j Paul
May 12th, 2005, 10:24 PM
Recieved this email from the Chicagao Merchandise Mart, thought some might be interested.
Don’t Let Marketing Scare You … Cost-Effective Ways to Promote Your Store
By Karen Jacobson and Julie Trautwein
KJ Marketing & Design
Public Relations? Advertising? Promotion? Are you overwhelmed by so many ways to market your business that you just don’t do anything? Don’t let marketing scare you! There are a million and one cost-effective ways to promote your store.
Marketing combines all aspects of promotion including, but not limited to, advertising, merchandising, newsletters and direct mail pieces. Doing any one of these in conjunction with a good marketing plan can help drive traffic to your store, leading to increased sales.
Public relations, or PR, in its simplest form is pure word-of-mouth. A variety of ways to get the buzz started include sending out press releases, teaming up with a charity to host an event, developing a referral program and handing out brochures. Use your imagination to make it fun, interesting and relevant for your customers. Think new and existing!
Your window display is one of your best forms of advertising (and it costs you next to nothing). Keep it fresh, utilize color, focus on new products and make it seasonal – all in an effort to capture a customer’s attention, directing them to your store. Continual merchandising, inside and out, makes what once was old look new again. While simple and inexpensive, you are building your identity and promoting your store through presentation.
Communicating with your customers is another way to keep your store top-of-mind. The next time they need to buy a gift, or something new, you are their destination of choice. Instituting a newsletter or direct mail campaign allows you to reach out to your customers and tell them more about you, as well as in-store promotions or events, new services, trends in the marketplace, decorating tips, gift ideas, and so much more. Be creative, but keep it simple and informative to build long-term relationships and become a valuable resource for your customers.
While marketing as a whole may seem intimidating, by breaking down the different methods you can find the mix that is right for you – and cost-effective too. Develop a promotional marketing plan by prioritizing your main objectives, setting a budget, choosing your methods and creating a timeline. Marketing is unique for each store – interpret these methods and translate them to fit your needs. At the end of the day, whether you have $5 or $5,000 in your budget the important thing is that you do something!
Want to learn more marketing techniques used by other retailers just like you? Join Karen and Julie for a crash course in “Cost-Effective Ways to Promote Your Store” on Saturday, July 23 at 9 a.m. during the July 2005 Gift & Home Market™. A one-hour consultation with these marketing pros will be raffled off at the end of the seminar!
Don’t Let Marketing Scare You … Cost-Effective Ways to Promote Your Store
By Karen Jacobson and Julie Trautwein
KJ Marketing & Design
Public Relations? Advertising? Promotion? Are you overwhelmed by so many ways to market your business that you just don’t do anything? Don’t let marketing scare you! There are a million and one cost-effective ways to promote your store.
Marketing combines all aspects of promotion including, but not limited to, advertising, merchandising, newsletters and direct mail pieces. Doing any one of these in conjunction with a good marketing plan can help drive traffic to your store, leading to increased sales.
Public relations, or PR, in its simplest form is pure word-of-mouth. A variety of ways to get the buzz started include sending out press releases, teaming up with a charity to host an event, developing a referral program and handing out brochures. Use your imagination to make it fun, interesting and relevant for your customers. Think new and existing!
Your window display is one of your best forms of advertising (and it costs you next to nothing). Keep it fresh, utilize color, focus on new products and make it seasonal – all in an effort to capture a customer’s attention, directing them to your store. Continual merchandising, inside and out, makes what once was old look new again. While simple and inexpensive, you are building your identity and promoting your store through presentation.
Communicating with your customers is another way to keep your store top-of-mind. The next time they need to buy a gift, or something new, you are their destination of choice. Instituting a newsletter or direct mail campaign allows you to reach out to your customers and tell them more about you, as well as in-store promotions or events, new services, trends in the marketplace, decorating tips, gift ideas, and so much more. Be creative, but keep it simple and informative to build long-term relationships and become a valuable resource for your customers.
While marketing as a whole may seem intimidating, by breaking down the different methods you can find the mix that is right for you – and cost-effective too. Develop a promotional marketing plan by prioritizing your main objectives, setting a budget, choosing your methods and creating a timeline. Marketing is unique for each store – interpret these methods and translate them to fit your needs. At the end of the day, whether you have $5 or $5,000 in your budget the important thing is that you do something!
Want to learn more marketing techniques used by other retailers just like you? Join Karen and Julie for a crash course in “Cost-Effective Ways to Promote Your Store” on Saturday, July 23 at 9 a.m. during the July 2005 Gift & Home Market™. A one-hour consultation with these marketing pros will be raffled off at the end of the seminar!