Retailers are beginning to realise that online shopping doesnât mean the end of brick-and-mortar stores. In fact, research suggests that 40% of shoppers spend more than planned in a physical store compared to 25% who do so online. So what can you do to get customers in the door and increase sales?
Location-based marketing is a great way to help boost footfall, and it doesnât have to be as complicated or high-tech as it sounds.
Of course, the right data is essential â youâll need customersâ postcodes and email addresses at the very least. But with enough information, you can personalise your email and SMS marketing to get customers in store at key times.
Letâs take a look at how this might work in practice.
Phase 1: Newsletter
Imagine a fictional retailer called âCreased Jeans.â This month theyâre highlighting a one-day sale to promote their Super Creased line.
To start with, they send a monthly email newsletter promoting the sale to all of their subscribers, regardless of location.
Phase 2: Follow-up emails
This is where location comes into play. They start with everyone who clicked through from the newsletter to find out more about the sale, then split this into customers who live within 20 miles of their location and those who live further than 20 miles away.
A few days before the event, they send a follow-up email with two different versions to everyone who interacted with the sale link. The local subscribers receive an email encouraging them to check out the deals in-store, while those outside of the 20-mile radius are reminded to shop the sale online.
Phase 3: Real-time SMS
Finally, on the day of the sale, they send an SMS reminder to all of the locals who opened the follow-up email.
This is a great way to create a sense of urgency and motivate nearby customers to head in store.
SMS messages also have high open and engagement rates and are usually read within seconds of being received, making them ideal for real-time messaging.
A campaign like this is a relatively simple way to integrate location data into your marketing strategy, and it can have a significant impact. Mobile ads targeted by location can be twice as effective as non-targeted ads, especially when combined with other customer data.
By delivering the most relevant content for each subscriber, wherever they are, you can build better customer relationships and increase sales.
