Retail Blog

When it comes to achieving a level of visibility and name recognition that’s on par with their chain-store rivals, most independent retailers face pretty stiff odds. Add in a few confounding factors, such as the current economic uncertainties, and the prospect of marketing yourself effectively can start to feel like an insurmountable challenge.

If you need to get your store’s name out there and you’re not sure how you can afford to do it, don’t despair. Effective marketing doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, some of the best ways to make a splash in the local or regional market can cost little or nothing at all to pull off. Use these ideas for inspiration, adopting them to your own needs and circumstances.

•    Think hard about how to reach your target market. Many independent retailers cater to a small group of customers. As such, small-scale but narrowly-focused marketing efforts are more likely to pay off than big, splashy, overly-broad campaigns. If you run a shop or website that sells supplies to model train enthusiasts, a small ad in the hobby’s premier publication will have a much greater return on investment than a highway billboard that costs tens of thousands more. Make a list of the niche groups you want to reach, and then brainstorm cheap ways to get your company’s name in front of them.

•    Be your own ad. If you’re really dedicated to lodging your store’s name in the brains of as many potential customers as possible, take it upon yourself to become a one-person marketing machine. Wear company t-shirts wherever you go; have your store’s name and location emblazoned on your car; get a special computer-safe logo screen-printed on to the back of your laptop; add a website link and motto to the signature line of all your emails. Even everyday chitchat and errands around town can pay big marketing dividends if you use this strategy wisely.

•    “Go dutch” with other businesses. A great way to get more bang for your advertising buck is to band together with other likeminded independent retailers in your area. Form a group with other stores in your neighborhood, or team up with similar or complementary businesses across the entire community, sharing the expense of advertising efforts. That way, you’ll get all of the exposure for a fraction of the cost.

•    Actively engage in the community. Most locally-focused independent retailers depend on their connection to their neighborhood or town as a major source of business. Leverage these relationships on a micro-level, sponsoring local groups and performances, volunteering visibly at annual festivals, or giving your time or in-kind donations to charity events. Don’t forget to wear your store’s t-shirt!

•    Cultivate the loyalty of a team of “brand evangelists.” The most expensive marketing campaign in the world isn’t worth the word-of-mouth spread by one passionate customer. Make a habit of going above and beyond the call of duty, establishing truly world-class service as your personal trademark. Chances are, you’ll inspire the die-hard loyalty of a small group of “evangelists” who will sing your praises wherever they go.

What are your favorite cheap marketing techniques? What’s the best marketing investment you’ve ever made? Share your experiences in the comments.

 

What wholesale products are independent retailers searching for this week? ProductBlazer, the web’s largest wholesale supplier search engine, can help tell us. The site provides a massive index of over 40,000 suppliers and tracks search queries across a network of wholesale supplier search engines. Summer is coming so we clearly want to lounge in Adirondack chairs, but what is on the minds of the country’s leading independent retailers? What’s hot this week?

Let’s see!

 

Should Your Business Have a Blog? These days, it seems like everyone and their dog has an online presence. In particular, blogs – a unique kind of Internet journal that takes its name from a mash-up of the term “web log” – are skyrocketing in growth and popularity. It is estimated that well over 100,000 new blogs are created each day, with the total number of blogs now far exceeding 100 million.

Plenty of businesses are getting in on the blogging act, too. From corporate bigwigs to mom ‘n’ pop shops, it’s possible to find a blog covering every conceivable type of operation. One recent study found that as many as 50% of all companies surveyed had some type of blog. In an era when even a sliver of competitive advantage can be a great boost, some experts call business blogs an innovative and low-cost way to extend your brand and bring your image up to date.

Have you been thinking about starting a blog for your business? If so, you deserve kudos for being open to new possibilities. But don’t just jump on the blogging bandwagon because everyone else is doing it. Before you commit to a business blog, it’s best to carefully consider the pros and cons involved in this kind of undertaking.

The benefits of blogging

If you’re looking for a cheap and simple way to exponentially boost your business’s profile, blogging might be just what the doctor ordered. With little or no risk and remarkable ROI potential, a company blog can be a great tool for any business. Here are just a few of the ways blogging could help your enterprise.

• Establish authority in your field. If you know a lot about your business niche, a blog is a great way to broadcast your expertise. A blog is a great conduit to help you connect with a community of like-minded experts and create interest and awareness of your business among those who are in the know.

• Forge connections with new customers. More and more people are making blog reading a part of their daily schedule. There’s probably no better way to get your business’s name in front of millions of people than starting a blog. Once you establish yourself as part of the online community in your field, reciprocal links from other sites will help bring new readers – and potential clients – to your blog.

• Boost your site’s readership and traffic. If you already have a business website, or if your business is based online, a blog can be a huge boon. Blog entries are a great way to boost your site’s search engine rankings, as well.

• Strengthen your relationship with existing clients. A business blog can offer your clients a peek behind the curtain, so to speak, offering customers a rare glimpse into the inner workings of your company. Blog comments are also an excellent way to keep the lines of communication open with your clients and deepen your understanding of how people are responding to your products.

• Position yourself in the market. Need to communicate the uniqueness of your company to the world? There’s no better platform than a blog. That’s one reason why independent retailers who cater to niche markets are particularly well-served by the new form of company-customer communication.


• Respond quickly to emerging challenges and changes. Today’s market is dynamic and ever-evolving. With a company blog, you can respond to changes or challenges that may emerge, in real time and on your terms. If your business model relies on rapid adaptation and nimble response, a blog may be the perfect communication pipeline for you.


The drawbacks of blogging

Sure, business blogging is all the rage these days, but let’s face it – it’s not for everybody. Seasoned business owners know that trends shouldn’t drive your decision-making process, so if you don’t feel genuinely compelled to blog, you probably shouldn’t commit to it. Here are some very good reasons NOT to start a company blog.


• You’re a seller, not a writer. If you’d rather eat glass than sit down in front of your computer to compose blog posts, this might not be the thing for you. But before you nix the idea of a company blog, consider the possibility of outsourcing writing duties to a talented employee or a professional. As long as you maintain control of the tone and topics, you don’t have to write every word yourself.

• Your schedule is already packed to the brim. Life can be hectic for independent retailers. If you already have to juggle appointments to find time to sleep and eat, adding even more to your plate with a blog might not be the best idea. But again, you might consider delegating blog duties to someone you trust.

• Your business model isn’t based on your uniqueness. If your company offers products and services that really don’t differ all that much from those provided by your competitors, there might not be much point in blogging.

• You’re not exactly tech-savvy. Is your VCR display still flashing “12:00 a.m.”? Do you still own a VCR? Do you have trouble locating the power button on your computer? If technology just isn’t your thing, think twice before starting a blog. The learning curve involved might be way too steep to make good business sense.

• Your customer base doesn’t read blogs. If you run a specialty business that caters to a very narrow slice of the market, or if the lion’s share of your customers are unlikely to be the blog-reading type, the time and effort involved in starting and maintaining a blog might exceed the potential benefit.


Does your business have a blog? How do you manage it? In what ways has the blog impacted your business? Tell us more in the comments.

 

It seems like everywhere you turn these days, there’s more bad news about the potential health hazards of consumer goods that are produced in China and other overseas manufacturing hubs. The crisis reached a fever pitch during the run-up to the 2007 holiday season, when repeated reports of dangerous levels of lead in Chinese-made toys had millions of American parents scrambling for safer shopping alternatives.

The tainted-toy scare also happened to coincide with another trend that’s become more noticeable in recent years – consumers’ are developing more interest in sustainable manufacturing practices, fair trade, and fine craftsmanship, all of which can be virtually impossible to find or to verify in foreign-made products.

What this latest wave of more conscientious consumers have found is that it can be much more difficult to find products bearing the “Made in the USA” label than one might expect. At larger chain stores, it can be nearly impossible to determine a product’s provenance, as even a single toy or household good may contain components that were manufactured or assembled in a dozen different countries. Furthermore, many chain store employees’ knowledge of products doesn’t extend far beyond the number of the aisle they can be found on.

That’s where independent retailers come in. There’s no doubt about it – recent market research has shown that smaller, independently-owned establishments stand to benefit from the growing demand for American-made products. Here are some tips to help you make the most of this trend.

• Exploit your expert knowledge base. Many independent retailers are owner-operators who have a hand in everything from sourcing new products to stocking the store shelves. That unique depth of knowledge is just what consumers who are disenchanted with the hands-off, know-nothing approach that is standard in most large chain stores are looking for. Make yourself available to answer customers’ questions — and don’t be afraid to show off a little if they seem interested in hearing more details.

• Play up your products’ provenance. If you have a large number of products that are made in the United States or other developed nations, why not proudly point that fact out? Use displays that highlight the regions or countries your store represents and the manufacturing traditions and craftsmanship styles unique to each one.

• Craft a marketing message to match. Market research has shown that more consumers are on the lookout for safe and well-made products these days, so make sure your advertising and marketing campaigns mention that you stock American-made goods. Keep it subtle and sophisticated – a small graphic stating your store’s policy is all you need to get your point across.

• Keep an eye out for new American manufacturers and distributors. As you are probably already well aware, the advent of globalization and multinational manufacturing has made it very difficult to source American-made products. To ensure that you can meet demand, make a habit of taking note of new domestic manufacturers and distributors that you happen to encounter. If you could use some leads, check out Product Blazer’s list of wholesale products made in America.


What are your experiences stocking and selling American-made products? Have you noticed that your customers are more interested in where products are made these days? Talk back in the comments.