Retail Marketing is about making the most from your resources. Whether you are a small shop or part of a supermarket chain it is vital to spread the word effective. Crucially it should involve the customers and make them want to stick with you as much as possible.
Loyalty cards are an obvious example of this and do not have to be restricted to the bigger chain shops. They are a great way of encouraging repeat business. The most common version is in coffee houses, where people get one free coffee after they have bought six. Make sure you clarify what people have to purchase and what they will get for free, or you may find yourself having to make an extra large coffee with cream and marshmallows for free!
Gift certificates are another great way of attracting people to your shop. This means that people have to spend them in your shop. A variety of monetary denominations means you can get a wider variety of people coming in to your shop as they see what they can spend their certificate on.
However this is not the only way of getting attention. Local media is often a useful way of spreading the word about your business. The best way of doing this is with community events that also offer a good image for your business as well as offering a positive benefit to the local community.
You can equally make your own. You could create your own local magazine or video upload series. This can help people learn more about what your businesses have to offer. These are relatively cheap to produce and it is easy enough to distribute them. Using student film makers or designers are another great way of showing that you are helping your local community and can help you save money.
The key thing is to make sure that people know about what you sell. An online presence is perfect for this. A decent website should be search engine enhanced so that more people are likely to find it. A lot of people use search engines to search for local products and service so it is worth investing in a designer that can help you get the most out of your site.
This branding extends to how you communicate with people. Your business cards should also have an indication of what your business does on the back as well as giving people your contact details. You should also have a tagline for your letters, emails and invoices so that people remember to stick with you and what kind of service you offer.
Ultimately whatever type of Retail Marketing you do should be done with customers in mind. Use regular feedback to gauge what people think. If you are trying to encourage a younger target audience then ask for their opinion via social networking sites. Alternatively you could keep it simple and use a postal questionnaire or forms in store. With the right approach you will be able to come up with a campaign that will offer long term returns.
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