When you’re building a business, it often feels like you need to make huge efforts to attract new customers. However, when you’re short on time and budget, the best place to start is with Tiny Marketing Actions (TMAs). Tiny Marketing Actions, is a concept developed by author and business coach Pamela Slim. Pamela defines tiny Marketing Actions as small marketing activities repeated consistently, over a long period.
Tiny Marketing Actions can help you build your business, brand, and bank account, says Pamela.
TMAs can be simple actions like sending an email to check in with an existing customer, posting graphics to social media, or demonstrating your expertise by adding your recommendations to an online discussion.
The idea behind Tiny Marketing Actions is to organize your efforts so that whenever you have a few minutes, you can keep your marketing on track by implementing a few TMAs.
Below, Pamela has shared a few TMAs you can apply to market your retail business. Once you understand the process, it’s easy to create your own custom TMAs.
1) Offer Custom Experiences
Your first TMA can be to start offering custom experiences in stores. Experiment with offering your experiences either during off-hours or light shopping times to build traffic to your store.
Start by creating a poll that asks your customers to share services or experiences they’d like you to offer. These could be events that you can invite all of your customers to participate in at the same time.
For instance, a store that sells unique teas might host a tea-tasting event. Another option is to create private events–such as offering the same tea tasting to groups of 6 or more by reservation. You can even adjust your experience based on the interests of the attendees (for instance black tea for one group and green for another.)
Custom cookie company SmithOLator does a great job creating custom experiences. They share their creativity and love of cookie decorating through both open workshops and private events. You can use flyers and banners to promote your experience. Post about it on social media as well. Record and share the experience so you can use the content to market future events. Repeat the successful promotions.
2) Partner with a Local Influencer for a giveaway
You might think that only people with thousands of followers help you gain traction with your target audience. However, partnering with a local influencer can do a lot to drive traffic and interest to your retail business. You can also drive engagement and increase your followers on social media by leveraging an influencer.
Start by searching for popular social media influencers. Shortlist people who align with your values and budget. Create a giveaway or promotional campaign.
Make sure to notice your metrics before the campaign. Execute the campaign and measure the metrics after the campaign to see how effective it was.
See how Lady Yum partnered with a local influencer to promote its giveaway. Just like this, you can also partner with a local influencer and improve your retail marketing.
To learn more, read these 5 influencer marketing tips for executing a successful influencer marketing strategy.
3) Partner with an Aligned Charity
Your prospective customers will be happy to know that you care about them, just like you care about the goods you sell. Look around, you will see many local organizations that provide services to the community.
Look for an event or campaign that is mutually beneficial. It can be sponsoring a food or fundraising drive, sponsoring an event, or marketing them in your email newsletter. Choose an organization that aligns with the nature and mission of your business.
Begin with reviewing charities that align with your ideal customers’ interests. You can be smart by choosing the same charity organization that your customers endorse. This can also help you improve your brand image.
However, you must ensure that the charity in question aligns with your values. You should also check the authenticity of the charity you plan to support. Try to dig in and specifically look at how it has helped people before, and what plans they have for the future.
You can try using GuideStar and GlobalGiving for selecting a charity to support. Pick one that has a specific partnering opportunity. It can be a drive or an event with a sponsorship opportunity. Participate in the partner event. Don’t forget to record and share stories and lessons on all your social media platforms.
M&S and Breast Cancer Now have been charity partners for five years. The partners’ campaign has images of real women who have had breast cancer. The stories are shared on the M&S website which helps to raise awareness of the disease.
4) Feature a Favorite Customer
Your customers are the most important stakeholders of your business. Thus, you should be keen on having a valuable relationship with your regular customers.
Your customers are very likely to talk about your business. They are people who can expand your business by writing positive reviews and referring you to their friends. Therefore, they must know that they are loved and appreciated.
Featuring a favorite customer is one of the best ways to establish a good relationship with your customers. Ask your staff to propose a favorite regular customer. Some of the ways you can acknowledge your customers are:
- Sharing their story on social media
- Featuring their picture on a special wall
- Surprising them with a bunch of balloons or flowers
- Offering a discount or loyalty gift
- Showing your appreciation on a handwritten note
Be creative and repeat the process monthly to let your customers know they are valuable to your business.
Repeat customers are the best type of shoppers. They are very appreciative of retail businesses that remember them. Look how Slack shares inspiring stories of its customers on a dedicated customer stories webpage on its website.
Similarly, you can use customer testimonial templates from PosterMyWall to acknowledge your customers. Use free and easy-to-customize templates available to show appreciation and value to your customers.
5) Connect on Email
An effective way to connect with your customers is via emails. Send regular newsletter updates and stay in touch with your customers. Create a weekly schedule and encourage your customers to visit the store.
You can also promote product sales and discounts using emails. Attract your customers with a special gift or discount and ask them to join the list.
See this email marketing example from HOLO TACO as it retains its customers and nurtures relationships.
Although there are many options, it is important to create your email list using the retail email marketing platform on PosterMyWall. It has a large variety of retail email templates that you can use and customize for free.
Befriend your marketing monsters
It is possible to have thoughts that get in the way of you taking tiny marketing actions. However, you should think beyond and fix everything that stops you.
Emotions often get in the way of you taking marketing actions. Knowledge and competence-driven can also act as barriers to your marketing activities. Thinking capabilities and mental distraction may also be one of the obstructions for you.
Nevertheless, there is always a way to fix things. Try organizing yourself and your thinking. Be open to learning and understand that it is not compulsory to be an expert to do it. Get yourself a partner or someone to help you. Befriend your marketing monsters and enhance your retail marketing.
You can also check out these blog posts on PosterMyWall to get help with your retail marketing. Some of the blog posts you can go through are as follows:
- 6 LinkedIn post ideas to help your business stay relevant
- 5 influencer marketing tips for boosting publicity and sales
- How to use mailing lists to improve your email marketing
You can further check PosterMyWall’s Instagram page for the latest design and marketing tips.
Get ready for Tiny Marketing Actions
Business owners do not run toward tiny marketing actions. Instead, they focus on doing things people pay them to do. However, to keep the natural momentum with marketing, you need to do some actions consistently. These small daily actions are tiny marketing actions. Tap your motivation, act in accordance with the recipes in this guide, and get ready to upgrade your retail marketing.
