Using Lighting Magazine as a Marketing and Sales Tool

The 2017 issue of Lighting magazine was released in April on newsstands and shipped to showrooms throughout the U.S and Canada. ALA showroom members who contribute to the BiNational Advertising and PR Program received free copies of the magazine to distribute to their customers. The magazine is a nice, free gift for loyal customers, or a great welcome gift for new visitors; showrooms can also use their copies of Lighting as an effective marketing and sales tool.

This year’s magazine features an upgraded, heavier cover stock; whiter, brighter paper, which makes the manufacturer images pop; as well as additional pages, full of beautiful lighting design ideas. These upgrades mean consumers will be holding onto the magazine longer, and even displaying it in their homes. Due to its extended shelf life, people could still be flipping through the magazine six months or a year from now; therefore, it is important for showrooms to consider the full value and potential of this publication.

Customize it

 One key aspect of successfully using Lighting as a marketing tool is to ensure the name and contact information of the showroom is placed prominently on the magazine. Showrooms can print these in-house on a label sheet and stick individual labels on the magazine covers, or spend a little extra to have professional stickers printed. This means, no matter where the magazine ends up, consumers will always be able to trace it back to the showroom that provided it.

Spread the Word

At a retail value of $8.99 USD, the free copies of the magazine are a great deal for customers. Showrooms can market their available free copies over social media, email and through their websites. This free benefit encourages customers to come into the store and also places a sense of urgency to come by while supplies last.

Get Outside the Showroom

Showrooms do not have to wait for customers to come to them to share copies of Lighting. Many showrooms take their copies of the magazine tagged with their contact information and distribute them throughout their town. Anywhere with a waiting space, from doctor’s offices to car dealerships, can make a good place to leave copies of the magazine.

Showrooms can also take into consideration the clientele of different locations; for example, if they are looking for a higher-end client, plastic surgeon’s offices or luxury vehicle dealerships may be a good place to start.

Make a Sale

Showrooms can also think of Lighting magazine as a condensed product catalog. With all of the choices available in lighting today, it is not uncommon for customers to feel overwhelmed in a showroom or to have a difficult time identifying their style preferences. Showroom salespeople can use this as an opportunity to sit a customer down with a beverage, a copy of Lighting and some sticky notes. As the customer flips through the magazine and marks the products they like, the salesperson can then use this information to guide the shopping experience and close a sale more quickly. The Lighting Planning Guide, which was included as a bonus with this year’s magazine, is also a great tool for preparing customers and getting them to seriously consider all their needs when it comes to lighting their homes.

Members may contact Amy Wommack, ALA communications manager at awommack@americanlightingassoc.com to learn more about receiving copies of the 2017 magazine.