Bernard May is the CEO of National Positions, a 5-time Inc. 500 company, award-winning marketing agency and Google Premier Partner.
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For months now, those of us in the digital marketing ecosystem have been beating the drums and urging businesses to “get ready for the holidays!” From revamping Google Ads targeting and social media campaigns to updating website promotions and ramping up SMS texting, for many marketers, no stone has been left unturned (and no drum unbeaten)! Except for one. The backbone of so many small businesses that keeps our economy running: the brick-and-mortar retail store.
I think it’s time to shine the spotlight on these local businesses and give them the love they deserve with some high-impact ideas that may begin online but will provide results in the physical retail space.
Here are five strategies I believe can help almost every local business make this year a profitable one to remember.
Update your Google My Business profile.
Wherever a customer is searching from (Idaho or India), Google is going to default its search results — first and foremost — to local locations. Sure, you are going to see top-tier name brand websites pop up as well, but the results that take up the most real estate on our devices are GMB profiles.
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If you haven’t updated your GMB profile lately, you could be missing out on an array of new features that can take customers from searching online to walking through your front doors in record time. Local product listings, purchase and pickup options (more of that to come), direct messaging, and in-person Covid precautions (like masking or temperature checks) can all be added to your GMB profile.
Perhaps the most exciting feature you can add to your profile is the almighty “product inclusion.” Even doing a general search for something like a “Craftsman Cordless Drill” will show you what locations around you offer that product as well as inventory levels. So, while a prospect may have intended to purchase online, if they see that the drill is available at your location right around the corner — well, this might be enough to earn yourself a new local customer.
Offer pickup and curbside.
As briefly mentioned above, this is a great option to not only add to your GMB listing but also your website and nurture outreach messaging to capture local customers who want to be sure they can get their gifts in time for the holidays and other special occasions.
Since the pandemic began, the desire to buy online and pick up in-store (BOPIS) has only grown stronger. While it may have seemed like a temporary move, more people are using this option now more than ever before. Data shows that nearly 50% of shoppers have used BOPIS either before or during the pandemic, and an additional 20% intend to try or continue using BOPIS after the pandemic.
In short, it is an enticing feature for local customers. It also saves on additional shipping costs for both the retail location and the customer, so it is a win-win.
Use that email list.
Email blasts and newsletters are your (essentially free) tactic for reaching out to customers who already love your brand.
Enticing repeat customers should always be a priority. But you don’t need to blast promotions off to every name in your database. Instead, segment your list and pinpoint your local customers. Then tailor your outreach to what matters most to them based on their previous purchases.
Promote “locals only” deals, your open house event or even a promo code they can use in-store for a discount or a free gift with purchase. There are really endless options here, but give your local past customers an experience that only you can offer and they can experience.
Email is the simplest way to put this into play, but using the same strategy with direct SMS messaging is also a great option if you have the capability.
Host your own ‘Black Friday.’
The country has gone Black Friday crazy! There are Black Friday deals, early Black Friday events and post-Black Friday Blowouts — we get it already.
But don’t feel like you need to stuff your local business into the Black Friday box. You can create your own promotional days and focus on your local market for branding purposes. Again, you can promote using any of the options presented here or even create an event on your business’s Facebook page and share it with all your followers — for free. I have even seen some clients promote a variety of “countdown to the holidays” shopping events to great effect.
In a time when we are all hearing alarm bells about possible product shortages, let your local customers know that they can get what they want at your event without shipping delays.
Provide free local delivery.
Well, you probably saw this one coming. Now, we might be splitting hairs here, but whether your local customers are purchasing at your retail location or buying from your location online, this one still applies.
Shipping costs are one of the most dreaded deal killers when it comes to purchases. So if you can swing it, offer your local customers free delivery if they are dropping some cash on higher-value purchases (a new flatscreen, furniture, those 12-foot rugs we all want but never know how to get home — you get the idea).
I have even seen local stores partner with local movers for the season to make this happen. Sure, a little might be lost in profits, but the volume can more than make up for this — not to mention the good graces this above-and-beyond service can put you in when it comes to customer appreciation. (Pro Tip: If you do this, be sure to follow up with a request for a Google review. ’Tis the season for giving!)
All in all, these tips are not relegated only to the holiday season. As we enter into a new year, consider applying and refining each of these ideas on a regular basis to extend your (profitable) holiday cheer well into 2022!
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Author: Bernard May, Forbes Councils Member
