Can you drive your social media crowd to
your physical store?
If
you have created a mass of audience on your social media account across several
networks it would have struck your mind, if and how you can drive your
followers on your social media account into your physical store. Undoubtedly,
it is possible.
Social media marketing has a wide scope for not just online businesses but also
to businesses with a physical presence. Physically grounded businesses use their
social media as a means to drive traffic to their website, thus it Creates a
dual benefit that is by prompting customers to make a deal as well as informing
them about the store. It is incredibly valuable to guide your social media
audience to the physical store. Mobile phones are not just a medium but an
opportunity for business if rightly viewed as a platform.
Here is the way;
Advertise discounts& coupons exclusively redeemable in store
This is an effective way to get your social media
audience into your store. For instance, think of a situation in which your store
sells pizza and you are promoting a new variety of pizza on Instagram as a
post. You could do it by applying a promotion that is ‘Keep it as your story
and tag us, lucky winners will receive x% discount on their next visit’. An important
technique to drive your audience to your physical store is to provide exclusive
discounts only in-store.
Post images of the physical store
Update your social media profile with the latest post and
details of the store. Share latest collections, professional shots, feedback,
emotion-driven content, or even an image might that draws the viewers to your
website, thereby it increases the chance of getting a deal. When viewers get
familiar and feel connected with your brand it will increase the number of visits.
Host a special event
Focusing on your core demographics is important while
deciding about the kind of event. For example, if your target audience is young
people then it is better to host a live concert, DJ, or an awareness class on a
social issue whereas if your audience are grown-up then it is better to host a
networking event or workshop for personal development. It is important to
advertise about the event in-store and over social media once the decision is
made for hosting an event.
Encourage social review
This approach is a very effective means to attract
potential customers. It is taking advantage of your existing customers who have
already visited your store. Encourage your customers to post images of the
products purchased or to share their personnel experience with the store. You
can also thank and repost the stories in which you are mentioned in by your
customers. Social reviews are the best way to allure customers to your store.
Displaying signs and creative spots in-store encourage customers to share their
beautiful images with their social networks this, in turn, entices their social
audience to visit your store.
Take part in a local event and use its hashtag
If your location is not appropriate or suitable enough
to host an event of your own, then take the opportunity to attend any other
event. For instance, you can set up a stall in trade shows or can distribute
free samples at a local festival all these help to reach customers.
Nevertheless, the local event will have a hashtag associated with it. You can
post the images of your business at the event and use its hashtags. Using
relevant hashtags increases your visibility to target the local population and
thereby there is a more likely chance for customers to visit your store.
Retweet and Share for better reach
The best way to boost your customer's brand loyalty is by
retweeting and sharing posts. When your customers post something positive about
your store take a moment to retweet or share the post and thank them for the
feedback. This will encourage feedback from your customers if you do it
frequently it will motivate potential customers to make a visit to your store.
For local businesses foot traffic is extremely valuable since it greatly
contribute to word of mouth reviews and higher volumes of returning visitors
but it does not mean that you should disregard the initial strategy.
Nevertheless, if you utilize this strategy of physical deflection it will
provide you more loyal and wider customer base.
Promote
To reach a mass of social audience especially, the
audience who does not follow you is by giving sponsored advertisements about
your brand on the social media platforms. If you could create a catchy advertisement
it would help to create traffic into your social profile ultimately to your
website. Paid promotion is another means to reach a wider audience, for this you
can approach famous influencers over social media to promote your brand. You
can also send gifts and samples of your products to social media influencers
and ask them to experience and review the product. The most important factor to
consider in this case is not to forget to specify the physical location of your
store.
By Aysha Beevi KN
