A blog on issues affecting Australia's newsagents, media and small business generally. More ...

newsagency marketing

Pitching newsXpress

Yes, this is a marketing pitch from me about newsXpress, the newsagency marketing group I own.

newsXpress is unique, engaged, optimistic and helpful. The newsXpress community is made up of wonderful retailers who support each other and who appreciate the support from a crew of head office specialists in business data, retail business management, local engagement and more.

I am sharing this video to show rather than tell.

Our theme for 2024 is MAKING THINGS HAPPEN.

It’s about action, growth, success and enjoyment for newsXpress members.

We see opportunity for attracting new shoppers, helping existing shoppers spending more and increasing the overall GP% of newsXpress member businesses.

This is what MAKING THINGS HAPPEN is about.

In December 2023, participating newsXpress members each made, on average, $3,500 gross profit from a product opportunity we accessed without any downside risk. Plenty made twice this.

In 2023 we helped a member deal with challenging cashflow, another with employee theft, another with an exit strategy and another with a complex competitor situation.

We also helped a retailer cut their rent by a third.

Nothing we pitch is mandatory.

Online is the biggest opportunity of 2024 without a doubt. The latest benchmark for Aussie retail reports online as 10% of total business revenue.

In the Aussie newsagency channel, the average figure for those with a website is under 5%.

If you don’t have a website, what would a 5% bump in revenue feel like?

We have businesses we have helped achieve a 20% bump in revenue in a year from online.

We leverage our Tower Systems experience and our newsXpress experience exclusively to help you be open 24/7, serve new shoppers and add valuable net profit in using existing overheads. Our skillset is unique, our experience backed by plenty of success.

newsXpress exclusive. We offer access to a half price, fixed price, beautiful Shopify website connected to your Tower POS software. We back this with advice and mentorship to help you find a profitable niche you like.

If you can’t increase local physical shopper traffic, online is a smart move to improve business reach and profitability.

One newsXpress member launched a website with us last year and added $50,000 in good margin revenue in six months.

Another newsXpress member used their website to pitch an entirely new product category and found a profitable second business as a result, using existing labour and facilities in the shop.

We showed another newsXpress member how to expand the reach of their website and within two months they achieved thousands in additional good margin revenue.

We’d love to connect you with some of these retailers so you can hear for yourself what is achievable.

12 likes
newsagency marketing

The challenge with being part of a franchise or a national branded business

I was in a regional town New Zealand over the weekend for a wedding and went to a local Paper Plus store to buy a wedding card. I didn’t like any of the wedding card designs they had, the range felt tired, like the shop.

It was my first time in a Paper Plus for five years and as such it’s what I’ll think of as the standard for Paper Plus until I see something different.

The shop fixtures were old school – traditional gondolas, high with products stacked. There was no flair or enticement to the retail displays, nothing to draw me into the shop. The light was bright fluro, which is now out of date for interesting local retail. There was no sense of being local.

Franchise businesses and businesses that trade under a common shingle are as strong as their weakest store.

This is one of the reason newsXpress years ago ditched requiring businesses to trade under the newsXpress shingle. It is also why the group restructured its contract and its offer to not fall under the franchise code of conduct.

Local retailers need the freedom to flourish is ways appropriate to their local setting. In a franchise this is challenging to do since the franchise approach is about a cookie-cutter approach, based on what some call a ‘system’. I can’t think of any ‘system’ or franchise model that is appropriate in the newsagency channel today. That’s my opinion at least, others will have theirs.

Our channel is going through rapid change, much of which is outside the lines of what has been traditional for newsagency businesses. What drew people to our businesses even five years ago has changed in 2024. Change is good as it opens opportunities.

So much of the growth I am seeing in newsagency businesses that are growing is outside of traditional and this is where a ‘system’ or a franchise model created decades ago will struggle to be relevant. Retail in 2024 is not relevant to what we did in 2000, 1990 or 1980. How, when and where people shop has changed. What people will buy from what was once a traditional newsagency has changed.

Local newsagents need the freed to be what they can be. This is why I moved from a franchise model years ago.

Back in the day, Paper Plus was a terrific business a model for consistency and growth. If what I saw on Saturday is any indication, it has some distance to go to be relevant to 2024 – if not the group then certainly the shop I visited.

I love owning and running my newsagency businesses today, for traditional products but more so for the opportunity to play outside the lines of tradition.

10 likes
Newsagency management

Newsagents have the best Easter cards in Australia

If you are looking for an Easter card, your local newsagent is the best place to shop and there’s why:

Your local newsagency is likely to have the best range of cards available.

 

Range matters when buying an Easter card or any card because range gives you choice. Whether is a religious Easter card, a funny Easter card or a money wallet for Easter or an easter card sharing love, your local newsagency has Easter cards for many situations.

Plenty of people use Easter as an opportunity to send a hug to someone they care about. Cards in your local newsagency provide options for this.

A bonus is that many newsagents stock Easter cards that are made in Australia. If supporting Australian jobs and Australian businesses matters to you, buying your Easter cards in your local Aussie newsagency supports this.

Now, if you are wondering why should I send an Easter card this year, here are some reasons:

  • For many, Easter is a time for joy, hope, and new beginnings. Sending a card is a way to share those feelings with others, even if you can’t celebrate together.
  • Respecting the season. Easter is an important time on the religious calendar. A card and let a loved-one know you respect that.
  • If you have friends or family some distance away, an Easter card is a thoughtful way to let someone know you’re thinking of them.
  • It’s a tradition: Exchanging Easter cards has been a tradition for many years. It can be a nice way to connect with that.
  • Easter cards aren’t just for religious folks. Many cards feature springtime imagery or secular greetings that anyone can appreciate.
  • Make someone smile: A handwritten note or a funny Easter card is a guaranteed pick-me-up for many people.

Remember, the Easter card you send will hole a memory they are likely to cherish for many years to come. Write something memorable, so these memories of you live on years later when they open the old shoebox and find this year’s easter card.

Footnote: I have written this post for Google as people go there to ask where to buy Easter cards.

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newsagency marketing

The value of a website for your newsagency

Attracting shoppers from far away is one of the benefits of a website for any retail business. There are plenty of other benefits including being able to sell products when the shop is closed, letting people see what’s in-stock from their home, selling products before you have them in-store and quitting stock that’s not selling in-store to list a few more.

One of the biggest benefits of a website is the opportunity to create a plan b for the business, selling products in a completely different category to provide a fresh income stream, a soft landing should the core retail business find itself in rough waters. The two major websites I have related to my own retail business do this, they sell plenty of products not stocked in the shop with fulfilment from a ‘dark’ store, a space not open to in-store shopping but leveraging retail business resources for efficiency.

There are many benefits of selling online. Having a website today is as important as having a fax machine was twenty years ago. It’s a basic business tool.

Here are some newsagencies with websites. yes, they are all newsXpress businesses because I have their details at hand. Take a look. Some are completed and trading while others are early on that journey.

I have shared this list because showing is better than telling.

Most retailers tend to overthink their first website or two. The best advice is launch early and launch often. In other words, develop an idea and go with it. Learn about being online and evolve the website as you learn more.

The website does not have to reflect your shop, but it can if you want.

Web development is expensive, especially if it is done 100% in Australia like these have been. If you want to reach more shoppers, it is critical. But, a website is a hungry beast. feed it and it is more likely you serve you well. Don’t feed it, and it is likely to not serve you well.

Disclosure: my newsagency software company, Tower Systems, has made many websites for newsagents. newsXpress, the newsagency marketing group I own, offers members half price beautiful websites from Tower.

10 likes
Newsagency management

Looking at Valentine’s Day through different lenses

I’m grateful for the opportunity to look at a variety of retail in Dallas, Atlanta and New York last week on the back of the awesome Atlanta gift fair. While looking at different shops, I noticed a terrific variety of Valentine’s Day offerings:

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newsagency marketing

Buy your Valentine’s Day card at your local newsagency and feel the love you want to give

Okay, you can buy a Valentine’s Day card online, you can even buy one from Hallmark online direct since they are competing with the retailers they supply. But buying a Valentine’s Day card online is not the same as buying in-store.

Giving a card to the one you love is sharing feelings. You want to pick up different cards, feel them, read them, and then you can choose the card that feels right to you.

Doing this, visiting your local newsagency, to find the card that feels right to you says more than a couple of clicks online that all too often send money offshore. Supporting local retailers shows you love local and appreciate local.

Feeling the card you choose matters because there is a big difference between the way cards feel. From the card stock itself (how thick it is, whether it is a smooth finish or rougher, whether it is made from recycled material) to the type of printing to any treatments that enhance the card, feeling different cards can certainly help with your card purchase selection. This is why shopping your local newsagency for a Valentine’s Day card really does matter.

Another choice you may make when buying a Valentine’s Day card is where it is made. Turn the card over and see where it is printed. Some websites make it very hard to do this, to see the back of the card.

If you want to choose a Valentine’s Day card that feels right to you, shopping local, especially at your local newsagency, gives you the best opportunity to compare feelings, to find the Valentine’s Day card that feels right to you.

Now, for the type of shop you buy your card from, please preference local and, especially, locally owned. While supermarkets have Valentine’s Day cards, they are unlikely to be locally owned. Shopping locally owned is a way of loving your local community, especially if you or anyone you know will ask local shops to support local community groups.

Valentine’s Day is an opportunity to connect with feelings. Finding the card the feels right is a terrific way to embrace the day and to embrace the relationship – through a tactile Valentine’s Day card.

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Newsagency management

Why don’t all newsagents sell lotto?

It’s expected by many that all newsagents sell lotto, or lottery products. The thing is, not all of us do. Indeed, not all newsagents do what many expect all newsagents do do.

Each newsagency in Australia is locally owned and run.

Sometimes, these local retailers make choices outside of what you may expect for a newsagency. There at also situations where a supplier, like a lottery business, may decide a local newsagent is not the right fit for them because they already have another business near by, or for some other reason.

What Australians expect from their local newsagency has changed, and continues to change, to evolve, as the world evolved.

In terms of lotteries being in every local newsagency, while many newsagents do sell lottery products, there are many who do not. It would be wrong to judge them for this situation.

There is no shortage of lottery outlets in Australia. Plus, there is online, where, for example, it is easy to buy syndicate shares for syndicates put together and managed by local lottery retailers, including newsagents. Just because you can’t find a local shop right now does not mean you can’t support a local shop right now.

I’ve posed the question Why don’t all newsagents sell lotto? because I can see people asking this online. I suspect there has been a surge in the question because of the $150M Powerball jackpot.

The answer to Why don’t all newsagents sell lotto? is because either they choose not to or the lottery licence holder chooses to not allow them to.

I’ve chose to not sell lottery products in my own newsagencies for the last 11 years. I used to sell lottery products, from 1996 to 2013. It was good money. But there were many rules, restrictive rules, rules that got in the way offing the best retailer we could be, rules that got in the way of customer service.

Lotteries was not a good fit for me and I was not a good fit for them. But, there are many retailers who are a good fit and kudos to them.

My point is that each newsagency in Australia is different and should be considered that way. There is no common set of products and services we sell, no expectation you should have regarding any newsagency business in Australia, no expectation that products, prices and / or service would be the same in each. The difference between newsagency businesses is something to celebrate, just as every locally owned and run retail business is something to celebrate in the local community.

10 likes
Newsagency

Generic social media posts are a waste of time for newsagents

There is no shortage or people and organisations offering retailers generic social media posts for your business page.

Generic social media posts are a waste of time. People quickly scroll on by as these generic posts are seen as noise to ignore. Being in someone’s news feed is of no value unless they value your content.

Generic may be what we see big businesses do with many stores across the country. But, they are all the same. No two newsagents are the same in Australia.

Posts about what many others have such as magazines, greeting cards, stationery and lottery products are likely to be of little value unless you post about them in a way that is unique, useful and entertaining. Generic posts are not this.

The best social media posts are those by you and about your business, posts that are unique, engaging, enjoyable and useful.  Posts that share appreciated knowledge do well, as do posts that are informative re the local community and posts that are fun.

There is no shortcut for better social media posts. You must do the work, put in the time, your time, to make social media work for you.

While I understand that time is short and you may not feel sufficiently creative to invest time in social media. Give it a go. Find your voice.

Be yourself as being yourself is the only way to stand out, to be noticed on social media. Again, generic posts don’t cut it.

Given assumptions made about the local Aussie newsagency, how you engage on social media is vital in terms of how people will see your business. Take this as a challenge and an opportunity.

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Newsagency management

Christmas in the newsagency

People are loving how Christmas flows deep into this shop in suburban Melbourne. The manager of the store has done a wonderful job delivering a true treasure hunt experience. From the moment you step into the shop you have options.

This is my shop in Mount Waverley. I am so grateful for what christ has created.

The photos do not do justice to the ease of shopping and the inviting experience.

I love how he has used multiple trees for visual merchandising dining. We know that if shoppers can see a outcome they are more likely to purchase.

Over on the left wall you can see our full face card wall. This is our third iteration of this approach to card retailing and it is working a treat.

A key goal in this shop is to welcome shoppers into a happy and friendly space. We know from shopper feedback that they appreciate it.

If you’re in retail, I hope Christmas is tracking well for you.

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newsagency marketing

The all important window display in retail

I am grateful for the opportunity to see the Christmas window displays at Galeries Lafayette in Paris last week while there for a retail tech innovation conference. Here are some of the many highlights on show at this stuffing retail business.

These displays caught my attention, as any good window display should.

Travel is wonderful for broadening your horizons. This is especially true when looking at retail in Europe. Their aesthetic is quite different to what is common in Australia.

While the videos and photos I have shared here are from a large department store, in local indie retail I saw some excellent window displays and shop floor promotions.

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newsagency marketing

Some newsagents are missing out on sales by ignoring this free marketing opportunity

The advice in this post was written for and shared with newsXpress members last year. newsXpress regularly provides tactical business advice to its members.

I shared this advice with ALNA a few months ago, so they could share it with their members. I share again here today to reach more newsagents.

This is free advice that costs nothing to implement and is likely to attract shoppers to your business.

Research by several organisations in Australia suggest that more that 75% of in-store purchases include at least one online search. Having a current Google Business Profile is one key element in being found online.

Google Business Profile. Steps you can take to be more easily found.

Having an up to date Google profile is more important than ever. Google uses profile content to deliver search results.

Google‘s own data indicate that 46% of all searches have local intent. Use of Google Maps is common by people looking for something right now. Maintaining your Google My Business profile is the most important step to indexing well in local search and map results.

Google preferences Google My Business content in providing search results since it is verified content.

Sharing posts via Google My Business is possibly more important than what you share on social media.

Okay, so where do you start, what do you have to do? Here’s a simple to follow list. I have done this over the last few days for 2 of my businesses to ensure the advice is current.

  • Do a Google search for Google Business Profile. It should bring you to: https://www.google.com/business/.
  • If you don’t have a Google Business account, create one. If you do have an account, log in.
  • Once in your profile, if your business is not listed, click Add business (top right), search for your business and request it be added. If someone else ‘owns’ the business listing it could take a few days to be released to you. If your business is not found in the search, add it manually.
  • Do not rush this. Make sure you review everything.
  • Click on the pencil icon to edit your profile.
  • Choose your business category. Too often retailers select one. Select as many as apply to your business.
  • Description. Make sure you describe your business. Use at least 500 of the 750 words allowed as Google uses this in search results.
  • Hours. Make sure they are accurate.
  • Location. Make sure your business location is correct. The service area is the area you serve. Choose wisely. You can put in multiple locations. So, put in your town first, then, put in the bigger city you are near if appropriate.
  • More. Click on every option available under more as they matter in Google results. For example, noting the business as woman owned, if true, will help with results.
  • Add a profile photo if you do not have one already.
  • Click on the create post icon – it’s the third icon, next to the camera. Create a post.
  • This should be about a product.
  • Include at least one photo.
  • Start with a headline.
  • Write text. Aim for less than 200 words. Think about what people will search for. Have a good headline. Use paragraphs.
  • If you sell the product on your business website, use the add a button option to add a link to the product on your business website.
  • Google will check and approve the post.

Once you have done this, you should see the profile and post online in less than a day. Once that happens, the Google door is open for you.

Our advice is that you add a post at least weekly. Each post should be about a single product or single brand, something people are likely searching for. Keep the focus narrow. Write as you. Be relaxed. What is it you love about the product? Who is it for? Be grateful about having it available.

If you are just starting, consider a post a day for the first two weeks to get your content up and running, to encourage Google to notice you.

On the posts themselves, they should be more informative than, say, an Instagram post. remember, you are writing for people on their phones searching.

Google will preference profiles that offer fresh content. This is why I say posting weekly is important.

Your Google business profile works best for you when you have a website as that facilitates shopper browsing.

The other benefit of creating and maintaining a Google business profile that reflects your businesstoday is that suppliers will see it. This could help suppliers who pigeonhole you as a newsagency realise that you are not.

We appreciate some of you may have read this and thought it’s the last thing I need – more work to do. The thing is, more shoppers today search online than not.

Footnote: if you are thinking of paying someone to do this for you, I advise against that. This is your business. You know what you want people to find, and buy. A marketer or a friend will do more of what they want, and that may not match what you and your business need.

Now, we asked ourselves some questions for you:

  • Can I use content I put on my business blog? For sure. Google may see it as duplicate so maybe trim it for your Google profile.
  • How long should a new post be? Given that this content is most often accessed on the phone, 200 words is considered the max.
  • How long do posts last? Currently, 6 months. It used to be 7 days. Google will continue to play with this.
  • Should I always include a photo with a post? Yes.
  • How many photos should I add? At least one. My suggestion is 4.
  • How detailed should the photos be? Each photo should be one product, clearly visible.
  • Should I use hashtags? Hashtags serve no purpose on these posts.
  • Can I schedule posts? Yes, by using an external platform like Loomly, Sendible, OneUp or similar.
  • What else do I need to do with the profile? Engage. Respond to reviews. Answer questions. Show the business as engaging.

Of course, it’s up to you if you create a profile for your business. It costs nothing and is likely to help people find you, and visit.

6 likes
Newsagency management

Tower Systems offers newsagents half price websites

A beautiful POS software connected Shopify website for a newsagency costs $7,995.00 (inc. GST).

Right now, my software company, Tower Systems, is offering this full service website development package for $4,000.

Shopify is an excellent choice for newsagents and other local retailers because maintaining the website is easy. It does to require specialist technical skills. Plus, it comes with excellent marketing tools and an easy to have products listed on Google.

Tower has made hundreds of Shopify websites already.

Here is what is included in the half price offer for newsagents.

For ease of reference and clarity, below is a numbered list of all work and tasks included in the above quote and work you will have to do. This is the complete list.

  1. Shopify account. We would use our development account until such time, as we deliver the live site to you. Once this has occurred you will need your own Shopify account and we will transfer the site to you.  We can help with this.
  2. Theme selection. We will guide you through theme selection options. Themes determine the in-built features and layouts throughout your site. You will have a free choice of ONE available at themes.shopify.com. Choose carefully as once we begin the personalisation and customisation process, changing themes will incur additional fees.
  3. Overall design to be applied to the theme selected to customise the look and feel of the site. While there is back and forth involved, the design process is not priced to be an extended back and forth process. It is critical you are clear as to your requirements. Some adjustments can be made within the quote but any major diversion from the original theme may add to the cost.
  4. The site we create will have the following elements:
  5. Including text and images (which you are to provide), and site navigation. We would also recommend including a business location map as this is important so local people can find your store (Google account needed).
  6. Creation of the menus that drive your site.This is as important as the look and feel and should be carefully considered.
  7. Social media links to your: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.
  8. About page. Your text, describing you and your business: 150 – 350 words. Well written, clear as to what you and your business are about.
  9. Shipping, returns and other policies. We can use yours or you can edit ours and use it.
  10. Contact us page showing your contact details as well as an enquiry form.
  11. Configured Product Pages. Creation of up to 2 different product template pages, these pages show the images and details about products.  If additional product templates are required, then these are charge at $440 per page.
  12. Shopify Inbox setup, if you want chat turned on.
  13. Blog feed. A blog allows you to publish your own news.
  14. Flat Rate shipping based on Shopify’s inbuilt shipping profiles.
  15. The setup of loading of products into the site via a live link to the Retailer software. We would need you to have this data in Retailer ready for export.
  16. Interfacing to standard gateways: Shopify Payments and Paypal. In addition to credit card payments, Shopify Payments can also connect to Shop Pay, Apple Pay and Google Pay. Please note that depending on required site functionality it may not be possible to use the express checkout options. We will advise if this is the case.
  17. EXTRA COST OPTION: Interfacing to Humm, Zip and Afterpay and other Shopify supported payment methods incur an additional fee of $220 per payment method.
  18. Training: over the phone and usually around two hours. We’d like 2 people from the business there as we have found this helps the business get the most from it.

While this post is a promotion for the newsagency website offer from Tower Systems, it also outlines what’s involved in detail enough for newsagents to be more informed when shopping around for a website.

7 likes
Newsagency management

When was the last time shoppers lined up outside the newsagency for a new product launch?

Thursday last week, September 7, at 8:30 in the morning, most newsXpress stores had a line of shoppers, people on the phone and people online.

The majority were new shoppers engaging with the business for the first time.

They were there because one of the newsXpress preferred suppliers promoted newsXpress stores to their massive (huge) email database.

Thursday last week was release day for several coins from the Royal Australian Mint, a partner of newsXpress.

While every shop sold out quickly, plenty of the first time shoppers bought other things, including coins released earlier in the year. A typical shop did an extra $4,000 that day.

Around 75% of the time, coin shoppers purchase other products. They are valuable shoppers to attract, more efficient per visit. Basket depth is prized by retailers as are basket value and margin dollars banked.

One of the items released last Thursday, a $375.00 set, Wass the best seller in part because only 1,000 were made and they had to be split between overseas outlets, the Mint shop, coin dealers, and other retailers, like newsXpress stores. This coin is currently fetching close to $900 on eBay. No wonder it was popular.

The $5 colour frosted World Heritage coin, priced at $30 and in the bottom right corner of the photo, is currently fetching around $300 on eBay.

The key thing that happened Thursday beyond the sales themselves was the new shopper traffic. New shopper traffic is essential for the health of any retail business. It is vital for newsagencies with some tent-pole product categories transitioning from physical retail.

There are ways to leverage vertical new shopper traffic – specific product category driven new shopper traffic. This is where retailers can maximise value from such opportunities – even when such new shopper visits are one-off visits.

I’ve heard some in our channel downplay coins as a valuable category. Such comments are typically made by people who don’t have access to them, or have not tried them.

Thursday last week demonstrated the value. Engagement Friday, Saturday and even Sunday has reinforced it with hundreds of dollars of coin gift products selling each day to shoppers who discovered us in this category because of the promotion of Thursday’s release.

Now, here’s the pitch. remember, I an a Director of newsXpress.

newsXpress works hard to help its members attract new shoppers. We pitch products and back this with in-store advice, social media assets, partner support help selling online.

If you want to attract new shoppers to your newsagency, consider newsXpress. It’s easy to make many times for the $225 a month membership fee. Click here for our latest information document or email our team for more information at: help@newsxpress.com.au.

13 likes
marketing

FREE advice for local retailers: Nine one-percenters that could add thousands to the value of your retail business.

One-percenters are small things, easy things you can do for a win.

They are often things others forget.

Today I share nine of what I think are the best one-percenters for any local indie retail business.

I’ve experienced the value of on-percenters like these.

This is free advice. You don’t have to buy anything to access it. I love seeing local indie retailers thrive.

  • Place 2 or 3 products at the counter for impulse purchase. Change weekly, unless they are selling well.
  • If you have a front window, change it weekly. The goal is to stop passers-by and have them notice you.
  • Never be out of stock of popular products. Use your software to predict sales and order so you don’t sell out.
  • Price new stock on the shop floor, located to disrupt shopper traffic, so they notice. People don’t buy from the back room.
  • Use social media to share knowledge and have fun rather than promoting products. Entertain.
  • Have a staff product of the week in a good position with a handwritten note from the staff member explaining the why.
  • Write the value of dead stock somewhere where all staff see it. Update it weekly for a whole of business focus on reducing this.
  • Offer genuine loyalty rewards that don’t cost you the farm and are easy for shoppers to understand and access.
  • Colour block in a prime position. This gives products rarely in prime position to be seen. It shows off your range diversity.

What you do with this is 100% top to you. The thing is, I know these tips work. Combine them and you compound the value you achieve. It’s simple – a small time investment for a terrific return.

I like engaging with small steps. They are manageable, safe, certain. It means you’re not relying on one or two big moves, often costly moves, for your success. By spreading the risk, the load, you strengthen the foundations of the business and position it for more certain results.

Here’s the colour block tip in action. It took half an hour to do, and shoppers noticed while it was being created, they added suggestions too. The result speaks not only to red, but also diversity and to fun we have in the shop by being different.

What you do about the 9 tips is up to you of course, but let me ask you this: are you happy with the performance of your business? If you say yes, great! If you say no, you know you have to make some changes because doing the same things will give you the same results.

The advice in this post originated from newsXpress advice to its newsagency marketing group members years ago. The one-percenters list has evolved considerably, as it should.

8 likes
Management tip

Helping newsagents find local shoppers using the free Google Business Profile

The advice in this post was written for and shared with newsXpress members last year. I gave it to ALNA recently, to share it with their members. I share it here today to try and reach more newsagents.

This is free advice that costs nothing to implement and is likely to attract shoppers to your business.

Google Business Profile. Steps you can take to be more easily found.

Having an up to date Google profile is more important than ever. Google uses profile content to deliver search results.

Google‘s own data indicate that 46% of all searches have local intent. Use of Google Maps is common by people looking for something right now. Maintaining your Google My Business profile is the most important step to indexing well in local search and map results.

Google preferences Google My Business content in providing search results since it is verified content.

Sharing posts via Google My Business is possibly more important than what you share on social media.

Okay, so where do you start, what do you have to do? Here’s a simple to follow list. I have done this over the last few days for 2 of my businesses to ensure the advice is current.

  • Do a Google search for Google Business Profile. It should bring you to: https://www.google.com/business/.
  • If you don’t have a Google Business account, create one. If you do have an account, log in.
  • Once in your profile, if your business is not listed, click Add business (top right), search for your business and request it be added. If someone else ‘owns’ the business listing it could take a few days to be released to you. If your business is not found in the search, add it manually.
  • Do not rush this. Make sure you review everything.
  • Click on the pencil icon to edit your profile.
  • Choose your business category. Too often retailers select one. Select as many as apply to your business.
  • Description. Make sure you describe your business. Use at least 500 of the 750 words allowed as Google uses this in search results.
  • Hours. Make sure they are accurate.
  • Location. Make sure your business location is correct. The service area is the area you serve. Choose wisely. You can put in multiple locations. So, put in your town first, then, put in the bigger city you are near if appropriate.
  • More. Click on every option available under more as they matter in Google results. For example, noting the business as woman owned, if true, will help with results.
  • Add a profile photo if you do not have one already.
  • Click on the create post icon – it’s the third icon, next to the camera. Create a post.
  • This should be about a product.
  • Include at least one photo.
  • Start with a headline.
  • Write text. Aim for less than 200 words. Think about what people will search for. Have a good headline. Use paragraphs.
  • If you sell the product on your business website, use the add a button option to add a link to the product on your business website.
  • Google will check and approve the post.

Once you have done this, you should see the profile and post online in less than a day. Once that happens, the Google door is open for you.

Our advice is that you add a post at least weekly. Each post should be about a single product or single brand, something people are likely searching for. Keep the focus narrow. Write as you. Be relaxed. What is it you love about the product? Who is it for? Be grateful about having it available.

If you are just starting, consider a post a day for the first two weeks to get your content up and running, to encourage Google to notice you.

On the posts themselves, they should be more informative than, say, an Instagram post. remember, you are writing for people on their phones searching.

Google will preference profiles that offer fresh content. This is why I say posting weekly is important.

Your Google business profile works best for you when you have a website as that facilitates shopper browsing.

The other benefit of creating and maintaining a Google business profile that reflects your businesstoday is that suppliers will see it. This could help suppliers who pigeonhole you as a newsagency realise that you are not.

We appreciate some of you may have read this and thought it’s the last thing I need – more work to do. The thing is, more shoppers today search online than not.

Footnote: if you are thinking of paying someone to do this for you, I advise against that. This is your business. You know what you want people to find, and buy. A marketer or a friend will do more of what they want, and that may not match what you and your business need.

Now, we asked ourselves some questions for you:

  • Can I use content I put on my business blog? For sure. Google may see it as duplicate so maybe trim it for your Google profile.
  • How long should a new post be? Given that this content is most often accessed on the phone, 200 words is considered the max.
  • How long do posts last? Currently, 6 months. It used to be 7 days. Google will continue to play with this.
  • Should I always include a photo with a post? Yes.
  • How many photos should I add? At least one. My suggestion is 4.
  • How detailed should the photos be? Each photo should be one product, clearly visible.
  • Should I use hashtags? Hashtags serve no purpose on these posts.
  • Can I schedule posts? Yes, by using an external platform like Loomly, Sendible, OneUp or similar.
  • What else do I need to do with the profile? Engage. Respond to reviews. Answer questions. Show the business as engaging.

Of course, it’s up to you if you create a profile for your business. It costs nothing and is likely to help people find you, and visit.

9 likes
Management tip

The challenge of winter in retail and how engaged newsagents can thrive

June, July and August are tough months in many local shops like ours. There is no major season, and, it’s winter. Brrr. Some who have been in retail for ages call these months the months of death – because it separates strong businesses from weak.

This year could be tougher because of interest rates and the penchant in newsrooms for stories negative about the economy and the future.

Here are 7 ways you could make these three months work for you.

  • Be happy. Make the shop bright, happy, smelling good and sounding good. Good lighting. Have a candle burning. Have an awesome playlist. Make your shop a place people enjoy. And, reflect this in your social media posts.
  • Pitch your offers consistently: discount vouchers, buy x cards and get a card for free. If you have value offers, pitch them in-store as well as on your socials.
  • Google My Business. Post several times a week. Be found by people nearby searching for what you sell.
  • Christmas in July. Get out any Christmas related stock you have and sell it off. Heck, host a Christmas party to launch it. Load the sale with other stock you’d like converted to cash. Consider a local charity or community group connection.
  • Bring in something new, something you’ve never sold before, something you thought you’d never sell. Challenge yourself to reach new shoppers. Launch it with an event. Put on some drinks and nibbles. Give people a reason to come out.
  • Get a second opinion on your business performance. Gather your data and ask someone to look at what’s working and what’s not. It could be that fresh eyes help clear a better path ahead for you. We will gladly help with this.
  • Pitch occasions like you would seasons. Bring together cards, gift bags and gifts to make it easy for people to celebrate: new home, baby arrival, engagement, wedding, congratulations and, yes, even sympathy. Choose one for a week or two and bring all the options together. Sometimes we have to show people what to do. The best opportunities here are the ones other retailers ignore.

My point with this list is that this valley, June, July and August, separates retailers. Those who do well tend to be engaged, they tend to embrace opportunities to make their own success.

This advice was first shared with newsXpress members as part of a broader regular series of business advice for making the most of every opportunity.

11 likes
Newsagency management

The local Aussie newsagency is changing. It’s likely not the shop you remember.

I made this video Tuesday for one of my shops, to promote it on social media as well as YouTube. below I explain how I made the video and, more important, why I made the video.

I took the photos on my iPhone and used promo.com to assemble these, add text and lay music underneath. All up it took less than 10 minutes. I share these details to illustrate how easy it is for anyone to make a video like this.

Now, the why.

This video is important as it is us pitching a narrative for this shop. For decades, the narrative of the local Aussie newsagency has been controlled by others. Today, in 2023, the narrative about our shops is rooted in decades ago. It is out of date. It challenges our relevance. It does not help us.

I wanted to have a crack at recasting the narrative for this one shop in a suburban Westfield centre in the bayside area of Melbourne. While for sure I am biased, I think it’s a good video that does re-cast the narrative for this newsagency, while at the same time making a statement about the channel, calling for others to see us differently and not as others so wrongly and ignorantly pitch us.

I’d love to see more newsagents do this, make videos and other social media content that pitches our businesses with a fresh and relevant to 2023 narrative. Points about lottery jackpots and the major seasons are predictable, expected. The more we play outside of what is expected the better for us, the more we are likely to attract new shoppers to our businesses.

As I noted above, this video took less than 10 minutes all up. There are plenty of platforms you can use to make videos just like this one. While I pay a commercial licence for promo.com, there are others out there that are free.

As for the products I chose to highlight, plenty are made in Australia. In fact, half the air time of the video features Australian made, small business sourced, products.

I want to call out the final frame. This features a pair of colourful stud earrings on a card that says you inspire me. That is a very deliberate choice to pitch that message at the close of the video.

Hopefully all this background is helpful enough that other newsagents create content to recast the narrative of not only their newsagency businesses but the channel more broadly.

But back to the video. In 24 hours it passed 20,000 full views thanks to a nudge through the YouTube ad platform. That’s 20,000 people in the area of Melbourne I targeted who watched the video in maybe the first newsagency pitch they had seen in years.

I appreciate it’s not call to action advertising. It’s not intended to be. As I wrote above, this is about the narrative relating to the Aussie newsagency. We all need to invest in this. It’s far more important than think tank meetings and the like by people who do not have their own capital tied up in this channel.

UPDATE: 26/05 @ 3:11pm. I’m pleased this video has not been played 32,000 times.

UPDATE: 06/06/2023 @ 7:18am. This video has now been viewed more than 102,000 times.

27 likes
Newsagency management

Magazine range a key factor in sales growth

While I get that many newsagents are reducing space commitment to magazines on the back of declining sales, at my Malvern store sales are growing. I think this is in part due to our out of store promotions like the video below that we released yesterday.

In one of my other newsagencies we have no magazines while in may third we have 250 pockets, which is under review.

This video shows part of the Malvern range.

This video is part of a weekly promotion outside the shop of magazines, designed to attract new shoppers – and it’s working for us.

It took me all of ten minutes to shoot the video on my phone, strip out shop sounds using iMovie, load it to promo.com, enter the text and lay a music track over iot. Now I have a video that I will use in several places several times over the next couple of weeks.

No other retailer anywhere near our malvern shop is promoting magazine range.

8 likes
magazines

Cards in the front window of the newsagency attract shoppers

This full face display of Mother’s Day cards in the front window is attracting passers-by into the newsagency on the busy Glenferrie Road in Malvern. That was the plan, our hope. It looks like paying off.

In December 2021, this space was taken by a drinks fridge, and ice-cream fridge and a stand of AWW cookbooks. Slowly we have change what’s here, culminating in the installation of this card wall a few weeks prior to Easter.

I think there is nothing better than awesome good margin products attracting shopper traffic from off the street. It’s a bonus if they are habit related products, products from a category for shoppers could return to you.

.

This shop is in a highly competitive location for cards with two newsagencies nearby, several supermarkets, more than 15 card and gift shops and an Australia Post outlet also with a good range of cards. We have the biggest range in the area, but it’s located in the card department inside the shop. I knew we had to bring a card pitch to the footpath.

While our card suppliers have been supportive, we funded this new fixtures ourselves, so that we control the use of the space. This will be especially critical with how we use the space outside of seasons, especially in the retail valley between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.

On the space itself, we have the capacity to extend it to the left, to almost double the space. This will be needed for Christmas.

A bonus of this new card wall is that we no longer need seasonal card floor units. This frees up floorspace and assists traffic flow. Also, on the new wall, cards are better presented and more easily shopped than in a floor display unit.

While the pitch in the front window of the newsagency right now is Mother’s Day cards, it will change from may 15 to a different card offer.

We used a handyman to install the slat wall, this was a fraction of the cost of a shoplifter. We are frugal in managing our capital investment in this business, and in each of our shops. Our approach tends to be: make a change, measure the result, if good – move forward, if bad – re-group.

Too often over the years I have seen retailers access funding for a new or partial fit out and too much of that money be spent on changes that will not pay for themselves in 3 years. Funding it out of your own pocket makes you more cautious about the spend.

Be frugal. Follow your data. Take small steps. Back yourself over tradition.

Yes, a shoplifter may have created for us something more grand. I doubt it would have delivered a better financial return though.

While our shops are a reflection of us, they should not be a shrine or a showpiece, unless that makes money, turns a profit in the investment, in 3 years or less.

Footnote: some suppliers will be keen to engage with you on changes in your business. For sure, listen to them, but, it’s your business, not theirs.

12 likes
Greeting Cards

Newsagency of the Future – a free online workshop about retail newsagency businesses

Join me via Zoom Tuesday May 16 @ 11am Melbourne time for a Newsagency of the Future workshop.

I will share up to date retail newsagency performance data, sales data from outside our channel for categories allied to what we do, thoughts on the rest of 2023 and into 2024. I will also cover some trends into the future that present opportunities.

There will be an open Q&A.

While Covid continues to circulate, it is over from a disruptive perspective. I think there are things we can leverage from the pandemic experience. I also think there are category opportunities for growing business GP% and attracting new shoppers.

I am not running the session to sell you anything, or to get you to sign ups to anything. My sole motivation is for the retail newsagency channel to be strong, vibrant.

It is a competitive world out there and I think all of us in retail newsagency businesses can do better.

Here is the link:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84982771189?pwd=RWdRM0s3bENpZ2F5UGxNblkzKzN3QT09

Meeting ID: 849 8277 1189 Passcode: 103292

I’ll record the session.

Anyone is welcome.

4 likes
Newsagency management

The best shop for Mother’s Day cards is your local newsagency

If you are looking for a Mother’s Day card this year for sure shop your local newsagency because there you are likely to find the best range of Mother’s Day cards.

There’ll be cards for mum, mother, grandma, nan, granny, and more. There’ll also be cards for people who have been like a mum to you. And, there are likely to be cards from the cat or the dog.

If you like to see the best Mother’s Day cards around, if you want a range from which to choose, your local newsagency is the place to shop.

Now, if you are thinking a text message might do, mum can’t put the text message on the mantlepiece, she can’t keep it with her other cards to look at every few years. A card is a keepsake that lasts, it nurtures memories she will love. And the cards at your local newsagency give you choice to get it right.

Our advice on shopping for Mother’s Day cards this year is:

  • Shop early, like now, because that’s when the best range is out.
  • Shop at your local newsagency, because they have the best range.
  • Look across the whole range.
  • If you’re not sure, ask for help, because staff in local newsagencies are helpful.
  • Choose the card that best reflects you and your relationship with your mum.
  • If you’re not sure what to write, share a funny memory and tell your mum how you feel about her.
  • Once you have the card, write on it, seal the envelops and set it aside ready.
  • if you are posting it, post it early.

The range of Mother’s Day cards out now at your local newsagency really is good. There are many new designs, many cards to brighten mum’s day.

We understand you have a range of shops from which to choose when buying a Mother’s Day card. Your local newsagency is the card specialist. You’re not pressured. The cards are not mixed in with groceries. Browsing is easy and you know, for sure, that you have many wonderful cards from which to choose.

Once you have the awesome card, from a newsagency of course!, here are 10 text ideas for what you could write in the card. Consider them prompts to kick off your own thinking:

  • Happy Mother’s Day to the most amazing mum! Thank you for being there for me, for your love and support, and for teaching me so much.
  • Dear Mum, on this special day, I want you to know how much I appreciate you. You are my role model, my friend. Thank you for the sacrifices you made for me, and for the ways you show me your love.
  • Mum, you hold our family together and for that I love you. I have learnt from your kindness and your wisdom. Thank you for being an amazing mother, and for being such an inspiration.
  • Happy Mother’s Day to the woman who gave me life, and who continues to shape my life in so many ways. You are my safe haven. I love you.
  • Mum, you are my superhero! Thank you for someone I can always count on. I hope your day is as amazing as you are.
  • Dear Mum, thank you for everything. I would not be me, today, without you.
  • Mum, you are the sunshine in my life. I am grateful you are my mum, and I wish you the happiest of Mother’s Days.
  • Happy Mother’s Day to the queen of our hearts! You have taught us love, and you have shown us how to live life. We love you more than words can say.
  • Mum, you are a true blessing in my life. Thank you for being my rock, and my friend.
  • Mum, I am so lucky to have you. Thank you does not feel like enough appreciation for what you mean to me. I love you.

Remember, what you write will last for years. Mum will look back on your words and the warmth you share today will matter in the future.

Newsagents understand Mother’s Day. We’re local retailers serving local communities and as such we are close to our shoppers. You buying a Mother’s Day card from us, from any newsagency, means so much to us.

Now, get out there and buy your mum an awesome Mother’s Day card, from a newsagency of course!

14 likes
Greeting Cards
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