Most companies look towards traditional advertising methods and digital marketing to drive business to the stores. It’s very easy to get lost in the world of online marketing, as it seems like a more convenient and lucrative option. If you own a physical store with a presence beyond the digital world, it is important to consider in-store marketing strategies. It has been found that most of the customers prefer to shop in stores that offer a more personal customer experience. Keeping this factor in mind, it is important to employ in-store marketing strategies. Before we get to the system, let us first explore the concept of in-store marketing.To know more click here
What is meant by in-store marketing?
Through in-store marketing, businesses develop strategies to target physically present consumers in the store. This differs from other marketing strategies that focus on driving the customer to the company. If companies want to engage and convert customers when they arrive, it is important to use effective in-store marketing strategies. In-store marketing strategies can be useful for –
· Promoting products
· Educating shoppers and prospective buyers
· Driving up-selling and cross-selling
· Generating leads
· Building brand affinity and recognition
· Decreasing the wait time of customers
· Supporting the customer support and sales teams
In-store marketing allows businesses to market to the most engaged customers they have. By using effective in-store marketing strategies, companies will drive the in-store customers to make more purchases.
Strategies for In-Store Marketing
By using the following in-store marketing strategies, you can vastly improve the customers’ in-store experience and convince them to make more purchases.
1. Free WiFi Services
Providing the customers with free WiFi can be a great way to market your products and services in-store. Although this technique is often overlooked, it can be an effective way to employ marketing techniques. When the customers sign in using the free WiFi, they will receive your marketing messages highlighting the range of products or services offered by your store. This is also known as WiFi marketing. This method of in-store marketing can be quite useful in keeping the customers happy, as they are engaged in their phone while waiting at the checkout line or for the staff. More satisfied customers are more likely to come back to your store.
2. Sharing and checking-in through social media
Besides looking at the marketing messages through free WiFi, customers can also share updates about the store with their friends on social media. You can encourage your customers to tag the location of your store on social media or post a photograph. Since the customers are already engaged in their phones, they would have to take a few seconds out of their time to share something about the store. A great way to employ this technique is to use a photo challenge, where you encourage the customer to post a photograph of a product in exchange for a reward.
3. Use signage to upsell customers
To market your products or services in the store, you have to provide something appealing to the customers. Signage can help your business in this process. You can use signage to promote seasonal products, provide discounts and additional savings. In addition to this, signage can also explain your lesser-known products or services to the customers. You will be able to improve your sales and market to the customers using properly labeled and displayed signage.
4. Employ experiential marketing techniques
Experiential marketing refers to turning the process of shopping into an experience for the customers. Stores can employ various techniques to provide a comfortable and pleasant experience to the customers rather than leaving it in a transaction. You can use experiential marketing techniques by offering beverages to the customers or providing them with comfortable sitting areas and lounges. Retail stores can also set up tutorials that the shoppers can test out. In addition to this, you can also include some activities or games that the customers can interact with. A pleasant experience in the store can leave the customers happy, and happy customers are more likely to return to your store.
5. Give important information to the customers
While experiential marketing techniques can help in providing an elevated experience to the customers, it is also important to make sure that they trust your brand. When you provide valuable information to the customers, you position your business to be the best in the industry. Empowering the customers with the right information will increase their trust in your brand, eventually leading to better sales and returning customers.
6. Use in-store audio to attract the customers
Another great in-store marketing technique is using overhead audio messaging. Most stores play music to keep the consumers entertained through their shopping experience. Through the in-store audio messages, you can attract your customers’ attention and tell them about promotional events. You can also direct the consumer’s attention towards a product or ask them to sign up for a service. These messages can be in 10-second quick sound bites that can be interspersed between the songs. Audio allows businesses to provide information to the consumer without using signage.
7. Incorporate elements of entertainment related to your brand
When incorporating entertainment elements in your store, like digital trivia, TV, and music, make sure that it is relevant to your brand or industry. By including the overarching theme of your business, you can help support your overall vision and drive more sales. If you set up cable TV or radio in your store, you will be at the mercy of the content creators in these mediums.
8. Use surveys to get customer feedback
Surveys can be great for getting feedback from customers. The feedback received from the customers can help make improvements in your store and services. You can ask your customers to fill in the input at the cashier counter or give them survey codes and receipts. The customer can use these survey codes to fill in the feedback form when they have time later. However, customers can end up forgetting about the surveys after getting home. In-store surveys in the form of interactive touchscreens can be good alternatives. Before exiting the stores, customers can be asked to provide feedback. You can also encourage them to complete surveys by offering them a reward or discount in return.
9. Host in-store events
When you host events in your store from time to time, the customers get a reason to visit your store even when they don’t have any shopping plans. Events can be great for providing the customers with mingling with the other customers. In addition to this, they can launch promotional events that can eventually help drive sales.
10. Analyse the foot traffic
It would help determine how your customers navigate different sections of the store. This can help you determine how to market your products better in the store. Analyzing foot traffic can help businesses determine how they can give a better experience to their customers.
Conclusion
By employing these ten in-store marketing techniques, you will be able to not only drive more people to your store but build an engaged customer base. In-store marketing can be very useful if you want to leverage impulse buying and develop better relations with the customers. If you are a business owner in Queensland, you can also consider buying public liability QLD insurance. General liability insurance can provide the necessary protection to you and your business against unexpected claims from customers, suppliers, or members of the public. To know more about public liability QLD, click here.
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