New advancements in technology have created new and exciting ways to interact with your current customers and reach new demographics. The consignment industry has relied strongly on more traditional marketing strategies while only lightly adopting social media platforms into their marketing regime. Times are quickly changing, and those who adopt a stronger online marketing presence are going to have a leg up on their competition.
We here at Ricochet not only come from an experienced background in running consignment businesses, but also in all aspects of online marketing. We have created countless blogs on how to best utilized social media to promote your business, as well as offer free webinars to teach you how to create strong online marketing strategies that will increase your customer base and profits.
Marketing Budgets Should Focus on Online Marketing
Recently many consignment stores may have seen their Facebook posts receive less likes, comments, and shares. This is due to Facebook requiring brand pages to pay or boost their posts to be seen by a larger audience. Although this is an inconvenience to some, it can be very lucrative. You can easily target new customer bases by changing demographic and age settings and can choose how long and how many people you want your posts to be seen by. An average post boost can run you anywhere from 5.00 – 20.00, and can see a much larger response than a traditional ad in a local newspaper or mailer. Nearly every other social media platform are introducing their own form of paid advertising for small businesses and although social media was once a great free marketing avenue, it is a worthy place to spend your marketing funds. The ability to directly target your audience and create a tailored content experience can expedite the conversion process from a new customer to a long term buyer.Watch Full Movie Online Streaming Online and Download
Creating Content is Key
The ability to create quality photo and video content is now as simple as downloading an app and hitting record, so the stores that decide to take advantage of these great tools to showcase their creativity and inventory are going to be the ones who will dominate Facebook timelines and Instagram feeds. To fully take advantage of the changing online marketing landscape you need to start thinking about how you can showcase your inventory and increase customer interaction. Start experimenting with different apps for video and interactive photo collages. Look into new programs to create your own online flyers and graphics for events and store news. Make a lasting impression online and gain a new customer for life.
Make Yourself Mobile
With more and more people moving away from traditional computers and more towards smartphones and tablets, you need to make sure that you have adapted to the new trend. Many stores will create a simple website when they start their business and never bother to update it which could lead to a huge problem in the mobile world. If your site has not been built to be mobile friendly then you could be losing out on a lot of new customers. Being mobile friendly means that your website will change its layout to whatever size screen the viewer is using, meaning you can create a unique experience for all of your customers no matter what device they are using. Looking dated online can reflect poorly on your store and can keep new customers from walking through your doors. This can also inhibit people from getting the crucial information they need, like consignment terms, store hours, or to be able to easily see new inventory. Although the upfront cost can seem overwhelming, purchasing a new website is a strong investment in the long term growth of your consignment store.
Want to learn more? CLICK HERE to view our previous webinars on how to use social media to promote your consignment business.
