Best 25 Retail Marketing Ideas From the Pros

If you’re running a retail business — whether brick and mortar or online — you can find fundamental principles you need to adhere to so as to drive visitors and turn sales. Having a successful retail marketing strategy is key to the achievement of every retail operation.

Here are 25 proven retail advertising ideas from seasoned business owners and experienced marketers that will help you bring your store to even greater heights.

1. Ensure that your company shows up in local search results.

Marc Prosser, Publisher, Fit Small Business

If people look up companies like yours on the internet, you want to be one of the first names that comes up. One of the first actions to getting there is to create citations to your business, which means ensuring your company is accurately listed in as many online directories as you can. If you haven’t done so already, check your listings in Yelp, Google Maps, along with other websites and be sure you’ve got the ideal information posted.

2. Always pursue reviews.

Sue Laurent, Virtual CM, NSMarketing

Whether you are selling online or through a retail store, your customers are making their buying decisions based on reviews from the customers. As a retail shop, you should make certain you’re constantly working to get feedback and encouraging your customers to leave testimonials. Since not everybody thinks about visiting Facebook, Yelp or Google once they leave your shop, it is important to facilitate the procedure.

Have a look at this guide to online testimonials on Fit Small Business to find out more.

3. Build a mailing list.

Nina Pfister, Founder & Principal, Mooring Advisory Group

Email is the very first step towards building a customer relationship database. Building a mailing list can allow you to identify and nurture leads, attract property buyers and generate repeat business. 1 easy way that retail small businesses can build their listing without spending any dollars in compensated leads is to add a pop-up in their own site offering a discount code or free shipping in exchange for the email address and mailing list subscription. This enables you to attract new buyers AND subscribers in the same time, who you can always promote into in a personalized manner.

Ensure that you are maximizing the effectiveness of your email marketing campaigns, read our email marketing best practices on Fit Small Business.

4. Get people to stop and detect your shop.

Gail Oliver, Marketing Advisor, Attention-Getting. com

Folks love posing for photos, particularly with unique statues, so place a unique one just out of your store to attract customers. By way of instance, a store selling beachwear might have a mermaid statue for people to present with. Make sure your store name is featured over the statue so that if people share the photograph on Instagram, it’s free publicity for you. You might even alter the statue up for vacations, such as a giant bunny topiary for children to present with at Easter. The purpose is, it attracts people to stop and they may then be interested enough to come inside your shop.

5. Benefit from feed based programs.

Kirk Williams, Owner, ZATO Search & Social Marketing

We’re generally seeing the greatest incoming earnings and biggest profitability metrics by shifting from traditional advertising efforts to Google Shopping, Bing Shopping, and Facebook Dynamic Product Ads. With these three systems, retailers may place the product image, price, and description facing people already considering their business or product. The ad type revealing these vital details to a increasingly visual culture helps to increase traffic and interest (and eventually, revenue!) .

Learn how to start with Google and Facebook advertisements in our guides on Fit Small Business.

6. Set abandoned cart mails.

Stella Mikraki, Head of Marketing, Moosend

Modern retailers, whether big or small, are leaving a great deal of cash on the table because of cart abandonment. Were you aware that almost 70% of internet shopping carts are abandoned? People who manage to regain some of those abandoned carts on their online stores will observe a 30% boost in earnings, or even higher. How do online retailers use this amazing marketing strategy? Simply, using email marketing together with automations to send out an abandoned cart email sequence on autopilot.

7. Produce a customer loyalty program.

Klari Nemeth, Business 2 Community

Successful loyalty plans significantly increase customer lifetime value. Devise a customer loyalty program that empowers customers as well as elevates your business.Check from the most significant trends on the market in loyalty marketing.

8. Make your product better and better every year.

Jeremiah Rizzo, Grow That Marketing

It’s amazing how many small companies might pay to run advertisements on Facebook, but don’t have the humility to learn from the reviews being abandoned on Facebook or Google. At the end of the day, if you create a product that solves people’s pains, and really attempt to deal with them as humans and love them throughout their engagement with you, you’ll succeed.

Each of the Facebook Ads in the world will not help if folks hate your merchandise after they experience it. And obtaining more Google Business reviews is a great strategy, unless people do not like your product and leave poor reviews. So one really straightforward thing to do, is set out surveys at different times to your audience, to ask what they like or how to improve.

9. Activate retail clients using text message advertising.

Steve Ryan, Founder & CEO, RyTech, LLC

If retailers and brick and mortars are working to drive foot traffic and get people in the door, they will need to be marketing to their clients where they are — in their phone. From using special text bar promotions, flash sales, or showcasing fresh product, text messages are delivered to clients while they are on the go and read almost immediately. Change up your advertising schedule and advance your methods of communication right.

Learn how to begin with SMS marketing with our guide on Fit Small Business.

10. Harness the power of referral marketing.

Tracy Willis, Content Strategist, N2Q Consulting

Retail marketers can create free advertising by asking their customers to share photographs of these using the product with a custom made hashtag! This hashtag can be searched by users and can also be leveraged by discussing client posts on your brand’s social websites.

11. Connect a trade association or business.

QuickBooks

Joining a trade association related to your business provides a great deal of benefits. Such associations can give small companies leverage concerning providing access to innovative business practices and practices. Concerning marketing, it will help enhance your reputation for a business through supplying credentials and certificates. This ultimately can help build customers’ confidence in your products or services.

12. Sell on multiple platforms.

Rob Swystun, Business Communications Specialist, Rob Swystun Small Business Consulting

If you are selling products on the internet, it is imperative to market on multiple platforms and not just on Amazon and/or your own website. Although Amazon is obviously the main earnings engine for a lot of brands, the smaller retail websites can also be helpful. Sites like eBay, Jet, Newegg, Rakuten as well as Walmart will expand your client base and allow you to reach more individuals.

13. Join the dialogue and participate in social media traditions.

Zoë Sadler, Snap Retail

If you are struggling to find something to say on social networking, consider joining the existing conversation. Share a typographic quote on #MotivationalMonday to help disperse the positivity and kick the week off on the right foot. Have a funny product you utilized to sell? Share a photograph on Thursday as your own #TBT.

14. Create a buddy referral pop up on your site to drive word-of-mouth marketing.

Madeline Johnson, CEO, Marketing & Public Relations, The Market Council

Word-of-mouth marketing is where 90 percent of your new company expansion will come from. Hurry this along by developing a buddy referral pop up on your website and help your most important fans spread the word faster. Reward those that earn friends with promotions and incentives.

15. Create a story for your product to connect with your target customer.

Sherry Holub, Creative Director, JV Media Design (JVM)

Whether you have a brick and mortar shop or exclusively sell online, people connect more with brands that really know their audiences and also tell a story. So actually get to know your customers, what they like, where they hang out, etc.,. Then be genuine with your brand. Tell a story through your marketing that talks to your ideal customers interests and needs.

16. Utilize video marketing.

Liis Hainla, DreamGrow

There has been a surge in the prevalence of video for a content promoting format within the last few years. If you don’t already have a good video marketing strategy in place, you’re missing a huge opportunity to reach your target audience.

17. Pay attention to the small details.

Zondra Wilson, President/C. E.O., Blu Skin Care, LLC

My favorite tip for retail marketing is”Pay attention to the small stuff”. Focus on the smallest details. Wrap each item, be careful about how you put it in the bag. Ensure that your bags are lasting…etc..

Make eye contact as soon as a client comes in the door…but do not charge them. Let them know you are there to serve them if they need your help. Additionally, having cold water on a hot day and treats at the checkout can really make a big difference in presentation.

18. Get a memorable local or toll-free phone number.

Jeremy Marsan, Fit Small Business

It is possible to use your toll free number for a marketing tool for your company, for example 1-800-HOMECARE. You might even use use clever number combinations to make memorable phone numbers. You can buy those”vanity” numbers in precisely the same cost as a normal toll free number. Learn more about ways to acquire a vanity phone number in our guide.

19. Ask an influential person on your business to advertise your product.

Richard Protheroe, Marketing Executive, Veeqo

Smart retailers are utilizing powerful people inside their business to help leverage their merchandise. This is known as influencer advertising and is especially effective on Instagram. A terrific way to identify influential people is to use a tool such as Webstagram.

From here you can follow and direct message these accounts to incorporate your merchandise. Their audience will probably be applicable to you so it’s a good method of collecting vulnerability. You might need to cover that which they call a’sponsored article’, but as it is important you will see that accounts will promote your product at no cost.

20. Consider shifting your advertisement campaign from Google into Amazon.

Scott Markman, Director, Beautiful Nutrition

I see a shift in digital marketing dollars going away from Google into Amazon. Google Adwords is saturated with competition and CPCs are extremely significant. Google search is a top of funnel (research tool) for shoppers and incredibly hard to get direct response for non brand hunts. Most of the time that the shoppers end up researching merchandise on Amazon.

With Amazon’s ad system, more dollars will be placed into that to drive earnings. CPCs are a lot lower on Amazon. Although, initial sales will be pushed to your brand on Amazon, there will be a halo effect for the new website. A much better halo effect than non brand hunts on Google Adwords.

21. Sponsor a charity event.

Michael Daley, Evan Carmichael

Many businesses are connecting with local charities to advertise their businesses. Besides creating a powerful network, it also helps other people in the process. Generally, individuals love associating themselves with brands that support good causes, so it is a marketing avenue you should consider. If done correctly, a charity event sponsorship will offer exposure for your business as well as let you feel good about your experience.

22. Choose the best packaging.

Aaron Watts, Outreach Executive, Ignition Hunt

Create an excellent unboxing experience for your clients. Having high excellent packaging can have a massive effect on your businesses brand and sales. 52% are likely to make a repeat buy by a seller if they deliver in premium packaging. So give consideration to your packing design, features and materials and how it can still be a cheap alternative.

23. Do not be afraid to take risks.

Craig Wolfe, President, CelebriDucks

Take risks! ….BUT. .calculated risks. In other words, you can sense that you have something of value. It’s a gut instinct, not foolish enthusiasm. It is a rare attribute, but worth its weight in gold.

Additionally, NEVER place all their eggs in one basket. Always have different irons in the fire even in their core business so they are never in danger with being dependent on one large vendor, one product lineup, one restricted service, etc.. Think outside the box. . See what others don’t. .they are aware of public trends like products produced in the USA, security, etc…and doing things that struck an emotional chord with people.

24. Snatch up every branding opportunity you can.

Ian Matthews, Content & Analytics Advertising Manager, Rebrandly

A good deal of retail businesses know the fundamentals of branding like getting a web site, creating a logo, printing t-shirts to their workers but often overlook one massive chance: Branded Links.

All you can do online has a link behind it instead of sharing long ugly and easily forgotten links use branded hyperlinks to showcase your new name. This means whenever one of your links is clicked or shared your brand name has been showcased. Also it makes it simpler to monitor offline marketing campaigns like posters or flyers used in shop. By adding a branded link to these you can see precisely how many occasions that link has been entered to the internet and thus how effective your offline marketing campaign was.

25. Team up with a home-based company to offer a promotion.

Elyse Dupre, Campaign US

Brand partnership can add to the growth of your business and influence consumer perception in positive manners. If planned carefully, strategic partnership offers unique competitive benefits to both parties.

Bottom Line: Retail Marketing Ideas

A big thank you to everybody who contributed their top strategies for retail advertising. If you want to share your own strategies or suggestions, leave them in the comments section below!

Want even more tips on how best to promote your retail store? Pay attention to the marketing section of our website.