Business owners must pay attention to a lot of details when creating a marketing campaign for a retail store. They must determine the audience they want to attract, and they must implement strategies that help them determine how certain sectors of the market perform. Above all else, they must pay attention to the following five details of a campaign to increase their chances of achieving success.
1. Branding
There's much more to branding than picking out a colorful logo and creating a website. Customers must know why your business exists as a retail store. A marketing campaign helps promote the vision of your store. Put a human face on your company by featuring staffers on the company's website and on its social media pages. Host in-store events that educate consumers, and sell locally sourced products. These strategies help draw genuine interest to your brand.
2. Customer Service Plan
A robust, comprehensive customer service plan starts with a dedicated manager that oversees the process. This person produces and updates written procedures so everyone knows what to expect. He also empowers employees, encouraging them to deliver fantastic customer service.
A customer service plan revolves around proactively improving products or services. Businesses must reach out to customers for feedback rather than wait for problems to arrive. Your marketing campaign can involve sending out surveys through email, apps or social media. Reward customers at the end of the survey with a discount or some kind of incentive.
3. Loyalty Programs
Loyalty programs help businesses create a returning customer base. This base keeps your store's revenue from plummeting, because according to research, returning customers spend approximately 67 percent more than new customers. The key to loyalty programs lies in making each customer's experience more efficient by incentivizing app usage. Starbucks gives customers points for ordering through its app. Once customers realize how easy the ordering process is, they'll likely sign up for the program. Using customer information from an app, businesses can enhance their marketing campaign with customized offers.
4. Internet Presence
Since 92 percent of Americans have a cell phone, having a mobile-friendly website is a must, even if your store doesn't have an e-commerce model. Customers can find your store's location, blog posts, social media links and newest products through your web presence. A whopping 81 percent of consumers check reviews of a store online before making a purchase, so your website must appear in the search results. Otherwise, people will find your competition first.
5. Creative Elements
Tried-and-true techniques pull in customers, but don't be afraid to get creative to bring in even more customers. Creativity sets you apart from your competition and gets people talking about your store. Think outside the box, pay attention to trends, and use feedback from customers and employees to improve your marketing campaign.
Marketing campaigns require a continuous effort; business owners must alter and improve them overtime. Use tools to make your marketing strategy more efficient, but never forget why customers keep coming back to your store.
Photo courtesy of Authentic Eccentric at Flickr.com
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