to visit your retail location and website.

12 Ways to Sell More Gift Cards

Your business’s gift card program can be very advantageous to your overall operation. Explore the following ideas for selling more gift cards:

1. Boost Gift Card Visibility

One of the most effective ways to increase your gift card sales is to boost their visibility to consumers. Your business can do this in a few different ways.

Positioning your gift card displays in various places throughout your space can help your business reach more of its customers.

Retail stores can benefit from using dressing room waiting areas, window displays and shelves throughout the space to boost visibility. Typically, the most effective location for your gift card display is the checkout counters, where your business can inspire shoppers to impulse buy your cards.

Placing card displays near registers is an excellent method to boost sales because consumers spend an average of over $300 a month on impulse purchases in the United States.

If you’re in the food and beverage industry, consider placing restaurant gift cards on your hostess stands, atop the bar and by your cash registers.

2. Personalize Your Gift Cards

Another way to boost gift card sales is to use personalization to your business’s advantage. There are many ways to include custom designs and capabilities into your brand’s gift card program.

Patrons are more inclined to pay attention to bold and eye-catching items. Using fun and interesting designs for your gift cards and their displays can effectively help you sell more.

Use personalized gift card packaging and point-of-purchase displays as strategic in-store marketing tools to promote your card program and engage more customers. Presenting your cards in a special and personal way will make people more inclined to explore your offers. A beautifully packaged gift card makes for a great present and can help your business increase card sales.

Some ideas for unique gift card packaging include:

• Bags
• One-flip boxes
• Greeting cards
• Mini envelopes
• Pillow boxes
• Pop-up carriers
• Sliders
• Tins
• Z-folds

3. Encourage Your Employees to Promote Gift Cards

Do not overlook how beneficial having your employees promote your business’s gift cards can be. Instruct them to share information about your card program with customers whenever possible, including when they assist shoppers and when people check out. Simply asking, “Do you need any gift cards today?” can encourage purchases.

Even if a customer does not opt to buy a card then and there, it is advantageous to get the word out and let people know about your offers.

One way to ensure your team is proactive about promoting gift cards is to offer incentives for how many they sell. Retailers can motivate their associates to recommend the option to customers, especially those who want assistance finding a present for someone else but are unsure what merchandise to pick out.

4. Leverage Social Media

Social media is an incredible tool for all types of businesses. You can use your accounts to promote your gift card program and reach a greater audience.

There are various ways to leverage your business’s social media presence to increase sales, such as:

• Gift card features: Some social media platforms like Instagram allow businesses to set up buttons to streamline gift card purchases directly from the website or smartphone application.
• Paid advertisements: Businesses can benefit from sharing paid ads that highlight their gift card offers to optimize content marketing and generate more awareness.
• Video content: As social media has evolved over the last decade, video content has risen in popularity. Brands can use short clips to capture the consumer’s attention and promote gift card sales, especially during the holidays.

5. Offer Physical and Digital Gift Cards

Another effective way to boost your gift card sales is to make them as convenient as possible for the customer to purchase. Among the best ways to do this is to offer physical and digital gift cards. You can meet shoppers where they are, whether they are in person at your business’s physical location or browsing online.

The easier it is for your customers to get a gift card, the better. Promo-Gift-to-Go from PLI Card Marketing Solutions allows you to share a card featuring a QR code. When shoppers scan the code with their smartphone, it will direct them straight to a page on your business’s website with your gift card store, which features all their options in a centralized place.

6. Share Gift Card Promotions

Businesses can also optimize their gift card sales by hosting special limited-time deals on them. Extending a promotion can help motivate shoppers who are on the fence. Having an incentive will make them more likely to buy the gift cards.

You could run a promotion where customers can get two $30 gift cards for $50. Another example would be giving a customer a $10 gift card when they buy one worth $75 or more.

Giving customers a small discount or money in return for their spending can inspire greater brand loyalty. Most shoppers end up spending more at a store than what’s available on their gift card, so you could end up gaining extra profits by running a gift card promotion.

7. Design Gift Cards for Specific Themes and Events

A great way to make gift cards more appealing to customers is to design them to fit certain themes and coincide with special events, such as:

• Holidays: Consider creating seasonal and holiday-related cards with festive designs.
• Graduations: Themed gift cards are an excellent option for congratulating a recent high school or college graduate.
• Birthdays: A gift card with a happy birthday message, confetti or cake illustration makes for a special birthday present.
• Anniversaries or engagements: Proposal or wedding anniversary-themed gift cards are an easy way to mark the occasion.
• Condolences: Someone dealing with a recent loss can also benefit from a kind gift card that acknowledges their experience.
• Pets: Themed gift cards are great for new pet parents or a little something extra for a loved one’s furry friend.
• Thank-you’s: Extending gratitude to a friend, neighbor or co-worker is easy with a themed gift card.

8. Keep Gift Cards Near Related Products

An effective way to elevate gift card sales is cross-merchandising with related products. For example, including gift cards in an aisle with greeting cards can be highly beneficial.

Retail stores that use themed gift cards can strategically place them near the sections of the store that sell relevant items. Another example would be including a baby shower themed card in an infant toy aisle.

Keeping gift cards near related products can give shoppers added convenience and an easy solution when they are unsure of what merchandise to choose.

Anywhere in a retail store with items commonly used as presents can benefit from having a gift card display. Some key retail aisles to keep gift cards near might include:

• Books
• Candy
• Technology
• Toys

9. Market Gift Cards Across All Channels

Businesses can boost their gift card program by sharing it across all channels they utilize to sell and promote their offers.

Having a page on your business’s website dedicated to gift cards can be valuable. Include links to this page on your e-commerce platforms. Likewise, it can be useful to share a link to your gift cards in marketing emails.

Anywhere you are promoting your business is an opportunity to encourage shoppers to explore your gift cards.

Again, it can be helpful to share posts on social media spotlighting your gift cards. Your brand can use its social channels to suggest using your cards for last-minute present ideas and for celebrating special occasions like Valentine’s Day or Father’s Day.

10. Offer Direct Mail Gift Certificates

Another way to encourage more people to purchase gift cards from your business is to offer direct mail solutions. Your customers will appreciate how convenient and easy sending a certificate to a loved one or co-worker is with these mailers.

An effective way to target shoppers for these gift cards is to highlight how they are a great answer for someone who needs a last-minute present. You can also emphasize how shoppers can use mailers for someone who lives far away or who they won’t get to see on a special day.

The Ready. Set. Gift! mailer from PLI Card Marketing Solutions makes it easy to entice your loyal customers. Businesses can use direct mail gift certificates to encourage shoppers to spend money in stores.

11. Market to People Outside Your Target Customers

Businesses can also increase gift card sales by marketing to the right people. In addition to promoting your offers to your target clientele, consider also targeting those who might want to give your loyal customers a gift card as a present.

For instance, a beauty brand with a largely female audience might market their gift cards to their customers’ significant others for special occasions like Mother’s Day or a birthday. By making it easy for someone who is not familiar with your products or services, you can boost gift card sales among people outside of your target customers.

Your gift card recipients will appreciate the thought, and those buying the cards will enjoy the convenience.

12. Update Your Gift Card Packaging and Displays

The final tip for boosting gift card sales for your business is to update your packaging and displays. By stepping up your gift card presentation, you can capture the attention of more shoppers and make your cards look more enticing to give as presents.

Using interesting and eye-catching designs is key to capturing shoppers’ attention and making your cards look more attractive. Think of the difference between a plain stack of gift cards on a checkout counter versus a unique and themed point-of-purchase display.

PLI Card Marketing Solutions is your business’s one-stop shop for everything you need to design impressive packaging and displays.

Why Businesses Should Offer Gift Cards

Explore these reasons why businesses can benefit from promoting their gift card offerings:

The Gift Card Market Is Growing

Gift cards are not going anywhere. The global digital gift card market has an expected compound annual growth rate of 14.2%. Whether you own a movie theater, a gas station or a restaurant, offering gift cards to your customers can be highly advantageous.

By stepping up your gift card designs and presentation, you can reach more customers and increase sales.

Gift Cards Boost Brand Awareness

Gift cards are an effective way to promote your business and enhance brand awareness. Personalized designs with your company’s name and branding make your cards double as marketing and advertising tools.

As your customers use and carry your gift cards with them, they function as brand ambassadors. An interesting or eye-catching card can spark the interest of friends and family members, creating more buzz around your business and what you have to offer.

Having your cards displayed beautifully can also help your business enhance brand awareness and capture more people’s attention.

Gift Cards Are Convenient for Your Customers

There are very few gift ideas that are easier and simpler than a prepaid card. In 2022, 50% of United States consumers said they planned on making gift card purchases because of their convenience. Offering gift cards can inspire greater brand loyalty and keep your customers coming back time after time.

You Can Increase Sales

Gift cards are an effective solution for boosting sales and making additional revenue.

Your business can benefit from a gift card sales spike, especially because 33% of shoppers spend more money on a gift card than they do on a physical present.

Gift card recipients also tend to spend more at your business than the amount of their card. Having a prominent gift card program can ultimately increase your sales and inspire consumers to buy more from you than they would otherwise.

You’ll Reach New Customers

Gift cards enable you to reach new customers and encourage them to visit your business.

Your program can inspire loyal customers to give their friends and families gift cards so they can check out what you have to offer. If your gift card design and presentation are interesting, you can spark the interest of new customers and make them more curious about your services or products. Those customers may use their gift cards to purchase from you, enjoy your offerings and come back to spend more.

Boost Your Business’s Gift Card Program With PLI Card Marketing Solutions

When your business wants to boost gift card sales, turn to PLI Card Marketing Solutions. We are your go-to card marketing partner and can help your brand develop a successful gift card program.

Our expert team will help design your card programs and help you enhance brand awareness with thoughtful point-of-purchase displays. We can also support your business in exploring new card distribution channels and differentiating your unique offers from the competition.

Are you ready to get started on your gift card program? Contact PLI Card Marketing Solutions to learn more today!

Sources:

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