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IN CLOSING Marketing is in my
blood. There’s not a day that goes by
where I’m not thinking about how to
improve commercialization of the
companies I work with or patronize on
a daily basis. I guess that’s just the curse
Who writes the
review on the
shelf-talker?
Anyone. Both
employees and
customers should
be encouraged to
create them. Have
a contest and use
the most creative
designs and
messaging.
Who decides
which books get a
shelf-talker? I
personally feel that
any book that
someone (employee
or customer) is
passionate about is worthy of a shelf-
talker. You could have a small table with
blank shelf-talkers; there are several
templates available online, and pens and
markers. You could create a Committee of
Shelf-Talkers (employees and customers)
that gets together once a month to write
them. If you currently hold a Book Club,
you could ask them to write shelf-talkers. of a marketing professional. Look, if anyone
ever tries to sell you a magic marketing bullet
for your problems, run away... fast! Truth be
told, no single marketing idea will ever work
for everyone. Everything we do carries
with it risk. However, there is one thing I
can assure you––something I can and will
promise. The worst thing you can do in this
life is nothing at all. Remember, do what
you love, and love what you do, and
the world will eventually follow.
TOPSHELF MARKETING:
LET’S TALK SHELF-TALKERS
by Keith Katsikas (CEO & Publisher, TopShelf)
so customers can read them quickly,. They
are creative and informative. It’s important
that shelf-talkers are kept neat. The last
thing you want is for a shelf-talker to look
like it’s been hanging since the dawn of
time. They typically have a 50 word or less
review of the book they are located under.
Twitter/Facebook @TopShelfPub | TopShelfMagazine.net
www.TopShelfMagazine.net
Put yourself in your customer’s shoes. What
makes you want to buy something? Did you
decide to watch a movie because you liked
the title? Or buy a car because the color
enticed you? Most likely, not. Customers
make purchases based on research, need,
and recommendations. Sometimes if I can’t
choose between two items, I’ll choose the
one that was personally recommended to
me or that has the most noted
recommendations. The same goes for books.
A well-written shelf-
talker inspires
customers to
investigate a book
closer and greatly
increases the odds
that the book will sell.
If you’re not using
shelf-talkers then you
could be making a
very big mistake. It is
a fact that many
people will go to a
bookstore just to
wander or spend a
lazy afternoon. These
people are looking for
something to jump
out at them. They
want to see which
books are
recommended by the
staff or other
customers. These
people want the shelves to talk to them!
You may be thinking, what the heck is a
shelf-talker? Well, simply put, a shelf-talker is
a small sign that attaches to a retail shelf or
display. Aside from actually talking with
your customers (which you absolutely
should do) this is the best way to
communicate with potential buyers.
Effective shelf-talkers have big clear fonts
TOPShelf magazine
AUGUST2017 15