Marketing

ABA is warning stores participating in the Kobo partnership that there could be unintended negative consequences to using a third-party e-mail service when distributing promotional links to customers.

Thanks to Algonquin Books, customers who purchase a Kobo Glo or Mini from an ABA member store from November 19 – 26 will receive a promotional code for a free download of “The Art Forger,” by B.A. Shapiro, the #1 Indie Next List Great Read for November.

The array of materials available to booksellers to promote sales of Kobo eBooks and eReaders grew this week with the addition to the Bookseller DIY of three tent card designs, new web banners, bookmarks, and a letter-sized poster for a special launch promotion.

The Small Business Saturday Toolkit includes turn-key messages, logos, and banners to help spread the word, engage small businesses, and drive consumers to indies on November 24, one of the biggest shopping days of the year.

As a work-around until BookWeb is back, many of the DIY resources to promote Kobo eBooks and eReaders and the Thanks for Shopping Indie campaign have been made available in a temporary DIY on the BTW website.

ABA member stores will find a number of newly added resources on BookWeb’s Kobo Bookseller Resource page to help them market and sell Kobo eBooks, eReaders, and accessories.

To help businesses and communities get ready for the November 24 celebration of Small Business Saturday, shopsmall.com features free marketing materials, tools, and other resources.

The last day to sign up for Thanks for Shopping Indie, the first multi-publisher initiative for ABA member stores, is Monday, October 22. The promotion, which starts on Small Business Saturday, provides booksellers with an opportunity to give back to their customers on a broad range of 2012 Indie Next List titles.

Thanks for Shopping Indie, the first-ever multi-publisher promotion exclusively for ABA member bookstores, will give booksellers the opportunity to offer  an “extra” to customers on a broad range of 2012 Indie Next List titles. The promotion starts on November 24, Small Business Saturday, but to take part stores must sign up by October 22.

The IndieCommerce Publisher Promotions page has been updated this week with four promotions — two underway now, two starting October 1.

Booksellers across the country had high praise for Candlewick’s “Find Waldo Local” campaign, which resulted in increased traffic and sales at participating businesses. The popular month-long campaign left customers asking when the next scavenger hunt would be.

The Bookseller Do-It-Yourself toolbox for creating IndieBound and indie-inspired marketing materials is sporting a new look, a new feature, and a poster with a cool new summer design.

“Big Break for Small Business,” the second annual contest sponsored by American Express OPEN and Facebook, will award five winning businesses both $25,000 to grow their businesses and a one-on-one strategy session. The entry period ends July 13.

In July, people in cities and towns across the country will head out on scavenger hunts to find Waldo during a month-long series of events spearheaded by their local independent booksellers. The stores are all participants in “Find Waldo Local,” a campaign sponsored by Candlewick Press and ABA that aims to spur local shopping while celebrating Waldo’s 25^th anniversary.

This week, a new video featuring Ann Patchett and short clips of more than a dozen authors have been added to the Why Indies Matter campaign’s special YouTube channel, and a new letter-size poster is in the Booksellers DIY, alongside web graphics and button designs.