Wizards of the Coast has been doing a pretty good job of weekly disseminating both basic and novel ideas used by other stores to keep their customers coming back and making customers feel special. However, even though it is far easier to generate additional sales from existing customers, at some point you need to get your name out in front of new potential customers and get them into the store. Without a flow of new customers, a store will eventually tap out its existing customer base and see flat-lined sales.
I want to suggest three ways to get your name in front of new customers. As a savvy store owner (or publisher) you are likely already using these, but just in case you’re not:
Social Media. The great thing about social media is that it is free, to start. Set up an account on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, maybe even Vine, Snapchat and Instagram. Unfortunately, due to the ways in which the various social media sources have tweaked their software, you now really do have to spend money in order to get your name and posts out in front of potential customers. But you can start out for as little as five bucks to boost a Facebook post and have a lot more control over who will see it than you would with advertising in traditional formats.
Facebook, and other forms of social media, allow you to have friends and friends of friends see your boosted posts or you can keep them from seeing them and spend your money to reach a targeted market that’s not already familiar with your company.
I know stores spending four figures just on monthly boosting of social media.
Join Civic Organizations. Become a member of organizations like your local Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club, Kiwanis, Jaycees, or Main Street. Not only do they work to better the community (and the better your community is doing, the better your business will do), but becoming a member allows you to take advantage of the services the organization offers. For example, as a member of our local Chamber of Commerce, I can send out promotions and notices to all other Chamber members, many of whom would have no idea what the store sells. Also, if you have some sort of negative event take place, a position as a recognized member of the local community helps mitigate the effects of bad publicity.
Press Releases. The local media is always looking for local news and your store (or company) is newsworthy, whether you are hosting an event, are hiring new staff or even have a list of the top five games in your community for the year. This last one is one we sent out and we got a spot on local TV as well as mentions in two local papers, all for about half an hour’s work and another five minutes or so emailing them to the local media.
Remember, you may not follow local news much but there are a lot of people that do, people who may not know you exist but have money to spend on what you are selling. Don’t know how to write a press release? Search for "sample press release" on the interwebs or hire a local journalism student to write one for you.
There are plenty of other ways to get your name out there, so if you have a good idea that worked, and would like to share it, send it to me via Comments@ICv2.com and I will gladly put it in a future column.
The opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff of ICv2.com.
