While digital storefronts have made it possible to browse products and read reviews from the comfort of your couch, there’s still something special about shopping in person. According to studies, this is a sentiment shared by most modern consumers. And with in-store shopping poised to make a major resurgence in 2023, brick-and-mortar stores would be wise to allocate marketing resources to draw in more foot traffic.
But how can your business accomplish that? Leveraging the persuasive power of strong design, eye-catching digital printing services, and tangible custom mail services is a good place to start. With that in mind, here are 13 of our favorite ways to bring new business to your local business in 2023.
1. Print and Distribute Flyers
Using digital printing services and custom mail services to create and distribute flyers or brochures is a great way to highlight your products and services. This tactic is especially powerful in conjunction with digital marketing tools that can help refine your target audience. Physical advertisements generate higher motivation responses and recall among potential customers, and as digital ad space becomes increasingly expensive and competitive, print media becomes more cost-effective.
2. Send Direct Mail
Unlike digital ads, direct mail is more memorable and trustworthy, especially among younger generations. Adding personalized touches and taking advantage of the greater saturation that custom mail services offer can be a powerful tool for grabbing attention and generating increased foot traffic.
3. Create Storefront Signage
Printed marketing materials such as signs, banners, flags, posters, and sandwich boards are eye-catching ways to entice passersby to come inside and browse. This is especially important if your store is in an area that wasn’t specifically developed for retail, where a lack of signage could make your business blend in with its surroundings.
4. Print Promo Materials
Printing promotional materials like locally targeted coupon booklets or discount codes is another effective tool for encouraging foot traffic. This tactic can be utilized in many ways, whether you pair it with digital marketing tactics for an omnichannel approach or focus only on custom mail services to offer special deals that customers can only redeem in the store.
5. Invite the Community to Events
From grand openings to demonstrations and workshops, businesses that plan to host events can take advantage of digital printing services to distribute invitations locally. This is a simple but efficient way to drive foot traffic without devoting unnecessary resources to reaching customers who live farther away or spending the time to create a segmented digital campaign.
6. Promote In-Store Exclusives
Offering exclusive product variants, bundle deals, or free samples as in-store-only perks can be an effective way of generating buzz and creating a sense of scarcity that can bring more shoppers to your door.
7. Send Out Holiday Postcards
It may seem like a small gesture, but sending out a visually appealing postcard to your customers on major holidays is an easy, inexpensive way to create goodwill, build brand awareness, and nurture relationships. It’s also a great opportunity to offer a holiday discount or notify shoppers of a limited-time sale!
8. Start a Loyalty Program
While it may not be a great fit for all businesses, stores that rely on repeated small sales should consider printing loyalty program cards that offer incentives for returning customers who reach certain purchase thresholds. This program requires very little investment, and studies show that these incentives spur increased sales and better customer retention.
9. Try Free-Standing Inserts
Free-standing inserts are flyers, coupons, or other promotional materials that are physically inserted into other printed media. Because these inserts are usually paired with trusted sources like newspapers or magazines, recipients are less likely to treat them like junk mail, and you can also use them to more accurately target audiences by pairing them with media that overlaps with your products (i.e., a perfume insert inside of a fashion magazine).
10. Create Interactive Elements
It’s no secret that people are spending more time than ever on social media platforms, and interactive elements can be a great way to take advantage of that fact and create valuable user-generated content simultaneously. Depending on your target audience, a fun photo op with a standee mascot or a printed background banner can help spread brand awareness in a way that feels more organic and less like a sales pitch.
11. Offer In-Store Services
You can also use digital printing and graphic design to add a more professional touch to your in-store services. This approach could be as simple as offering branded gift wrapping or attractive custom packaging for physical purchases. These small touches go a long way toward creating experiences rather than simply transactions.
12. Don’t Forget Business Cards
You never know when an impromptu networking opportunity might crop up, and making real-life connections is a great way to drive in-store visits. Enlisting the aid of digital printing services to craft business cards that are clear, concise, and feature strong design elements is a smart way to keep your business fresh in the minds of potential customers, and there are also plenty of opportunities at seminars and other local events to share business cards and spread your marketing net.
13. Revamp Your Branding
Sometimes, the only thing a business needs to start drawing more physical traffic is a branding facelift. Working with professional designers to create a brand identity that reflects your offerings and core values is almost always a worthwhile investment, especially if it’s been more than a few years since your last refresh.
Partner with the Professionals
If you’re a business owner looking to bring more foot traffic to your physical location, consider implementing some of these strategies. From leveraging the unique advantages of custom mail services to offering in-store events and promotions, there are many ways to attract customers and drive sales as we usher in the new year.
And if you’re looking for a more efficient and hassle-free solution, consider partnering with a proven company like Complete Mailing & Printing. Our expert team offers top-quality digital printing services, direct mailing, and graphic design work to help you reach your target audience and drive foot traffic to your business. Don’t wait — start bringing more customers to your doorstep today!
