How Portland Bookstores Will Benefit From the New Reading Local

In previous posts we have discussed how Portland authors and publishers will benefit from the new Reading Local: Portland, and in today’s post we’ll take a look at how Portland bookstores can utilize the new site.  Specifically we will look at how bookstores can use the site to reach new customers, interact with loyal customers, and promote upcoming events.  Let’s get started!

Reaching New Customers:
With the new site, Portland bookstores will have access to several features through which they can reach out to an audience likely to be receptive to their message.  You can post something on your profile page, and any reader who mentions it in your store that day gets a discount.  Another idea is to run a series of posts on the community blog introducing readers to your staff.  You can join the “Bookstore” group and post messages about what the bestsellers for that day were.  The openness of the new platform invites you to be creative in your outreach efforts.

Interacting with Loyal Customers:
Of course any successful business has to focus not only on new customers, but loyal customers as well.  Many of the features described above to help recruit new customers are also applicable to interacting with your current customer base.  Start a forum topic where you can invite customers to partake in a discussion about potential changes to the store.  Invite your customers to post to the community blog about their recent interactions with your store.  Post updates on your profile page when you get new shipments in.  The new Reading Local: Portland provides a place for you and your customers to congregate where the focus is always the Portland literary community, not Farmville or Lindsey Lohan’s latest stint behind bars.

Promote Upcoming Events:
One of the primary benefits of the new site is the ability to promote your upcoming events.  Simply adding your upcoming events to our event list will ensure they receive front page billing.  While you can double down on your promotional efforts by posting a preview on the community blog.  Posting a recap of the evenings festivities is also a great way to reach readers that may come to a future event.

In short, with a website that’s primary purpose is to provide a place for the Portland literary community to interact, just being an active participant will ensure your bookstore becomes more visible within that community.  As the site grows we hope to work with bookstores and the other members of Portland’s literary community to explore ways that it can prove even more beneficial.

Tomorrow’s post will explore how Portland book clubs can use the site to organize, and on Friday we will finish up our look at the new site with how it will benefit Portland readers.  Until then, happy reading!