5 Tips to Market Your Boutique
Marketing a local boutique provides new and interesting challenges. Since so many retail stores have moved online, local retailers can feel bewildered when it comes to marketing a brick and mortar business. Luckily, local boutiques have unique marketing abilities that their online competitors do not.
Marketing is critical for all retailers. For brick and mortar stores, much of the clientele may have more to do with physician proximity than online advertising. One marketing aspect that is crucial for all boutiques has to do with presence. What is the impression of your boutique?
SEO
Just because your boutique may not be online, does not mean you should skip basic internet marketing. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is critical for any business regardless if they have a physical space or online store. Local boutiques can benefit from SEO if individuals search for a type of business or a business that is closest to them at the time of a search. Investing in someone who understands SEO and google marketing can help raise awareness of your business while gaining customers and possibly reviews.
Start a blog
Starting a blog can tell the story of your boutique as well as provide opportunities to show off new products. Writing about merchandise, especially new merchandise, can engage readers and peak interest. Blogs also provide an opportunity to continue using SEO so that your website can stay relevant in google’s algorithm. Posting photos is another way to attract clientele through a blog. When capturing photos of boutique merchandise, it’s especially helpful to use a professional photographer. Many boutique items can be intricately detailed or delicate. A proper photograph can best highlight these features.
Exclusive offers
Emailing exclusive offers for your boutique can draw new customers to your shop. By creating different coupon codes from various marketing strategies (like your blog or another site) you can see which shoppers are visiting which sites. This can be useful when understanding future marketing campaigns. When using sales tactics that involve direct email, timing is critical. If you send too many emails, your boutique may seem spammy. An offer that is sent once every few weeks will not bombard an individual’s email account.
Private showings
Offering a time when individual’s can shop privately may prove worthwhile for busy customers. Scheduling an appointment emphasizes time and value. When giving a private showing of your boutique, take the time to know what you will display and where so that the first impression is a positive one. Private showings may be more formal and depending on the clientele, you may benefit from providing specialty drinks or snacks while they browse.
Brand awareness
Even if your boutique is not a “brand”, it is important to be noticed. A social media presence can be a successful way to reach your target audience while reminding the community of your boutique. When using social media to promote a business, a specific business page on FB may be beneficial or even an Instagram account. For sites that emphasize pictures, photos of new and specialized merchandise can be posted on a regular basis for others to see. When representing your local boutique on social media, acting on behalf of the business creates a professional presence that others can rely on.
Conclusion
Marketing a local boutique can be done without the internet. Signs, shop giveaways, and appointment-only viewings, are still effective ways to market retail businesses. Although they can attract new clientele, online marketing remains the quickest way to reach the most people. When marketing a local boutique, consistency and professionalism are always key.
