One of the biggest issues I often encounter is that people forget that we are all still people, living in a community and needing to get some of our items from nearby merchants and not just an online behemoth or retail chain. And many of these items are often not even thought about when we go shopping for our daily needs because our “Prime” membership is so much easier to simply hit “add to cart” and get it shipped here tomorrow.
But, for those businesses that depend on local purchases, the question is “how do I reach more people?” and “what can I do to get more attention?” These are some of the issues I often address with my retail clients and I thought I’d list a few ideas here as we all need a bit of inspiration and hope at this time.
First off, always remember the basics: treat your customers right and they’ll keep coming back. Make them know you’re there for them and they can count on you – this will help to provide the backbone of your success.
Staff
You might be asking yourself, “why is my staff important and key to my marketing?” Even though your staff is there to do a job and get paid to do it, they also represent your brand. Have you ever walked into a store or business, saw the way the people were hanging around or talking, and walked out right away without ever accomplishing what you wanted to do there? So many times, the wrong first impression is the last impression a business can make on a potential customer, so make sure your team doesn’t mess it up. They are your brand ambassadors and need to look and feel the part.
Local Sponsorships
We all get asked to sponsor some organizations from time to time – be it a softball team, a school, church or synagogue, a local police department, and so on and so forth. Sometimes the organization that we sponsored publicizes the fact that we donated something, sometimes, unfortunately, they don’t. But you can still be actively promoting your “social good” and putting the word out there that “we’re proud to sponsor XYZ because of ABC.” Think of it this way: if I were asked by a major children’s cancer hospital to be a sponsor of theirs in an upcoming promotion, I would because I believe in what they do and cannot stand the idea that an innocent child should be facing such a horrific disease. Not only that but the parents – how can they be asked to worry not only about their kids but also their living expenses and more while they are with their child in the hospital? I’d gladly donate my time, resources, and expertise to help them find a cure.
There’s a school of thought that many of the millennials will not support a business that doesn’t have a social conscience or a social good component to what they do. Tell them you do and make it known.
And make sure if you sponsor a local team, your name and logo are clearly displayed and look crisp on the uniforms so people know who the sponsor is!
Google My Business
Have you searched online for a business and gotten the store’s address, hours, etc. while on Google? There’s a good chance they were using a completely FREE service that Google offers called “Google My Business.” What you can do on your local Google My Business (GMB) page is amazing – first, you can put photos and promotions out there. You can get reviews, update your hours, see how many people are searching for you online and so much more.
And if you don’t have time to create your own GMB page, we can help you with that too.
Social Media Marketing
Let’s be real – social media – for all its drawbacks is still a major source of information and a way to reach so many people about your business.
Knowing which platforms will work best for your business may take a bit of experimenting and time but once you find what works, keep pushing out your story. Don’t just push sales posts as people will quickly stop following you. What you do want to share though are posts like “here’s why Jamie (or whatever your best salesperson’s name is) loves working here” or “why we support XYZ charity” – the more times your followers can get a taste of YOUR business, the more likely they are to want to engage and shop your store. And finally, about 25-40% of the time that you post can be promotional posts – your sales, special deals, etc. so people see you as a business and not just inspiration! We cover the percentages and making sure you’re not seen as a bad business as part of our marketing audit process too if you want to know more.
eCommerce
Last but not least, consider going online too. With the pandemic ravaging many communities and countless businesses lost, we have seen the importance of having an eCommerce shop where people can go to your site and buy what you’re selling. And it doesn’t matter what you are selling – even as a restaurant, you can be online too! I recently recorded a video where I went into detail on how a restaurant can use eCommerce as a major way to still be doing good business whether they have indoor dining or not.
And, our sister agency, BGSIPayments can help you get setup and go through all of your options ensuring that you can operate your retail shop and eCommerce store seamlessly!
Marketing your business to the local community is a slow and steady process, for sure, but when you plant the seeds and share the interest with your community, you will reap the rewards. And if you want to speed up the process and figure out what other tips and strategies we use to help you generate even more business, let’s set up a time to chat and review where you are today and where you want to be!
