Back at the beginning of the year, when orders had just opened for the Indie Summer Reading Guide (aka "the Summer Catalog") SIBA posted some ideas for how tiny stores could use 500 catalogs. SIBA now claims pop up stores, bookmobiles, and many other very small, creative business models in its community of members, for whom the usual approach to store catalogs -- piles of inventory taking up lots of prime floor space -- simply don't apply. But booksellers are nothing if not creative, and have found many interesting ways to use SIBA's catalog program not only as a powerful sales tool, but as an important tool for reaching new customers, creating relationships with their community, and building brand recognition.

As it turns out, according to the US Postal Service, people like to get printed catalogs. They enjoy reading them, tend to hang on to them, and even more importantly, have more trust in the companies that send them. More trust means more sales. People who get catalogs tend to buy things from them, and even better, tend to buy more things than they do from digital marketing like email newsletters.

If your store is new to the catalog program, the Winter Gift Catalog is a great way to give your store's visibility in the community a big boost. If you signed up for the summer catalog, which just landed in May, then the impact you are making now is something you can build on in the 4th quarter with the winter edition.

Order the Winter Catalog

The minimum order for imprinted catalogs is 1000. Imprinting is partially subsidized by SIBA so it costs only $110.  Assuming you can hand out 250 to customers in your store over the holiday season, here are 11 ways to use the rest if you are a tiny store:

1. Send one to everyone on your mailing list or who has ever ordered from you online. Don't neglect out of town addresses. (100)
   
   
2. 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. Add new businesses to this program, especially ones that have just opened and might appreciate the partnership. (100)
   
   
3. Include a catalog in all special order book shipments and/or subscription boxes. (50)
   
   
4. Mail catalogs to your top 50 customers with a handwritten thank-you note. (50)
   
   
5. If your store does pop-ups, offsite events, or bookmobile routes, seed places on your scheduled 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)
   
   
6. 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. Continue to add groups to this list: Chamber of Commerce, local small business alliances, etc. (50)
   
   
7. Integrate the catalog into your fundraising efforts. If your store normally raises money or collects donations for a local cause during the holidays, the imprint area on the catalog can be used to promote these efforts. The organization you are working with can also distribute catalogs on your behalf as part of the campaign. (100)
   
   
8. Send catalogs to school librarians, county librarians, and teachers with a handwritten appreciation note and invitation to order. (50)
   
   
9. Bring catalogs to local independent and/or assisted living communities and take orders. (50)
   
   
10. Send catalogs to members of the book clubs you host or work with. (50)
    
    
11. Make the catalogs part of any Shop Local campaign organized by business alliances in the community. (100)

250+100+100+50+50+100+50+100+50+50+50+100 =1000 catalogs and a successful holiday shopping season!

Order the Winter Catalog