Mobile Marketing for Indie Stores

Customers take pictures of products and send to friends for their feedback. They scan barcodes to gain price information and more. Consumers even compare prices of products from one store to another with their mobile devices… so it’s no surprise using mobile strategies as part of your overall marketing plan is important. The question is – just how important is this for a small, indie retailer?

To answer this very simply – it may not be at all for many stores. Part of what you sell and the store you have created is to be a hands on, old fashioned kind of shopping experience. Then again, you need to consider modern ways and modern customers to keep your store thriving.

Three things to consider doing to help integrate your store with mobile marketing and ultimately, mobile sales include:

1. Incorporate coupons or discounts into mobile technology. Text discount codes or special incentives versus just send them out as an email or via social media.

2. Encourage customers to take a picture of something they are debating on buying. By doing this, it will leave an impression with them again and again as they scroll through their photos… and often encourage them to come back and buy it. Without a picture, it may be dismissed in their busy lives.

3. Include scannable QR codes or offer website addresses about store products. Or both. Either way, they will be engaged with their phone. And the reality is, many consumers like being engaged with their phone. If you can connect with them through that, then you have met your goal.

Mobile marketing isn’t going anywhere. In fact, studies suggest it’s only increasing. According to comScore, mobile marketing is a big trend that is sure to stay around for awhile. Just consider these points below (as provided by comScore).

• 1 in 5 U.S. smartphone owners took a picture of a product while in a store.
• About 1 in 5 smartphone owners… aka customers… scanned a product bar code.
• 12% of all smartphone owners used their phone to compare product prices while actually in a store.
• Nearly 10% of consumers use their phones to find coupons or deals.