Imagine a long line of customers waiting outside your shop, eager to purchase your amazing products. Or picture logging into your Ecommerce platform to discover sales have doubled overnight.
More sales is the goal of every retail store owner and now, more than ever, it’s important to market your retail business using the power of digital marketing. By incorporating consistent online marketing in your business, you’ll be able to reach your customers in a way you never have before. You’ll also have the opportunity to show the value of your products and improve your sales by engaging with your potential customers.
Here’s how to use online marketing to make more sales for your retail company.
GIVE AWAY FREE INFORMATION.
It may feel counterintuitive to give anything away for free, but free content actually establishes you as the leader and expert in your niche. When you’re seen as the expert, potential customers are that much more likely to purchase from you. After all, here you are reading our tips, right?
How do you put this into practice?
Think about how you can add value for your audience through content, such as blogposts or articles, social media, video, and so on.
Example
Let’s say you own a sporting goods store. You sell everything from baseballs and soccer balls to athletic shoes to jerseys for the local teams. You primarily target parents, as you have a wide variety of youth sporting goods.
You decide to create content on your blog around subjects like “The Top 10 Reasons Why Sports Help Your Kids Become Incredible Adults” and “How to Find the Sport Your Child Will Love.”
You also create video tutorial content on YouTube like “How to Properly Throw a Football with the Perfect Spiral” and “Why You Aren’t Making 3-Point Shots.”
You share all of this content in your social media channels, along with quick tips you find from professional athletes who give some secrets of their success away.
USE ADS TO YOUR BENEFIT.
Online ads don’t have to break the bank. A well designed and targeted ad campaign can do wonders when it comes to driving qualified leads to your retail website.
How do you put this into practice?
Use platforms where your customers spend their time online using the right social media tool and very specifically targeting your ideal audience. You can also incorporate retargeting ads to stay top of mind and geotargeting for a local audience.
Example
You run a comic book store and you target graphic novel lovers, specifically collectors as you have a wide variety of collectors’ edition comic books.
You run regular ads on Facebook for potential customers in your geographic area who like pages such as Marvel and DC Comics, and who self identify liking graphic novels in their profile.
You also run retargeting ads for visitors to your website, along with a Google shopping ad campaign that showcases your vintage collectors’ edition books.
ENGAGE YOUR CUSTOMERS REGULARLY.
Engaging your customers online is vital in converting leads into customers. Humans crave engagement in the relationships they form – and relationships with businesses are no different! The more you can stand out by engaging your community, the more likely you’ll be creating customers for life.
How do you put this into practice?
Social media and email newsletters are some of the best ways to regularly engage your customers, as you have a direct line to them in these ways.
Example
You run a small, local supermarket that specializes in locally sourced and grown foods and drinks. You target the surrounding community and those people who value food that comes from close to home.
You engage your customers regularly on your social media account by sharing photos and videos they’ve shared on their personal social accounts. In fact, you even run campaigns around asking customers to share their favorite recipes using your products and share the winners on your channels, who receive a gift card to your shop.
You also email your list once a week to talk about the sales, specials, and new products you have on the shelves that week. In addition, your email always includes a recipe that showcases seasonal foods.
Use these three digital marketing strategies to start making more sales for your retail business.
If you need help creating a digital marketing presence that represents your business and reaches your target market, contact us at OSC Web Design.
