4 Easy Ways to Market Your Supermarket
Written By Melissa Carrick
If there’s one thing we know - it’s how to market local grocery stores. Maybe it’s because we’re major foodies or maybe it’s because we’ve been doing this for awhile (probably a little bit of both). But either way, we have the secret sauce to supermarket success and we’re going to give you a little taste with these 4 Easy Ways to Market Your Supermarket.
Engage Your Community on Facebook
No, Facebook is not just for updating your family on your latest achievements or uploading a vacation photo dump. Facebook is actually a great resource for businesses and is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to reach potential customers and engage with your community. Not only does Facebook serve as a business listing where you can provide store information, it also gives you the opportunity to engage your audience with exclusive deals, in-store photos, giveaways and more!
According to Facebook, 2/3 users across all countries surveyed say they visit the page of a local business at least once a week and 6 in 10 local businesses say having an online presence is important for their long-term success.
If you’re just getting started on Facebook, you want to make sure you’re doing the basics:
Update your profile picture and cover photo, we recommend using your logo so you are easily recognizable.
Check that your business information is updated: address, phone number, store hours, link to your website (if they can’t find you, they won’t come).
Map out a marketing strategy complete with goals and objectives.
Start posting and be consistent!
If you’re ready to take your Facebook presence to the next level and start connecting with your customers, you’ve come to the right place. Here are some of our best insider tips:
Know your audience: It’s important to know who your audience is and engage with them where they are. Questions you should ask: Who are your shoppers? Who do your ideal customers look like? What social channels are they on? What do they value? Once you answer those questions, assuming your customers are on Facebook, you can better understand what your audience will respond to.
Make it personal: Your customers love your store for a reason and you should show it off! Some of our most successful posts are team member photos, in-store updates or renovations and customer features. Being social means being personal and creating an authentic connection with your audience.
Offer exclusive deals: Let’s face it, they gave you a follow and now they’re looking for something in return. Facebook is a great place to post your weekly ad, offer exclusive deals and coupons and show your customer the value of being a part of your community.
And of course, everyone loves free stuff: Giveaways can be one of the most powerful tools to increase engagement and followers. For example, if your store specializes in meat, you can give away a meat package during grilling season and ask customers to follow your page and comment in return so it’s a win-win! Just make sure you follow the Facebook guidelines carefully.
2. Go Digital
If you haven’t yet answered the question “where are my customers?”, here’s a little hint for you - they’re online! The easiest thing you can do to help customers find you is to make sure you set up a Google My Business page for your store and keep it updated.
A Google Business profile is free and allows you to personalize your listing with your location, store hours, photos, videos and more. You can also monitor and reply to customer reviews. When people are able to find you in search and in maps it turns them into new customers. Take it from someone who Googles EVERYTHING.
So when you say “Hey Siri, find ‘fresh produce near me’” and Siri says “okay here’s what I found,” you can hope that your business listing is at the top of her list for customers to find you and visit your store.
More ways to go digital:
Digitize your coupons online
Reach your customers through email, texting and digital ads
Offer online shopping on your website
3. Lean into Local
The bad news is, there’s always going to be competition in the grocery space. The good news is, shopping local is always a marketing advantage (there’s a reason we’re in the business after all).
According to Forbes, “Research shows that 41% of consumers intend to buy more locally in the future, independent retailers should focus on using their local appeal to help them stand out. They must market their local produce and emphasize their positive role within the community to appeal to the more conscious-consumer.”
I’m sure there are already so many things your store is doing right now that supports the community and your customers just don’t know it. If you sell local produce - tell them. If you support local fundraisers - give a shout out. If you partner with local businesses - spread the word. We know you’re proud to be local and your customers are proud to shop local so show it off!
Insider Tip: Create a page on your website dedicated to the local businesses you support and the local products you sell. Post on Facebook about how you support your community and link back to the page for customers to learn more and to gain traffic to your website. Farm fresh sweet corn just off the truck? Post a picture on social and give credit where credit is due! Your customers will thank you for it.
4. Enticing In-Store Offers
We can’t stress enough the importance of your store’s online presence. But what would your store be without customers? How can you bring your online community in-store?
Bribery 101: Entice them with digital offers that bring them into your store ASAP.
Think about it, you’re on your couch scrolling through TikTok and you get an email from your local grocery store that they’re having a wine tasting tonight. Your fridge has been looking a little low and instead of doing your usual pick up order, why not head out to shop and get some free wine while you’re at it?
According to Shopify, “We’re entering a new era for physical retail stores, and in-person shopping offers real-life touch-and-feel experiences that build deep customer relationships (and simply can’t be replicated online).”
Once the customer is in-store shopping and sipping on free wine, they are more likely to take their time, browse new aisles and even purchase the wine you’ve offered to them.
More ideas to get customer in-store:
BOGO offers
Free item for the first 100 customers
Free samples & tastings
Cooking classes
The list could go on and on. Everyone loves a good deal and pricing is a great way to drive sales and create foot traffic especially when there’s a sense of urgency to get the deal. This is why your online presence is so important because it reaches your customer where they are whether through social media, emails or texting and brings them in-store to shop.
It might sound simple - create an online presence that brings customers into your store - but even some of the easiest marketing strategies take time and energy, and we know you’re busy. Hint hint…that’s where we come in. If getting more customers and increasing sales sounds cool to you, contact us to get started!
