Stephanie Krawehl

Changing the future: strategies for the development of bookstores in the digital age

Hello everyone and thank you for inviting me to this International Conference on the digitization of book shops.

Bookshops have a great tradition and a sensitive soul – but for years they have firmly closed their eyes to the reality of an increasing digitization and online book shopping. In the light of the global pandemic, many had to battle with closing their shops temporarily, cancelling events, and a lack footfall once reopened. How do book shops deal with these adverse conditions? How can bookshops operate in these unprecedented times, during which no direct contacts are possible?

Traditional book trade and the wide world of digitization do not have to stand in opposition. On the contrary – they can complement each other beautifully. For this to work, bookshop keepers need to leave their ivory tower in order to see alternative ways to engage in the book trade. This step might be easier for some and more challenging for others – ultimately our readers are the ones that benefit from engaging with the digitalized world, providing access to literature in all its forms.

In order to generate more growth in the digital world and compensate the losses from this year, there are a variety of opportunities to rekindle the interest in the book – and believe me, customers love returning to our book shops to browse and have a chat. These highlights show the importance of direct contact, the interaction with the customers. We see the digitization as an opportunity to keep our customers informed, to let them know how they can continue to support our work by engaging with posts and ordering books online. Online orders can be either click and collect or they can be shipped directly to your home. Especially during the Christmas season, it is necessary to use alternative methods to reach both regular and potential customers.

Prior to engaging with the digitalized world, it is crucial to develop a digital strategy – this is not something to be done on the side, it requires a lot of time and careful consideration of content. Aspects of this digital strategy as a viable part of the business require designated members of staff. These areas are sales (external: online shop, web design and hosting), online marketing, and most importantly internally social media. It is crucial to employ someone with the appropriate knowledge who has a broad digital knowledge, most importantly in online marketing and social media. These are jobs in their own right which need to be recognized.

During the first three months of lockdown, the German government offered different support packages for businesses. Through this program they could apply for financial support without having to repay it. Another program from which shop owners significantly benefited was offered by the Federal Office of Export and Import Control. This program supplied consultants to aid corona-affected business. The business only had to cover 10% of the expenses. In addition to this, the federal states support the digitization of the bookshop with €20 million, every bookshop can apply for a maximum of € 7.500.

The support from the government is part of the fulfillment of digital strategies. And each strategy is tailor made to fit the needs of each individual bookshop. As mentioned before, it also needs experts who can put these strategies into practice; employees who are able to implement the strategies. Especially in the current climate, independent shops need to react quickly and efficiently to the ever changing digital requirements. The digitization is still in its early stages of development – this needs to change quickly. A website and an online shop merely fulfill basic requirements, it needs regular interaction on social media to reach the people where they spend most of their time – this happens online.

The development of the digital strategy should not focus on quantity, but rather on tailored quality. A profound knowledge of the different channels as well as knowing the expectations from your audience is vital.

In addition to an active online presence is the in-person networking in your field. The personal contact with customers and word of mouth are crucial for your business‘ success. More connections mean more success. The same applies to the digital world. We transfer our in-person networks into the digital world and promote our digital presence as best as possible through QR codes, flyers as well as receipts that point to our social media.

Through online groups on facebook, and continued professional development and conferences (like this one), we keep up to date with the state of affairs and strengthen our network with new contacts. This professional exchange and collaboration are invaluable for success and offer a way to face the challenges collectively and purposefully to promote literature and the book!

I would now like to highlight some practical recommendations for bookshops to promote their business, their range of books, in order to create incentives to support your book shop. These suggestions are not exhaustive, but they represent our carefully thought through strategy to engage the digital customer. As most of you will know, the well-known platforms are Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The latter has gained enormous attention in the last few years. I would like to walk you through a couple of options you could replicate in your bookshop.

The possibilities offered by having a business account on Facebook.

Outreach to 30 mil. users in Germany and possibly reaching a worldwide audience
Setting up the page is free
Strong links with your own website
Bookshops benefit from literary news shareable on their account
Community building and viral marketing
Direct and easy communication with platform users
Easy communication with costumers – virtual recommendations possible

The possibilities of a business account with Instagram:

As a social media platform that is highly visual, it is ideal for bookshops. As we all know, books are highly photogenic. The demand for books is unbroken
Marketing tools for outreach – continuity is crucial
Analysis tool (insights)
Interaction with other followers, publishers or bloggers by sharing posts
Use comment section from other accounts to interact
live and recorded readings and talks as online events

It is important to keep in mind that the main goal of the implementation of digital strategies is to promote the commercial aspect of the bookshop. The dissemination of literature through reviews is the task of literary blogs. Hence why it is so vital for bookshops to interact with literary bloggers and influencers.

What does it mean to have an online presence? Why the whole effort?

From January onwards this year, the Lesesaal Bookshop has benefited from a new social media helper, Roma Maria Mukherjee – in August she became a permanent member of staff, and is now a vital part of the Lesesaal team, she is responsible for all social media accounts. As a team we have developed a plan for the different social media channels – every day has a different theme: Tuesdays Mr. Mingo, a pink flamingo recommends books in English, Wednesdays we recommend children’s books and Thursday we cover all things poetry. Through a well-structured plan of scheduled posts, we developed a rhythm on our feeds which allows us to react to events like award ceremonies or cover events such as conferences or festivals. We are very proud of our weekly readings, on Tuesdays and Fridays, during which different presenters read from two books. Another weekly event taking place on my private account is a series of interviews with different people from the literary world.

Despite all of these wonderful opportunities, bookshops as spaces of communication and creative interaction are irreplaceable! Society needs these spaces for the intake of soul and the personal exchange. More important than ever: where the word is not free, neither is the human.

Changing the future: strategies for the development of bookstores in the digital age

Hello everyone and thank you for inviting me to this International Conference on the digitization of book shops.

Bookshops have a great tradition and a sensitive soul – but for years they have firmly closed their eyes to the reality of an increasing digitization and online book shopping. In the light of the global pandemic, many had to battle with closing their shops temporarily, cancelling events, and a lack footfall once reopened. How do book shops deal with these adverse conditions? How can bookshops operate in these unprecedented times, during which no direct contacts are possible?

Traditional book trade and the wide world of digitization do not have to stand in opposition. On the contrary – they can complement each other beautifully. For this to work, bookshop keepers need to leave their ivory tower in order to see alternative ways to engage in the book trade. This step might be easier for some and more challenging for others – ultimately our readers are the ones that benefit from engaging with the digitalized world, providing access to literature in all its forms.

In order to generate more growth in the digital world and compensate the losses from this year, there are a variety of opportunities to rekindle the interest in the book – and believe me, customers love returning to our book shops to browse and have a chat. These highlights show the importance of direct contact, the interaction with the customers. We see the digitization as an opportunity to keep our customers informed, to let them know how they can continue to support our work by engaging with posts and ordering books online. Online orders can be either click and collect or they can be shipped directly to your home. Especially during the Christmas season, it is necessary to use alternative methods to reach both regular and potential customers.

Prior to engaging with the digitalized world, it is crucial to develop a digital strategy – this is not something to be done on the side, it requires a lot of time and careful consideration of content. Aspects of this digital strategy as a viable part of the business require designated members of staff. These areas are sales (external: online shop, web design and hosting), online marketing, and most importantly internally social media. It is crucial to employ someone with the appropriate knowledge who has a broad digital knowledge, most importantly in online marketing and social media. These are jobs in their own right which need to be recognized.

During the first three months of lockdown, the German government offered different support packages for businesses. Through this program they could apply for financial support without having to repay it. Another program from which shop owners significantly benefited was offered by the Federal Office of Export and Import Control. This program supplied consultants to aid corona-affected business. The business only had to cover 10% of the expenses. In addition to this, the federal states support the digitization of the bookshop with €20 million, every bookshop can apply for a maximum of € 7.500.

The support from the government is part of the fulfillment of digital strategies. And each strategy is tailor made to fit the needs of each individual bookshop. As mentioned before, it also needs experts who can put these strategies into practice; employees who are able to implement the strategies. Especially in the current climate, independent shops need to react quickly and efficiently to the ever changing digital requirements. The digitization is still in its early stages of development – this needs to change quickly. A website and an online shop merely fulfill basic requirements, it needs regular interaction on social media to reach the people where they spend most of their time – this happens online.

The development of the digital strategy should not focus on quantity, but rather on tailored quality. A profound knowledge of the different channels as well as knowing the expectations from your audience is vital.

In addition to an active online presence is the in-person networking in your field. The personal contact with customers and word of mouth are crucial for your business‘ success. More connections mean more success. The same applies to the digital world. We transfer our in-person networks into the digital world and promote our digital presence as best as possible through QR codes, flyers as well as receipts that point to our social media.

Through online groups on facebook, and continued professional development and conferences (like this one), we keep up to date with the state of affairs and strengthen our network with new contacts. This professional exchange and collaboration are invaluable for success and offer a way to face the challenges collectively and purposefully to promote literature and the book!

I would now like to highlight some practical recommendations for bookshops to promote their business, their range of books, in order to create incentives to support your book shop. These suggestions are not exhaustive, but they represent our carefully thought through strategy to engage the digital customer. As most of you will know, the well-known platforms are Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The latter has gained enormous attention in the last few years. I would like to walk you through a couple of options you could replicate in your bookshop.

The possibilities offered by having a business account on Facebook.

Outreach to 30 mil. users in Germany and possibly reaching a worldwide audience
Setting up the page is free
Strong links with your own website
Bookshops benefit from literary news shareable on their account
Community building and viral marketing
Direct and easy communication with platform users
Easy communication with costumers – virtual recommendations possible

The possibilities of a business account with Instagram:

As a social media platform that is highly visual, it is ideal for bookshops. As we all know, books are highly photogenic. The demand for books is unbroken
Marketing tools for outreach – continuity is crucial
Analysis tool (insights)
Interaction with other followers, publishers or bloggers by sharing posts
Use comment section from other accounts to interact
live and recorded readings and talks as online events

It is important to keep in mind that the main goal of the implementation of digital strategies is to promote the commercial aspect of the bookshop. The dissemination of literature through reviews is the task of literary blogs. Hence why it is so vital for bookshops to interact with literary bloggers and influencers.

What does it mean to have an online presence? Why the whole effort?

From January onwards this year, the Lesesaal Bookshop has benefited from a new social media helper, Roma Maria Mukherjee – in August she became a permanent member of staff, and is now a vital part of the Lesesaal team, she is responsible for all social media accounts. As a team we have developed a plan for the different social media channels – every day has a different theme: Tuesdays Mr. Mingo, a pink flamingo recommends books in English, Wednesdays we recommend children’s books and Thursday we cover all things poetry. Through a well-structured plan of scheduled posts, we developed a rhythm on our feeds which allows us to react to events like award ceremonies or cover events such as conferences or festivals. We are very proud of our weekly readings, on Tuesdays and Fridays, during which different presenters read from two books. Another weekly event taking place on my private account is a series of interviews with different people from the literary world.

Despite all of these wonderful opportunities, bookshops as spaces of communication and creative interaction are irreplaceable! Society needs these spaces for the intake of soul and the personal exchange. More important than ever: where the word is not free, neither is the human.

Ich führe seit Ende Juli 2020 eine Interview-Reihe auf Instagram live donnerstags um 19:30 auf meinen Instagram-Account @stephanie_krawehl. Konzept für „Stephanie fragt nach“:

Teilnehmer:innen

Literaturagentur
Bloggerinnen und Blogger
Autorinnen und Autoren
Verlegerinnen und Verleger
Übersetzerinnen und Übersetzer
Literaturhäuser
Börsenverein
Literaturkritikerinnen und -kritikern
Journalistinnen und Journalisten

Fragengerüst

Was machst Du?
An was für Projekten hast Du vor Corona gearbeitet?
Was war das erste große Einschnitt für Dich?
Welchen Einfluss hat der Ausbruch auf Deine Arbeit?
Gibt es ein Arbeiten/Schreiben vor und nach Corona?
Was ist Deiner Meinung nach vorrangig für Dich bzw. für den Literaturbetrieb?
Welche Veränderungen werden bleiben?

Bisherige Gesprächspartner: Autorin Katharina Adler, Verlegerin Birgit Schmitz, Buchhändler + Blogger Frank Menden, Geschäftsführer des Bucerius Kunst Forums Andreas Hoffmann, Leiter des Frankfurter Literaturhauses Hauke Hückstädt, Inhaberin des Literatur- und Pressebüros Politycki, Birgt Politycki, Masterabsolventin und Buchbinderin Pauline Krawehl, Bloggerin/Autorin/Journalistin Karla Paul, Mitbegründer des Hamburger Festivals FLUCTOPLASMA, Hauptgeschäftsführer des Börsenvereins, Alexander Skipis, Geschäftsführerin der Stiftung Buchkunst, Katharina Hesse, Buchhändler + Blogger Florian Valerius, Autorin Melanie Raabe.