10 Ideas to Help Retailers Reach New Audiences

by Yakshit Chaudhary Marketing Executive

You have identified your target audience, and reached out to them successfully using different marketing tactics. That’s great! But, you need to put persistent efforts to grow consistently. You need to tap new customers in order to grow your business. Well, the new audience will not come to know about your product or service out of the blue. You need to adopt creative marketing strategies to connect with them.

And here we are with some of the interesting ideas that will ring the bell of your business in new ears.

Host-Beneficiary Marketing

A high-end women’s clothing boutique used the concept of host-beneficiary marketing like a pro. They planned to give a silk kimono free to every female customer of a local BMW dealership. However, the kimono had to be picked up at the boutique itself.

A kimono which had cost $16 to the boutique was given to 600 women. And, all these women ended up spending around $400 each (average) on their initial visit to the store. If you have done the calculation by now, the boutique made $240,000 (plus new clientele) at the cost of $9,600.

Host-beneficiary marketing is a simple and an inexpensive method to follow if you swear by a few rules:

Exactly define your target audience
Develop the offer clearly
Approach local businesses that serve to the same target audience
Highlight benefits to the hosting party
Make a strategy to turn redeemers into repeat customers

Sponsor Events

Be the host of events, workshop, classes, etc. You can also be a participant to events taking place elsewhere. Consider event attendees, and check if they are your potential customers or not. If you wish to sell toys for kids, go for something like children’s story reading session, or family fun time. The idea of hosting or sponsoring an event facilitates brand visibility. Even people who haven’t heard of your brand before will get to know about the USPs of your offerings.

Sell at Events

Sponsorship is not necessary if you want to be part of an event. There are many such events where brands can put up their stalls and standees to gain visibility and sell their products. Filter out such events in your current city and in other localities which can give a boost to your business perspectives. For example, if you are a bookseller, then World Book Fair (New Delhi) is just for you. Similarly, if you are a car accessory dealer, Auto Expo awaits you.

You can find about more such events on social media sites, local newspaper, radio, etc.

Moreover, even if such events don’t bring you customers, it will certainly facilitate professional networking. 80% of marketers believe that live events play an important and positive role in enhancing a company’s business.

Brand Collaborations

Collaboration with other brands brings you in front of their clients and vice versa. It allows you to enter a new market with more confidence and augments your brand awareness in an efficient manner. You can collaborate in multiple manners. Social media giveaway is one of them. Products are given to those who like/follow your social media page, tag friends & family in the post or share your post. Partnering with influencers is another great option to spread the word about your brand and its product/service.

Brand collaboration is not only for small businesses. Even big brands like Airbnb, Coca-Cola, Apple have enjoyed the power of brand collaboration. Airbnb and KLM airline, Apple and Nike, Google-KitKat are some of the exemplary collaborations. Collaboration of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines with Airbnb is a known example where airline changed its plane setting into an accommodation to make its competitors experience that comfort that Airbnb rooms can provide.

Online Selling

It is very much evident that here we are going to talk about the power of e-commerce. Before we throw light on the power of online selling, let some numbers do the talking. Global e-retail sales have grown by 24.8% from 2016 to 2017, out of which 16% increase has been seen in the U.S. alone. Online buyers in the Asia Pacific is expected to cross one billion number in 2018.

The statistics are quite promising when it comes to e-commerce. It proves that online selling can give a kick start to your attempts to reach new audience. Your business will not be confined to your locality but will spread across the globe. You can reach out to new buyers even after you put down the shutters.

Referral Code

This is the digital mode of word-of-mouth marketing. Recommendation from family and friends is one of the most trusted ways of marketing. As per Nielsen online survey, 84% participants from 58 countries believe that referral code is a reliable option to reach new audiences.

A referral program not only helps in winning new customers but also gives an opportunity to give back to your existing customers and retain them. For instance, when a potential customer installs an app from a referral code, not only the new ones but also the existing user gets credit.

Let Employees Participate

Not only the targeted customers, but your staff can also be a great source of marketing. In fact, due to their experience, they understand a customer’s need more closely. They have the idea how a potential customer can be turned into an actual one.

Your employees can be your true brand ambassadors. They can reach out to the new audience via social media channels, in-person, or via existing communities. Also, you can encourage your employees by providing them incentives in the form of bonuses, additional paid leaves, etc.

Be A Part of Community

You can be a part of an existing community or make a new one as per your convenience. This isn’t an easy way to market your product but certainly an economical one and worth your time.

You can collaborate with social media influencers and widen your reach. They have millions of followers, and at times, they promote brands even on the barter system.

You can always make your own Facebook group. Usually, a Facebook group is made to cater specific audience. Therefore, people who are interested in your product/service will be the one joining your group. Another way to be part of a community is hosting community gatherings in your retail store. Your store can make some room for book reading session, art exhibition, yoga classes, etc and eventually, these participants may end up becoming your customers!

Retailer to Wholesaler

If you are a small online retailer who wish to go offline (as well) but don’t have requisite funds, this point is for you. Brick-and-mortar business can be demanding in terms of money and time, but this is not the case for wholesale business. There are wholesalers in the market doing great business, having a large audience.[k1] If you deal with a specific product, associate with them. Your product will get in the eyes of customers whom they are already catering.

Open at Other Locations

Joining hands with wholesalers and starting an online store are two ways to expand your business. However, the old method of opening stores at customer driven locations hasn’t lost its sheen. If you have sufficient funds, the physical store still has a life. The e-commerce giant, Amazon’s entry into the physical world via ‘Amazon-Go’ is the proof that brick-and-mortar still has room.

These were few of the means to reach new audiences. If you know of more such ways, let us know in the comment section below.

[k1]They need to become wholesaler or associate with wholesalers?

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