Regardless of the age or academic level, graduation is an exciting time that is celebrated all over the world as a new chapter begins.
A graduation ceremony signifies accomplishment and serves as a purpose to kick off a new phase of life – whether that is going off to college or adulthood.
With such an achievement come gifts, according to NRF, typical gifts include cash, cards, gift cards, apparel, and more.
Without a doubt, money is one of the most popular gifts for students to help with the costly transition from high School to college to the “real world.”

In this guide, we will take a look at how to capture a bigger piece of this monumental $5 billion market.
By the end of this guide, you should have a pretty good idea of how to market yourself to capitalize on this not so official holiday.

Who gives graduation gifts?

The most significant spending comes from 45-55 age, making purchasers primarily parents.
However, parents are not the only consumers who shop for the graduating class; among them are siblings, grandparents, peers, and extended family members.
Knowing who your target market is can go a long way. Parents are more likely to help with financial burdens, whereas a younger shopper (sibling, peer, etc.) may be comfortable purchasing a more affordable token of appreciation, such as gag gifts.
A funny gag gift can be a great way to maintain a relationship between siblings when one flees the nest to embark on a 4-degree journey or adulthood.

Design Ideas For Going-Away Gifts

• Long-Distance Relationship
• Fine. Go.
• Local Foods They Will Miss
• Inspiring Messages
• Home T-Shirt / Wall Art
• Miss your stupid face
• Home Coordinates (major cities)
• Custom Map Coasters
• Anywhere travel guide
• Homesick T-Shirt
• Personalized Street Flag
• Personalized Posters
• Heartfelt Friendship Mug
• New Clothes For New Climate
• Communicate in any language travel shirt
• Interviews Do’s & Don’ts

As for ecommerce itself, you aren’t marketing professional wardrobe for college or post-school career; you are in the market of entertainment.
Your target market is customers that shop the internet to find a meaningful gift that may not be of high value but will have a meaning in terms of inside jokes or of experience.

How to prepare for the graduation season

When preparing for graduation season, you not only need to make plans for marketing campaigns but be sure to have everything updated – check for website errors/bugs.
The ecommerce is saturated to say at least, so if you want to have successful biz, you have to make sure everything runs as smooth as butter.
A slight glitch is more than likely to take your custom elsewhere. That’s where analytics comes into play. They are a useful source of insights to where your customers are experiencing problems.

Pinterest: Think beyond selling

According to Pinterest analysis, it’s best to start running graduation content in mid-March, when searches and saves pick up.
During mid-May, we begin to see a lot more activity because that is when graduates leave for School or start their new lives.

Here are a couple of ideas on how to get your products in front of the eyes of your target market:
Put together gift guides that focus on a different type of graduate. Graduates who are looking forward to taking a leap year or entering the workforce.
Personal experience is a plus. A piece of quality knowledge is valued, and many college grads will search for things like life guides, party planning guides, gift guides, and more.




Pinterest is a platform of possibilities. College grads or heck even adults go on Pinterest to dream big.
Grads may not have their diplomas in mid-March just yet.
But they are already seriously invested in what is to come.
To get an idea of what guides you should put together, do your reg research by including these keywords:
Graduation party decorations, graduation food, graduation outfits, graduation gifts, graduation ideas, graduation party ideas high School, graduation party decor, graduation, advice for graduates, adulthood tips, etc.

Email Marketing – Be quirky

When you are writing the copy for your promotion, whether that is for social media or email, you may want to use puns. After all, graduation is a time of excitement and fun-new beginnings. Don’t be afraid of the old fashioned puns.

• Whale done graduate.
• Con-grad-ulations.
• You’ve been schooled.
• Breaking Grad.
• I’m getting my dip-llama.
• Calc-u later!
• I hope this B.S. pays off.
• Life is like a camera. Just focus on what’s important, capture the good times, develop from the negatives, and if things don’t turn out, take another shot.
• I owe. I owe. It’s off to work I go!
• Done with this B.S.
• And so the adventure begins.
• Let the new adventure begin.
• Here I come, world.
• Tens of thousands of dollars later.
• Adulting is hard.
• Adulthood is overrated.
• Adult ish

Prepare irresistible wall art offer!

When everybody is moving on, sentimental products become the go-to gifts.
There is not much that parents can do to prevent kids from leaving the nest. But they can give a gift to remember them by.
Posters for high school graduates and something bit more adult-y for college graduates –the famous Canvas.
Check out CustomCat’s Product Personalization Tool that allows customers to make a product design their own.
Here are a couple of ideas for wall art:

• Success Quotes
• School Landmarks/Buildings
• Hometown (major cities)
• The New Yorker, The Bay Stater, etc.
• The School of (insert degree)
• School supplies pattern for the soon-to-be school teacher
• Sports

Don’t forget to check out our selling guides to increase your chances of success.
Canvas Selling Guide
Poster Selling Guide
Don’t forget to update your product descriptions. It is not just a one-time thing that you do once.
You continuously need to update it based on the events that you are marketing to at the moment.
So, make sure your product titles and descriptions include keywords likely to be used by a shopper that is looking to buy a sentimental gift for a graduate.

Conclusion – When everything is said and done, go for it.

Graduation is one of the most important milestones of a person’s life. There is big money to be spent during this celebration. Make sure your marketing and website are ready for graduation.
You may not have everything planned out to perfection. Sometimes it’s messy. Sometimes you may not achieve the results that you worked hard for. But done is better than perfect. So, don’t be afraid to start — it’s time to focus.
And like we always ask, are you planning to take advantage of this spring event? Let us know in the comments below.