Throughout the Girl Scout Cookie Program, girls are learning valuable skills as they run their own cookie business. And in the age of the internet, learning online marketing skills is invaluable—which is why Digital Cookie is such an awesome tool! In  addition, Digital Cookie orders average twice as many packages per order as face-to-face orders. That means she can reach her goal in half the time!

But without the face-to-face interactions girls have when selling cookies door-to-door or at cookie booths, Digital Cookie can feel a little… impersonal. So how can your girl fix that? It’s actually quite easy! Here are our seven favorite ways to make Digital Cookie more personal.

1. Communicate her why.

The first step in any cookie sale, in person or online, is to communicate the girl’s why. Why is she selling Girl Scout Cookies? What is she using the funds for? Why is that important to her, her community, and the person she’s selling cookies to?

Whenever she’s pitching her Digital Cookie site, whether it’s via social media, email, over the phone, etc., make sure she’s communicating her why. It’s going to make the sale that much more personal, since it’s all about her, not about the cookies. (But let’s be honest, it’s a little bit about the cookies, too!)

2. Upload her photo to her Digital Cookie storefront.

It’s silly how easy this one is, but it’s so effective! Girls who upload their own photo to their Digital Cookie account sell 37% more packages than girls who don’t. How crazy is that?!

3. Post photo updates on social media.

In addition to updating the goal tracker on her Digital Cookie page, post updates on social media platforms! These will help grab the attention of anyone who hasn’t made it over to her digital storefront yet.

Create your own goal tracker on paper and have her color in her progress (again, combining the number of packages she’s sold online and in-person!). Then, periodically take a photo of her holding up her tracker. Bonus points if she’s in her uniform! Post the photo to your social media profile, or hers if she has one. Make sure to include a link to her Digital Cookie page on each update so it’s easy for friends and family to find!

Keep in mind, girls should never share their last names, addresses, or any contact information when marketing their products. Online marketing should always be done with accounts set to private. Girls can only market their online storefront to friends and family; people that the girl or family personally know. Storefronts or websites like Craig’s List, eBay, or open pages on Facebook or sale groups where the Girl Scout does not know all the members are forbidden. Digital Cookie storefronts will be deactivated if we find that girls are selling cookies in ways that are unsafe; girl safety is our number one priority.

4. Create a video.

In today’s world, videos are all the rage. Get your girl in on it (and help her learn a new skill in the process!) by creating a video where she talks about what she loves about Girl Scouts, why she’s selling cookies, and what they can do to help.

Hearing her why directly from her will really help her friends and family understand the impact their purchase will make on her individually. It’s a great sales tool, and makes the purchase much more personal when they’ve heard the sales pitch straight from her. In fact, girls who upload a video explaining why they’re selling and what their goal is sell an average of 75% more packages than girls who don’t!

5. Call long-distance friends and relatives first or as a reminder.

One of the best parts about Digital Cookie is that it enables long-distance friends and family to support your girl in her specific cookie sale. But how does she make her sales pitch more personal than an auto-generated email?

While email and social media are great, sometimes an old-fashioned phone call can go a long way! This is especially true for non-tech-savvy friends and relatives. Have her give them a call and let them know what she’s been up to, then remind them that she’s participating in the Girl Scout Cookie Program and ask if they’d like to buy some cookies from her. Once she gets off the phone, she can email them her Digital Cookie link so they can place their order.

6. Send a personal email with the Digital Cookie link.

While the email templates provided with Digital Cookie are an awesome starting point, sending an individual email can quickly become a lot more personal. Instead of using the Digital Cookie platform, encourage your girl to write up an email in your personal inbox (or hers, if she has one!) like Gmail, Yahoo, or Outlook. Then she can send each email individually, with personalized messages to every customer. Pretty cool, huh?

While the internet can feel impersonal at times, your girl’s Digital Cookie storefront doesn’t have to! When she implements one (or a few!) of these techniques, she’s sure to increase her sales, since her customers will understand what their purchase is doing for her.

Need help setting up your girl’s Digital Cookie page? Visit gswo.org/cookieresources for tips and tricks, or contact the Customer Care Team at 888.350.5090 or customercare@gswo.org!