Seasonal marketing strategies give you an opportunity to leverage holidays and changing weather and months to promote your business. You can use the changing seasons to find inspiration for new in-store decorations, promotions, and even products and services.
But, seasonal changes can be expensive and time-consuming. Making adjustments to your store layout, updating promotions, and highlighting new products and services can take a lot of time and resources — unless you have in-store marketing tools to seamlessly make these changes.
In-store marketing tools — such as digital signage, overhead music and messaging, and free customer WiFi — make it easy and affordable to change your in-store experience during season changes.
Here’s how you can use in-store marketing tools to launch simple seasonal marketing strategies in your brick-and-mortar business.
Quickly change in-store content with digital signage.
For your seasonal marketing strategies to be effective, you need to let each customer in your store know about your timely promotions, specials, and offerings. The easiest way to do that is by using in-store signage that immediately catches the attention of shoppers and customers and lets them know about the deals.
Digital signage is better at catching attention than dated, static signage — and it’s easier and more affordable to change for new seasons. With just a few clicks, you can update your signs to feature content about your seasonal specials. And, it doesn’t cost nearly as much as paying to order new static signs and posters. You can simply update the content on your own for free.
Change the atmosphere of your store using digital video walls.
Usually when the seasons change so does the atmosphere of your brick-and-mortar business. Summer and winter months come with their own set up in-store designs and decorations. This sets the mood and offers customers a changing environment so their visits always feel fresh and timely.
Digital video walls, set up as oversized wall coverings, can help you quickly adjust the environment in your business. Simply change video content from clips of sunny summer scenes to falling snow to create a whole new atmosphere and experience for your customers.
Highlight seasonal products and services using digital waiting boards.
Another part of your business that likely changes with the seasons are your featured products and services. For example, a tire retailer might highlight snow tires more in the winter than in the spring. And, a quick-service restaurant might sell pumpkin-flavored foods in the fall and fruity flavors in the summer.
Digital menu boards make it easy to highlight each season’s new products, services, and featured items. With digital menus, you can easily adjust content to create new slides for your seasonal products. Rather than waste money on new static signs, you can quickly and affordably present your new items to in-store customers.
Share seasonal promotions on WiFi splash pages.
Digital screens on your wall aren’t the only screens that customers look at while in your business. They also frequently look at their smartphones and use handheld screens during their visit. You can also leverage this digital connection while customers are in your store by offering free customer WiFi.
When you offer customers free access to WiFi in your location, you are able to launch WiFi marketing tactics. Through WiFi marketing, you can get in front of customers while they use their digital devices. You can:
- Present seasonal splash landing pages that users land on when they log in
- Collect customer contact information and send seasonal remarketing messages
- Send push messages with time-sensitive holiday promotions and specials
Set the in-store tone with overhead music.
It’s not just screens that connect with customers while they are in your store. Sounds also influence customers. If you want to create a holiday atmosphere, you can’t just change what customers see. You also have to change what they hear. You can do that through overhead music.
Overhead music allows you to set the tone of the season. During the holiday season, you can set playlists that include Christmas and seasonal tunes. Other times of the year, you can develop a playlist that matches any mood you want to create from upbeat and fast-paced to quiet and relaxing.
Remind customers about seasonal specials through overhead messaging.
Overhead sounds can do more than set the tone through music. They can also help you share important messages with in-store customers. Overhead messaging offers you a direct connection to engaged shoppers browsing through your location.
Use overhead messaging as part of your seasonal marketing strategies by developing a series of messages that share your holiday specials and promotions. Also, use it to alert customers about special hours and events that are relevant to the season.
Share seasonal information through on-hold messaging.
There is one element of in-store marketing that connects with customers before they arrive at your business — on-hold messaging. Customers often experience on-hold messaging as their first customer touchpoint with a business when they call for directions, hours, or some other information. Leverage this touchpoint during the holidays.
Offer essential information such as hours and directions first, as this is what callers most frequently need. But then, use your on-hold messaging to share important holiday messages, such as promotions and upcoming events. Changing your hold message each season also breaks the repetitive experiences that customers can have if they regularly call your business.
Get Ready to Launch Better Seasonal Marketing Strategies
When the next season rolls in, be prepared. Start setting up in-store marketing tools today so when you want to launch seasonal marketing strategies, you’re ready.
To learn more about what can do with in-store marketing tools like digital signage, free WiFi, and overhead messaging and music, download our free ebook. The Ultimate Guide to In-Store Marketing will walk you through the next steps in bringing these tools and strategies to your business.