As a retailer, you may be overlooking a powerful marketing strategy that is sitting right in front of you: in-store advertising. Find out what in-store advertising is, how it has evolved, and how you can use modern in-store marketing strategies and tools to increase sales and customer satisfaction.
What Is In-Store Advertising?
In-store adverting is the act of marketing to customers while they are inside of a brick-and-mortar business or commercial property. It actively promotes products and services at the point-of-purchase when customers are highly interested and engaged.
Usually, when retailers plan their marketing, they focus on how they can use outside messaging to bring customers into a store. But in-store advertising is a strategy that focuses on using on-property messaging to engage customers that are already in the store.
In-store advertising has become more effective over the years as in-store media channels and display methods have evolved and become more modern.
In-store marketing is no longer restricted to a set of static signs or cardboard end-cap promotions. With the growth and evolution of media channels and video display options, in-store marketing is now delivered through a variety of digital tools that make in-store advertising more interesting for customers and more effective for marketing.
Brands can create custom animations, videos, and interactive in-store advertising content and display it on:
- Digital wait-boards
- Digital menu boards
- Video walls
- Interactive kiosks
- Wayfinding screens
- Personal devices (through the use of WiFi marketing)
In-store advertising has evolved, and the improved tools can bring big benefits to your brick-and-mortar business.
The Benefits of In-Store Advertising
It pays to advertise to in-store shoppers.
In-store shoppers are among the most highly engaged prospects your business can have. They are already familiar with your brand, interested in your products and services, and just steps away from making planned and unplanned purchases.
An in-store shopper engagement study that interviewed 3,000 mass merchant shoppers revealed that 82% of purchasing decisions are made while in a store, 62% of shoppers make an impulse buy while shopping, and 16% of unplanned purchases are driven by in-store promotions.
In-store shoppers are ready to buy, and in-store advertising can guide them toward what to buy and how much to buy. In-store advertising effectively:
- Encourages impulse buys by highlighting cross-sells, up-sells, and related products.
- Introduces new products and effectively explains their features and benefits to customers.
- Promotes sales by making it easy for customers to notice current promotions.
- Supports cross-promotions by showcasing similar or related products and services.
- Informs customers by helping them find information they need to guide their purchasing decisions.
- Reminds customers about information and promotions they saw on your digital platforms before they arrived to your store.
- Captures customer contact information by encouraging shoppers to enter their email address or phone number.
In-store advertising guides purchasing decisions and helps customers decide what to buy. Now, let’s look at some examples of in-store promotions your brick-and-mortar business can launch to reap these benefits.
10 Examples of In-Store Advertising
There are multiple platforms and media channels for marketing inside of a retail store. Depending on the size, offerings, and industry of your retail store, you may choose to use a mix of the following promotion styles.
1. Store Layout
When setting up your showroom, use messaging to create focal points and take customers through a journey as they experience your store.
2. In-store Themes
Create a cohesive theme for seasons, holidays, or special promotions using advertising elements that tie the store together or highlight certain departments of the store.
3. Product Displays
Showcase products by building stand-out displays that highlight brands and items with feature signage and product demo videos.
4. Live Product Demonstrations
Add a live element to in-store promotions by hosting live demonstrations that allow customers to try or experience products.
5. Digital Signs
Instead of using static posters or signs, utilize engaging digital signage to share ads and messages through videos and multimedia.
6. Digital Menu Boards
Use easy-to-update menu boards to drive upsells and introduce your customers to a wider variety of products.
7. Interactive Screens
Take signage up another notch and feature interactive digital signs that allow shoppers to select and control the content they see on the screen.
8. Shopping Carts
Prime marketing real estate exists right in front of shoppers on the carts they use throughout the store. Utilize that space to share messages with customers.
9. Overhead Messaging
Speak directly to in-store shoppers by using overhead messaging as a way to relay information about sales, promotions, specific store departments, and special events.
10. In-store Beacons
Put technology to work using beacons that connect with in-store shoppers through their smartphones and send notifications and coupons to store visitors based on their location.
In-Store Advertising Key Points
In-store advertising doesn’t always follow the same formula as traditional or out-of-store marketing. When creating content for in-store advertising, keep the following concepts in mind.
Placement: Find the right location. Where you place in-store advertising is just as important as what you say in in-store advertising. Make sure your displays and signage fit into the showroom layout. Position content so that messages are in the places where shoppers spend the most time in your store, and place it the right distance from shopper’s eyes so they can view it properly.
Brevity: Say it quickly. You don’t have a lot of time to catch and hold the attention of in-store shoppers. Most shoppers won’t stop to watch a lengthy video or read a detailed message. Keep it short and brief. Use bullet points and headlines that get to the point and quickly relay the vital information shoppers need.
Relevance: Give consumers what they want. As with any marketing, it’s important to fully understand your target audience. Define your target audience and deeply assess who they are and what they need and what. Once you have a full understanding of your audience, you can create messaging that accurately touches on their true pain points and desires.
Quality: Add a professional polish. In-store advertising content should be created with the same level of professionalism and care that out-of-store marketing receives. Put resources into creating in-store content, and use high-quality screens and signs to ensure that your messages look polished and professional.
Timelessness: Don’t be out-of-date. A retail store can quickly lose credibility and consumer trust by featuring out-of-date or irrelevant in-store promotions. When you choose to use in-store advertising, you cannot set it and forget it. You need to set up a marketing content schedule that reminds your team to change out-of-date promos and advertisements.
Launch In-Store Advertising In Your Retail Store
The presentation of your retail store is a reflection of your brand and business. It is a form of marketing that shows your customers who you are and what you sell. The way you present your store can shape shopper habits and increase sales. It can act as the trigger that leads in-store customers to make a purchase or make a larger purchase.
So, your in-store presentation can’t be an afterthought. You must put the right resources, time, thought, and energy into how your physical storefront looks if you want to capitalize effectively on in-store marketing.
To help you make sure your store is setup to connect with shoppers and provide excellent customer experiences, we’ve put together this downloadable Retail Store Audit checklist. It includes 20+ questions to help you assess and analyze the interior and exterior of your store to make sure you aren’t missing any opportunities to leverage in-store advertising and impress your customers. Download your free Retail Store Audit checklist.
If you’re ready to reap the benefits of modern in-store advertising, contact Spectrio today. We’re the industry’s leading in-store marketing provider. We can help you set up digital signage and free customer WiFi all the way to in-store scent marketing and overhead music and messaging. Contact us today to see how we can help you bring effective in-store advertising tools and strategies to your business.