Ryan DionneSHARE
About 50 percent of offline sales are influenced by online research, says John Faris, Red Door Interactive’s online acquisition director.
So retailers that don’t put much emphasis online, should rethink their marketing strategy to target customers where they are and how they want to interact.
Faris, as well as Ben Friedland, Whole Foods Market’s Rocky Mountain region marketing vice president, presented during Skiing Business’ first webinar September 14. The topic: “New Communication Strategies for In-Store Promotions: Early Season Tips to get People in the Door.”
Knowing customer’s habits and lifestyles should be a priority. A direct marketing strategy is better than using the shotgun approach, Friedland says.
Whole Foods identified four customer segments and specifically targets one without alienating the others in its media messages. Those media messages range from mobile phone ads to radio spots, but each one targets customers at specific times, he says.
As with many ski shops, Whole Foods experiences extreme highs and lows in its sales cycle. Sales increase toward Thanksgiving before peaking around Christmas and then falling toward summer with a bump around Easter.
And to stay fresh in people’s minds, the grocer follows up with customers via email and special offers that entice them to return soon.
The customers who do come back often turn into devout fans. And once they become core consumers, retailers should get them more involved with the brand as marketing ambassadors, Faris says.
(To watch the recorded webinar, press “play” above.)
It’s those customers, too, who are more prone to tell their friends about the store, populate social media sites, and submit online reviews, he says.
And when it comes to reviews, retailers should pay attention because about 83 percent of consumers say online customer reviews influenced their buying decision, Faris says. Retailers shouldn’t be afraid to ask for product reviews or even store reviews to boost free marketing efforts.
Faris also recommends retailers claim their Google Places location as well as their location on Yelp and other similar sites. Claiming that location not only helps consumers find the store when they are searching from home, but it also makes the store more visible while on the go.
Of the people who searched for a local business on their smartphone, 77 percent contacted the business, and of those, 44 percent bought something, Faris says.
Both Faris and Friedland say digging into customer databases is crucial for any business’ marketing strategy and is bound to get people in the door.
The webinar was part one of two that takes a look at getting people into stores early in the season. The second part, scheduled for 9 a.m. MST on Wednesday, Sept. 28, will feature Jonathan Georger, Backbone Media’s online brand manager, and Eric Dieter, Movement Strategy’s co-founder.
Georger will discuss how businesses can transform their online fans and followers into offline customers. Dieter will discuss co-branded partnerships that businesses of all sizes can implement.
Register now for the second webinar. Attendance will be capped, so sign-up early.
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