How to Gain Foot Traffic from Online Promotions
Physical and digital are now two sides of the same commercial coin. Embrace it! There’s never been a better, cheaper, and more lucrative time to effect real grassroots advertising. The trick is leveraging as many streams of online goodwill as possible.
So come along! We can show you how to turn a few simple tools into word of mouth, community engagement, and crowds of new converts.
Invest in Content
81% of consumers now research online before store purchasing, and 60% of them rely primarily on search engines. In case you don’t know, search engines give preference to high quality content. It basically means the words your company publishes better be clear, relevant, and guileless. If they aren’t, your website gets buried.
So consider the massive returns from growing your customer base via quality content. You probably can’t drop everything to write blogs and overhaul your website, but that’s okay. There’s a whole army of professionals out there to take up the slack for you, and you can find a partner to suit any niche or budget.
Don’t know where to start? You’re welcome!
Referrals
Paul Mitchell School has a great promotional tactic- exchanging buzz for cash. Whenever you like their posts on Facebook or send a friend their way, you get a generous discount on their services. With a few friends and some clicking around, you could get practically all your styling needs for free. All while creating tons of new clientele for them. That’s a healthy relationship!
Take a page from their book. Brainstorm ways to turn your Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram posts into incentives. Just make sure your rewards are substantial, not just kitsch. The more you offer, the more people will flock to you.
Surprise Discounts
Slow day on the floor? Pull out your phone and start cutting deals on social media.
“Free drinks to the first 20 people who show this post at the bar!”
“Free [iPad, gift card, small country, etc.] giveaway! Every customer entered in raffle, TODAY ONLY!”
“The first person to high five Paul goes home with the mysterious object found in his attic! WHAT COULD IT BE?!!!”
You get the idea. Make it fun and worth their while. They will come!
Get Reviewed
Google Reviews, Yelp!, Urban Spoon, Trip Advisor, Angie’s List, Yahoo Local, Insider Pages, Buzzillions- all easy and effective mediums for recognition. The more reviews you have, the more attention you command.
Do what many Amazon vendors do- exchange complementary goods and services for online reviews. With good offerings and a little hustle, you can generate lots of great buzz in a very short time. Heck, even bad reviews can be good! Getting your name on the radar translates into a higher door count.
Need More Ideas?
Online tactics will win you a lot of hearts and minds, but what about the other facets of your enterprise? Business communication, marketing, promotion? We’ve got you covered. Keep in touch with Paper Direct and our fantastic blog for a thousand and one profitable ideas!