The right store advertising campaign ideas can help a retailer get new customers and boost sales. From creative thinking to in-store events, social media, and print ads, there is so much you can do. You can also set many goals for a retail store marketing campaign. For whichever you choose, there are real-time KPIs to measure how successful your campaign is.
After you define your goal, here is a mix of ideas to help your store stand out with the right execution.
Leverage Video
More than images and text, video will provide the engagement you want for your advertising campaign. Local businesses can use short-form and long-form video through digital signage in many ways, both on digital platforms and in-store.
Launch Video Campaigns
Find a strong video content creator who can help you launch outreach campaigns on different platforms. How you make a video for YouTube differs from how you make a video for TikTok. Alter your content depending on the platform, ensuring it aligns with the target audience’s expectations.
Special Events
In-store events, pop-up shops, and community events are all ways to advertise publicly in a fun setting. Events can be coordinated to specific days or occasions or tagged to other community events to help boost your return.
Digital Signage
Digital signage software is a simple way to share video content and graphics. Signage can be used to display social media feeds, images, and menus or as video wall advertisements. The right content and visuals on digital signage can bring your brand’s campaign to life.
Promote a Loyalty Program
Loyalty programs appreciate repeat customers. They might include a points-based system, tiered rewards, or personalized offers. Find the right loyalty program that resonates with your target audience.
Hold a Contest
A gift, giveaway, or contest can generate significant engagement. It’s a way to use social media, loyalty program memberships, or in-store customers to create buzz and excitement around your brand.
Special Occasion Sales
Use the seasons, holidays, and special events important to your city or industry. A special occasion sale offers discounts to attract excited customers and boost profits at a time when store interest is typically above average.
Launch a Referral Campaign
A more advanced, incentivized form of word-of-mouth marketing is a referral campaign. This encourages happy customers to share your brand and products with family, friends, and others. When someone purchases from you due to a referral, the customer who made the referral is given a credit towards their next purchase.
Leverage Social Media Platforms
Brick-and-mortar stores, especially e-commerce ones, looking to reach new customers should focus on social media marketing on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok.
Paid Ads
Assuming you have a website that markets your products, consider running paid ad campaigns online. Many sites, including Facebook and Google, offer pay-per-click ads. Set your budget and exposure preferences, and reel in your customers.
Paid Content
Local advertisements in newspapers, classifieds, and local blogs or websites with access to similar demographics are smart ways to go. Ensure that any paid content advertising is attached to some form of KPI so that you can monitor whether these ads generate enough return.
Direct Mail
Direct mail is a traditional approach to store advertising. It involves sending brochures, flyers, or postcards to local addresses by mail. Many underestimate the success of direct mail campaigns.
SMS Marketing
The average consumer checks their phone 52 times a day. Text messages also have a higher open rate than emails, averaging 98% compared to 25%. SMS retail marketing uses customers’ phone numbers to send relevant marketing communications, such as discounts and promotions, similar to email marketing.
Branded Partnership
Tag team with another brand in your community. See how you can sponsor them or have them sponsor you. The cross-over will bring their audience together with yours, hoping to increase sales on both sides.
Influencer Marketing
Similar to partnering with other businesses, influencer marketing partners you with influencers. They have a built-in audience. A single ad from the right influencer can generate significant sales and brand awareness.
Email Marketing
You may have customers who used to shop with you but who haven’t. Email is an excellent opportunity to retarget them with advertising to win them back. An automated retargeting campaign can generate surprisingly big sales numbers; the best part is that it can be fully automated.
Advertise In-Store
Do not stop advertising when a customer is in your store—place signage promoting special deals and promotions. Put your fastest-selling items front and center. Place point-of-purchase advertising near registers, where your brand focuses on impulse purchases. These tactics upsell and cross-sell customers, increasing their spending in a single trip.
Exciting Window Display
An exciting window display captures people’s attention as they walk or drive by. Show off your best-selling merchandise and find creative ways to represent your brand. Consider what digital signage can offer on your front.
