March 2019 ertonline.co.uk


Embracing local marketing to increase footfall


Here, Charlotte Graham-Cumming, Managing Director of B2B content marketing agency, Ice Blue Sky, shares her tips to help retailers drive mor e footfall through utilising what’s around them, from local press coverage to in-store events for local enthusiast groups


We’ve all seen the headlines, and


watched the fi lm You’ve Got Mail; large multi-national dominates local market, puts the independent out of business. Yet, there are independent retailers that continue to thrive in their town, despite the presence of the larger brands with deeper pockets, and this is often down to their commitment to being involved in the local community. I’m going to assume the in-


store experience is impeccable and completely focused on delighting the consumer, so will, for the purposes of this article, instead look at ways for retailers to drive footfall more effectively directly from their local neighbourhood.


1. Unsurprisingly, it begins with search More than 97 per cent of consumers begin their search for local retailers online. This is a good advantage for an independent, because your local presence is a distinct advantage, and can quickly seem more relevant. You’ll need to ensure that your website and social media are optimised for your town name and/or region. That way, when someone searches “Sony TV High Wycombe”, for example, you’ll want to appear at the top of that list. As well as the text on your website, including image labels, there are a number of other tools you can use (map optimisation, Google Business Listings, customer reviews etc) that can boost your appearance in local searches. Results will often be better than the multi-nationals in this area, because their websites are not regionalised, even if their SEO keywords are.


2. Be a “Local Hero” If you run an independent retail store, people need to know who you are, and while you don’t necessarily need to become Richard Branson,


fi nd a way to promote your personal brand, which will become inherently linked to that of your store. Make sure the activity that you do refl ects the values that you have as a business; you could support the local homeless shelter or food drive; sponsor local children’s sports teams; or get involved in local charity events. Give the local newspaper a reason to talk about what you’ve done, if appropriate. It’s best if you can fi nd activities that you genuinely care about, so they don’t come across as insincere.


3. Give people a reason to come in and discover you With consumer electronics, particularly AV, there are a wealth of enthusiasts out there who cluster in online communities. Why not join a local one and invite them to an event at your store? Your team have in-depth knowledge of the latest technologies out there and could easily demo them to a small group. We’ve all seen the cooking classes on offer; in addition, why not connect with local groups that


already exist, and offer your premises for their meetings every now and again?


4. Shopping centre support What’s the number one goal of a shopping centre manager? To keep the shopfronts fi lled with retailers, of course. As a result, shopping centres often provide free advertising resources to their retail residents, so make sure you’re taking advantage. This can include lift posters, digital POS, A1 poster sites, leafl et dispensers and social media participation. You’ll need a compelling reason to drive people in store, so combine this outreach with an event in your


store. You could relate it to a sporting activity, or something for children, for example, but make sure it all ties together so you get the result you want.


5. Actually know who’s visiting your store If you’re delivering a great experience in-store, then why not make sure you fi nd out the details of who is coming in? Make sure you have a good reason to, no-one likes to be spammed after all, but if you’re getting more involved with local groups, perhaps some of your customers would be interested too?


Why not do a monthly draw to encourage people to leave their details, and give them the option to opt in to your marketing at the same time? Local marketing is very effective when you’re targeting people who have already bought from you.


Once you have a relationship with someone it is much easier to fi nd out more about them – what are their interests and hobbies? Are they family-focused or on the lookout for love – maybe you could run speed dating events!


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