What to do with a box of 500 catalogs if you have a tiny store

One of the most common questions bookstores ask SIBA about the catalog program is for help with ideas on how to use them. SIBA's membership includes pop-up bookstores, mobile bookstores, online-only bookstores, prospective not-quite-open-yet bookstores, and very tiny "one man band" stores with no extra staff, just an enthusiastic owner. A box of 500 catalogs can be a lot to give out as bag stuffers, even over an entire summer.

The Indie Summer Reading Guide is not just a sales tool, it is a marketing tool for your bookstores. Assuming you can hand out 100 catalogs to customers who come into your shop, what can you do with the other 400 in the box? Here are some ideas collected from bookstores that currently participate in the SIBA catalog program:

1. Send one to everyone on your mailing list or who has ordered from you online. (50)
2. Send one as part of a store information packet to your local city council, mayor, county commissioners, or other business community influencers with a letter about the importance of their support for local businesses. (25)
3. Do an exchange with another business near you -- they pass out your catalogs to their customers, you pass out their "free coffee" coupons to yours. (50)
4. If your store does pop-ups, offsite events, or bookmobile routes, seed places on your summer route with catalogs and info to purchase books online from the digital version, or order and pick up when you are in the area. (100)
5. Hand out catalogs to attendees of store events, story times, book club meetings, etc. (100)
6. Bring catalogs to local independent and/or assisted living communities and take orders. (50)
7. Include a catalog in all special order book shipment and/or subscription boxes. (25)

50+25+50+100+100+50+25=400! Success!

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