Marketing strategy is an important tool for wholesale distributors.  It could mean the difference between prolonged success and orders drying up over time.

Wholesale marketing is not something that should only be invested in when you’re just starting out either. 

You should always be thinking of new ways to attract new customers, as well as keeping the ones you already have.

As our previous blog post showed, the future of wholesaling is looking increasingly digital so it’s worth combining more modern marketing techniques such as social media and online ads. with tried and tested methods such as cold calling and emailing.

We’ll take you through 8 wholesale marketing ideas and provide you with top tips to ensure you are using them as an effective way to reach new customers!

Wholesale Marketing Ideas: How to Advertise Your Wholesale Business

1. Cold calling

Sometimes when it comes to wholesale marketing, there’s nothing wrong with keeping it old-school .

And there are few marketing tactics more old school than cold calling – which involves making a list of potential contacts and phoning them up “cold” in order to introduce yourself and your company.

Understandably, selling your wholesale product to a stranger on the phone could seem like a daunting prospect and there’s definitely an art to getting it right.

After all, people can feel caught off guard when hit with an advertising pitch unexpectedly – and don’t always respond favourably.

However, according to a study by Sales Acceleration Company XANT, cold calling still works.

With a conversion rate of 6.3% it’s well worth considering as part of your wholesale marketing strategy. 

Cold Calling: Top Tips

Do your research!

Make a list of businesses to reach out to that you think would be genuinely interested in your wholesale products. 

You’re less likely to be dismissed if you are offering something that could be of genuine use to them.

Make your calls in the morning. 

Most people are more receptive in the morning and you will probably find you’re more on the ball with your sales patter than you would be later in the day.

Talking points, not scripts

Although it might seem tempting to write down everything you have to say before you pick up the phone, people tend to spot a pre-scripted sales pitch a mile off. 

Let the conversation develop naturally, but do have a few key points jotted down to keep you focussed on the task in hand.

2. Industry Directories

Industry directories are a great way of getting found by the right customers. 

As your company will be categorized within the directory, your listing will only be visited by retailers seeking a wholesale product like yours – which is half the battle when it comes to securing an order.

Wholesale directories such as ours at the Wholesaler UK are also easily found by Google and are relatively inexpensive to advertise in (a yearly listing with us in three categories costs less than 1 square metre of space at most trade shows!) so it’s an effective and economic way to market your wholesale supplier.

Industry Directories: Top Tips

Size isn’t everything

There are some huge directories out there that work with wholesale suppliers across the globe. 

The downside of the bigger directories is that your product listing could get lost amongst the competition – especially if you’re a smaller wholesaler or just starting out. 

For this reason, consider advertising in a smaller directory which better understands your company. 

Here at the Wholesaler UK we verify all our wholesalers and only list your product once we have discussed your business with you first in order to place you in the strongest possible position within our directory.

Communication is Key

If you’re investing in a directory listing as part of your wholesale marketing strategy, make sure it is regularly updated with the latest information about your company.

To do this, it’s important you can communicate any changes quickly and efficiently to the directory in question.

Before signing up with a directory, make sure that you are easily able to contact staff in case you need to submit new product photos, update contact details, add extra categories or edit text.

It’s vital that they are able to respond quickly to your request and keep your listings up to date.

Seek Incentives

Perhaps you’ve never tried advertising in a directory before and want to check if it’s the right marketing strategy for your wholesale business.

Look for directories who offer incentives such as trial periods so that you can test the water before committing to a long term listing.

Also, make sure to check that your listings won’t just be rolled over and re-invoiced once they expire. You want to make sure you are always in control of any marketing strategy you employ

3. Cold emailing

Cold emailing is much the same as cold calling in that you have had no previous contact with the company and are getting in touch because you think your product might interest them.

However, it can seem a more attractive option than picking up the phone and introducing yourself to a stranger!

Another advantage of cold emailing is that you can spend time crafting the perfect introductory email.

Your recipient will also have more opportunity to think about their response than if you corner them on the phone.

The downside is that your email might not even reach its intended reader. It may instantly be diverted to their spam folder or they might delete it before reading.

You can avoid this by making sure you only ever send marketing emails to people already on your mailing list. This means they have previously “opted in”  and given you permission to contact them with marketing campaigns.

Never contact a potential customer with advertising emails if they have not given permission.  Not only could it damage your business reputation but it could also land you in hot water as a GDPR  violation – which comes with a hefty fine.

Want to know more about how to build a successful mailing list?

Cold Emailing: Top Tips

Make sure your subject line is eye-catching

This will tempt people to open the email.  However, refrain from making it in any way deceptive – people will be annoyed if they open an email that has nothing to do with its title.

Always aim to personalise the email

Where possible find out the name and job title of the person in the company you are contacting and mention what it is about their business that inspired you to reach out. 

After all – nobody is immune to a bit of flattery!

Keep it Brief

Your email should aim to be short and to the point.  Nobody likes a waffler!

Follow Up

Send a friendly follow up email about a week later if you don’t hear back.  After that, though, it’s worth taking the hint and desisting from further contact. 

Although persistence can sometimes pay, you don’t want to make a name for yourself as a pest!

4. Sending samples

Sending samples to prospective customers is a great way of making your wholesale product stand out from the crowd.

Being able to see and touch your product will often tempt customers to place an order, so it’s well worth considering as a marketing strategy.

Along with your sample, make sure you include information about your company and the sample itself, details of any other products you offer plus an invitation for them to register as a wholesale customer with you.

Sending Samples: Top Tips

Do your homework

Sending samples to random companies is a waste of time and energy, not to mention money! 

You can avoid this by ensuring you have carefully researched the businesses you intend to send samples to in order ensure your product is something they could be interested in.

Follow up

Sending a sample is a great way to make first contact – it means you have the perfect excuse to call for feedback and hopefully secure a product order!

Make sure you send your parcel via recorded delivery so you can keep track of when the company has received your sample, and plan your follow up call accordingly!

5. Trade Shows

Every year UK trade shows are visited by thousands of retailers with the specific aim of finding new stock for their business – making them great places for wholesalers to advertise their products.

You can choose to rent an exhibition stand under your company name – which gives you the added advantage of being able to display your wholesale product – or attend as a visitor and network with other attendees.

Renting a stand at a trade show will cost anything between £1500 – £6000, so it’s not the cheapest wholesale marketing strategy option but well worth considering if you want to connect with potential contacts from within your sector.

Trade Shows: Top Tips

Stand out from the crowd

People visiting trade shows will browse hundreds of stalls a day, so make sure they remember yours!

Invest in merchandise such as colourful banners and leaflets. These don’t have to cost the earth – you can even design them yourselves by using a free tool such as Canva. 

Also consider offering product samples on your stand to ensure potential customers have something to remember you by.

Build up your contact list

Make sure you have an email sign-up list on your stand and encourage visitors to use it.  This means you can target them with email marketing at a later date.

Network

Avoid making the mistake of sitting at your stand and waiting for people to come to you – get out there and network!

Do the rounds and chat to people and don’t forget to always keep a business card to hand to swap with interesting contacts.

Follow up

Don’t leave a trade show with a bunch of business cards in your pocket that you never follow up on. 

A few days after the show, make sure to email everybody you met telling them how good it was to meet them and reminding them of your product. 

It’s always a good idea to strike when the iron’s hot to secure future business!

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6. Social Media

Social media is an effective tool for growing your business and should definitely form a part of your wholesale marketing strategy.

Using your website as a launching pad, you can develop your own voice as a company online and use it to attract potential customers to your product.

As we move into an increasingly digital age, it is vital for your company to have an online presence – even if you consider yourself a technophobe!

If you already have various social media platforms set up for your wholesale company but are at a loss with how to use them, use this article on effective ways to market your business on social media as a starting point.

Social Media: Top Tips

Use the Right Platforms

Not all social media platforms will be right for your business niche, so it’s well worth identifying the ones that work for you to avoid wasting time.

Broadly speaking, the best social media tools for wholesale distributors are Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Linkedin. 

However, managing social media accounts correctly is time-consuming – so instead of signing up for all four, carefully select two and concentrate on making them an effective wholesale marketing tool for your business.