The Internet and smartphones have altered mainly the way we buy things. Earlier buying was an experience, whether one was buying new clothes, electronics or even an accessory they liked. Sometimes, buyers also had to wait for days for their product to reach them.
Today, a purchase is made within a few clicks, just in a few seconds. "I saw it, I liked it, I ordered it, I got it" has become the buyer's frame of mind. In such times, when internet-based businesses are thriving, retailers are having a tough time attracting their old and new customers and keeping them coming back.
Suppose you are one of the retail business owners wondering what you can do differently and how you can use digital marketing for retail business. Then you have come to the right place. In this article, we will walk you through the six best digital marketing retail store ideas; that will help you generate more business.
We live in a generation where you probably don't exist if you are not on social media, you probably don't exist. The same goes for your business as well. Set up your business's social media pages. Post a story or a picture of your product, how a day in your business looks like, how your team works, etc. If you feel gutsy enough, shoot a video and upload a reel.
Making your business official online will not only help you get visibility for your business, but it will also open up a communication channel for your customers to connect with your business.
Can you Google it?
Did you hear one of your customers complaining about how they just couldn't find your store? Get the Maps. Oh, we mean google maps and google search. Set up a google business page. Google Business Page will help you put your business online and help your customers reach your business quickly.
Through maps, they can easily search your location, through contact buttons, they can easily connect with you, through your reviews they can also know what other customers feel about your business.
Make your content friendly for Google Shopping. Google shopping is a powerful tool that uses google search's algorithm to suggest products to the buyers.
Slide into their emails
If you thought emailing someone is so '00, you might be disappointed to hear that you are wrong. You would be surprised to know that email marketing generates a whopping 4200% ROI. Email Marketing for retail businesses is still such a rage; email marketing is still one of the most converting digital marketing channels.
According to optinmonster, 58% of consumers check their email first thing in the morning. This means you get to reach your ideal customer first thing in the morning. Now isn't that exciting? Ask your customers for their email id with every purchase or purchase inquiry they make for your business. Ask them if they would love to receive the latest updates from your business, and voila, you have a whole data set built up for your email marketing, in digital marketing for retail stores.
Want to get some brownie points? Add in some special discounts to your mail list. We will talk about this in detail in the latter part of this article.
Local Ads
Using digital marketing in retail store marketing strategy opens up numerous opportunities for your business. You can target your ideal customers that might be sitting across the globe. But there are always physical restrictions, transportation issues and charges, etc.
A smart way to go around this issue would be to optimize your digital presence locally, which means targeting your local customers and promoting your business in the region you serve.
BOPIS
BOPIS is the latest marketing buzzword in the digital marketing for retail stores, and to be honest, we love it. BOPIS is a Buy Online Pick In-Store. BOPIS became relatively well-known during the pandemic, but the restaurant industry has been using the "Buy Online Pick In-Store" or "Curbside Pickup" concept for a while now.
Giving your audience an option to buy your products or services online enables your business to reach a more comprehensive set of customers, buyers that are interested in your product and search for your product with an intention to buy. At the same time, Pick In-Store enables the buyers to have an in-person experience with your business.
Bring in the Influence
With the rise of social media, the Creator Economy is also on the rise. Today influencers have comparatively more influence on customers' purchase patterns as compared to renowned celebrities. Collaborating with niche influencers with similar values as your business and catering to the same audience as your business does can be a beneficial deal.
Collaborating with influencers on social media allows you to tap into the influencer's loyal audience while also building credibility for your business.
Collab: with local creators
A great follow up on your influencer collaboration could be to bring local creators or artists into the spotlight. For example, suppose your business sells trendy t-shirts and other funky accessories. In that case, you might want to collaborate with local artists to get their prints on your products, thus creating branded merchandise.
Promote the collaboration on your social media channels or keep the collaboration "limited edition" to drive more attention to the collaboration.
Coupons, Referrals and Loyalty Points:
Everyone loves "Free" things. Rewarding your new, loyal customers will always keep them coming for more. Loyalty points have been around for a long time and have been working for businesses in every industry.
Coupons paired with a campaign or on a social occasion can help you increase your sales in the peak business days. At the same time, referrals are great to attract new customers.
Add some loyalty brownie points and referral points to pay invoices. You can also make use of omnichannel marketing and distribute these reward points on social media, include them in your email marketing mix, or ask an influencer to promote a coupon code.
Hope this helps you get started with digital marketing in retail stores. Suppose you feel like you are spreading yourself too thin, managing all the business operations and marketing your retail store digitally. In that case, you might want to take the help of experts who understand the Internet better and can help you promote your business online and increase your year on year profits.
We are curious, which of these marketing mixes are you going to use in your digital marketing for retail store strategy?