Gift card marketing: how to draw attention to your gift card shop!

You've started selling gift cards online, but sales just aren't taking off? Here are 7 marketing tips to help. To sell lots of gift cards online, a nicely designed shop isn't enough on its own – nobody will buy your gift cards if they can't find them.

For your gift card business to really take off, as many people as possible need to know about your shop. Here's how to get maximum reach and visibility:

1. Your online gift card shop must be visible on your homepage!

Let's start simple: your homepage. It's the first stop for all your customers, so put the link to your gift card shop front and center. “Go to gift card shop” buttons or other eye-catching links work best. If you add the shop to your main menu, make sure it doesn't get lost among lots of other items.

2. Use your social media reach!

You probably already have followers on your social channels (TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn …)! Let them know you now sell gift cards or tickets online – and keep reminding them, so your shop isn't forgotten. Post your current offers and remind your fans about your gift cards before occasions like Christmas, Easter or Mother's Day. Social media works especially well if you use a Facebook plugin that lets you sell gift cards right on Facebook.

Reaching new customers

The first two tips are a great start – but they mainly reach your existing customers. So how do you reach new customers with your online gift card shop?

gurado is often mistaken for a deal site or coupon platform. We're not – and don't want to be. Our goal is software that strengthens your own direct sales and makes selling gift cards easier and more effective. Here are some ways to bring new customers to your gift card shop – and to your business:

3. Free & effective: search engine optimization (SEO)

If you don't want to spend much on advertising, start by optimizing your gift card shop for Google search. There are plenty of guides online that explain what to look out for. Your keywords usually combine your offers, your area and words like “gift card” or “gift” – because that's what potential customers search for. Example: for a massage salon in Hamburg-Harburg, “massage voucher Hamburg” or “gift a massage Harburg” are interesting keywords.

4. Increase your reach with Google Ads

With lots of competition, it can be hard to reach the top of the organic search results. If you're willing to invest a little, run a Google Ads campaign – it can be cheaper than using a deal site that charges high commissions. Here's a quick worked example:

5. Promote Facebook posts

On Facebook you can promote not just your page but individual posts too. So if you've posted about your gift cards, as suggested in tip 2, you can massively boost its reach – and not only your fans will see it, but potential new customers too.

Facebook Ads lets you target specific audiences by region or city, age, gender, interests and much more. Facebook for Business also has helpful articles for your gift card marketing campaigns.

6. Ads in the local press

Just because your gift card shop is online doesn't mean that's the only place to advertise it. An ad in your local paper can work very well. Not every reader is your target audience, but every reader is a potential customer. So they don't just read your ad and forget it, add a QR code – that way anyone can go straight to your shop on their phone and buy a gift card.

7. In-store banners & displays

Your own store is great advertising space too. How about a banner in your window saying “Still need a present? We sell gift cards – online too!”? It catches passers-by's attention – and some of them are sure to take you up on it.