Ramping up marketing efforts for the holiday season is essential in the retail world. While traditional marketing strategies are still valuable, many retailers have shifted their marketing efforts to social media to gain a competitive advantage. Have you considered how your customers prefer to communicate? With busy schedules and the availability of smart phones, many may prefer online access and real-time communications.
To learn more about how you can get a leg up in social media marketing, here are a few tips to consider this holiday season:
- • Create a store website, blog or e-newsletter: For some business, online communication is becoming a key marketing strategy. Why not create various vehicles to communicate with your customers? For example, an e-newsletter for a grocery store can include content about in-store promotions and demonstrations (new peanut-inspired recipes!), new product listings, seasonal highlights and cooking class registration, to mention a few. A website is essential for everyday use. Customers regularly turn to the Internet to learn about store hours, departments, locations, recipes and flyer information.
- • Establish social media platforms to engage with customers: Facebook and Twitter pages, and YouTube accounts are a great way to interact with consumers and create a loyal community following. If you can learn what your members are interested in and consistently provide them with relevant content, your online community will grow and you could become a valuable consumer resource. Visit industry social media platforms, such as the Peanut Bureau of Canada’s Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages, for content ideas and inspiration.
- • Text message marketing: Enhance your business operations by reaching a large client base without spending much money. Sending holiday digital coupons or in-store deals to customers in real-time could help build customer loyalty.
Building a social media network takes time, energy, patience and knowledge. With the right tools and platforms, you could reach – and retain – a new customer base.