For many bookstores, Independent Bookstore Day [7] (IBD) is second only to the Christmas season in terms of sales. Now, with less than two weeks left before Saturday, April 29, booksellers can use these last-minute tips to promote the event via social media and other marketing channels.

Double-down on promotion before April 29:

• Start handing out your free IBD bookmarks and mentioning the event to customers.
• Highlight IBD in your store’s April newsletter.
• Follow up on press releases sent to local media. Find a customizable press release here [8].
• Use social media daily. Find a primer on best practices for promoting IBD on social media here [9].
• Put up IBD signage and window displays. Printable versions are available here [8].
• Create displays with IBD items and teasers (official IBD merchandise may not be sold until April 29).
• Make sure your store is well-staffed for April 29, and your staff is informed about the day’s plans.
• Post in-store signage [8].
• Make sure Independent Bookstore Day information is on your website’s homepage or events page. Include the IBD logos found here [8] in your posts.

Take note of best practices for Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook:

• Always use the hashtag #BookstoreDay and the handle @BookstoreDay in posts about IBD.
• Use photos, videos, and gifs on all of your social media channels.
• Follow other stores, publishers, and book-related social media accounts.
• Participate in two IBD Twitter chats, scheduled for April 21 at noon ET and April 27 at 3:00 p.m. ET.
• See the full Social Media Best Practices primer here [10].

Order your Independent Bookstore Day totes and T-shirts now:

• Order IBD tote bags [11], now $65 for a bundle of 10, marked down from $75. No set retail price and free shipping.
• Order IBD t-shirts [11], now on sale individually for $10 each. Shipping is free. Tote bag and T-shirt orders will arrive about one week before April 29.
• Orders of exclusive IBD items (not T-shirts and totes) will arrive on or before April 22.

Take advantage of Libro.fm’s free audiobook promotion for IBD:

• Download Libro.fm’s IBD audiobook materials [12], including fliers, web banners, featured book covers, and more.
• Direct customers to the Libro.fm homepage [13] or your Libro.fm storefront to get free audiobooks, only available on April 29.
• To start selling audiobooks as a Libro.fm partner, e-mail Mark Pearson [14] by April 20. Find more information about Libro.fm here. [15]