Most local retailers rely on old-school marketing tactics to draw in customers. They often have significant budgets for flyers, posters, marketing mailers, and in-store signages. However, they often undermine the importance of social media. If you are a shop owner looking to draw in more customers, you need business pages on both Facebook and Twitter. Once those pages are created you need to start posting regularly to engage with your local customers.
However, the social media game is not as easy as it’s perceived. There are not only more social media platforms but carefully strategizing and creating posts demands serious expertise. To do it right, it’s best to hire a social media expert or buy social media packages from an online service provider. The following are 5 reasons you need to play the social media game to promote your local store.
Beat Competitors to the Punch by Starting Early
If you own a small local shop, then chances are your competitors are still not active on Facebook and other social media platforms. This provides an early-bird advantage that you should definitely capitalize on.
Helps You Understand Your Customers
If you are a veteran shopkeeper, you already know that you cannot sell anything if you don’t know what your customers want. By being on social media channels, you get to interact with your customers and understand their needs. Maybe they are looking for a particular product that no one else sells in the neighborhood.
Small Businesses Have an Advantage and Often Get More Customer Engagement
When you hit the social media, you get more than a level playing field. You actually have a few advantages as a small business that most chain retailers do not enjoy; among which are things like american express gold benefits. People tend to respect community-centric small businesses and the individual attention they get from local stores. Instead of copy-paste responses, you can chat with your customers and they will return the favor by proactively sharing your posts and getting more eyes on your message.
Easily Build a Brand and Plan Future Expansions
A lot of small shop owners are so involved in daily operations that they forget to build their brand. Social media marketing gets more eyes on your brand and what it represents. Once you establish your brand on social media and start drawing in more customers, you can open other branches in different locations. Given the right social media push, your existing customers will spread the word about your new locations.
People Are Already Searching for Your Business Online
If you have an established business, there is a good chance people are already talking about your store. If you are not on Facebook and Twitter you miss out on all of these opportunities to interact with your customers.
Social Media Marketing Helps You Capitalize on the Holiday Season
Every social media expert knows that direct selling tactics don’t really work on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. However, things change during the holiday season. With people actively looking for products and offers, you can start directly promoting your shop. You can use the social media to promote store gift cards and giftable products. Armed with the right offers and discounts, you can attract crowds of holiday shoppers.
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