Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Discount School Supply and Social Media

Hi! I’m Brooke Higgins, Marketing Communications Coordinator for Discount School Supply.

I coordinate the non-catalog printed marketing materials that we distribute such as postcards, letters and flyers. I also support our sales staff with traditional marketing initiatives at trade shows and database management.

But over the last year, it’s the non-traditional marketing initiatives that have really exploded-- namely social media. Our lean and mean Marketing team has created a strong social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, Blogger and, most recently, LinkedIn.

Did you know that Discount School Supply sponsors 10 separate blogs?! Some of the blogs we author ourselves, like Special Offers from Discount School Supply and Circle Time. Other blogs—like Art and Creativity, Topics in Early Childhood Education, and Sharin’with Sharron—are produced by Discount School Supply contributors. Each one provides excellent resources, information or the latest deals.

For Facebook, we have seen our fan page, take off in the last year. The direct interaction with our customers has been a huge benefit. For example, we shared a blog post by John Funk on our fan page about why he thinks coloring books are a bad idea. This created some very interesting dialogue. This type of reach and interaction would never have been possible without social media!

If you too want to get social with Discount School Supply, become a fan on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or check out any number of the Discount School Supply blogs. I invite you to comment, interact and help us provide the best early educational materials for early learners!

Thanks!

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Become an Affiliate with Discount School Supply

Hello, my name is Beth Kroenke and I am a Web Marketing Manager at Discount School Supply. I wrote a post on Circle Time a few months back describing our affiliate program through Commission Junction and inviting readers with their own sites to join. Now we have an additional program through the Google Affiliate Network! This is just another great way for people who have a website or blog (and who would like to spread the word about our great deals at Discount School Supply AND earn money at the same time) to join our affiliate program! It’s exciting to be able to partner with people who appreciate Discount School Supply's values and who want to help spread the word about the deals we offer by carrying an ad/link to our site on their site. It’s rewarding to see so many people interested in partnering with us.

What is an affiliate program? Basically, it is a means by which a company may advertise on websites and blogs other than their own. For instance, let’s say Mr. Smith has a website. He joins our affiliate program and posts a link to DSS on his site. If a visitor to Mr. Smith’s site buys a DSS product via his posted link, Mr. Smith will receive a commission from us! Not only is this a good thing for Mr. Smith and us, but this also helps web shoppers find the products they need at the prices they want!

Anyone interested in becoming an affiliate can apply for a publisher account (a free service) through Commission Junction or the Google Affiliate Network and then apply to the Discount School Supply affiliate program . Once approved, it’s time to start adding links to your website or blog! Approved partners can sing the praises of DSS while earning money at the same time!


Want to learn more? Feel free to share your comments and we’ll answer any questions you have!

Thursday, September 9, 2010

September is Baby Safety Month


Though safety knows no holiday, September is the month each year in which we highlight infant safety specifically.

A few things to remember this month:

• Beware of Cords:
Window blind cords are a strangulation hazard. Keep these cords out of a toddler's reach by wrapping them around wall cleats. In addition, ensure electrical cords from monitors and lamps cannot be reached from cribs, high chairs or baby seats.
• Keep toilet lids down to prevent access to water.
Consider using toilet clips to stop young children from opening the lids.
• Consider keeping children out of bathrooms by using bathroom door latches that are out of reach of young children.
• Never place pillows or thick quilts in a baby's sleep environment. Also, make sure there are no gaps larger than two fingers between the sides of the crib and the mattress.
• Crib Setup: Proper assembly of cribs is paramount - Follow the instructions provided and make sure that every component included is used. If you are not sure, call the manufacturer for assistance.
• Used Cribs: Do not use old, broken or modified cribs - Infants can strangle to death if their bodies pass through gaps between loose components or broken slats while their heads remain entrapped.
• Play Yards: Properly set up play yards according to manufacturers' directions - Only use the mattress pad provided with the play yard.
• Crawl around your classroom, center or home on your hands and knees to check for any potential hazards you may have otherwise missed.

In addition to the above, please take a few moments to browse our ever-increasing assortment of products which specifically address the safety of the children in your care.
Visit today .

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

More Ways to Find Savings!

Hi, my name is Howard and I work with the Discount School Supply.com website.

Part of my job is to help craft the promotions and sales you see in our emails and on our
website. With the new Discount School Supply.com website, we now have even more ways to show you the amazing breadth of offers from Discount School Supply. The new website allows for us to show even more rotating banners on the homepage. You can be sure to see a variety of offerings on the homepage at any given time. If that weren't enough, next to and beneath the rotating banner you'll see even more of what we have to offer at Discount School Supply.com, including products for children with Special Needs, Common-Allergen-Free Products, Free Activities, Clearance and Multi-Cultural Resources, with an assortment of Bi-Lingual Products.

Now, here's a tip for finding the best prices every day: on the top of the
Discount School Supply.com website is a button labeled "Shop". Behind this button you'll find a wealth of Special Offers from Discount School Supply. Keep on visiting the Discount School Supply website for more incredible ways to save, and as always, we'd love to hear your thoughts on the website. What do you love? What would you love to see in future releases?