Foot Traffic Made Simple:
Unleashing a Simple Marketing Framework for Your Creative Business to Attract, Engage, Nurture, Serve, and Wow Your Customers
Marketing and sales are critical components of any successful business. We know this, but we’re all so busy we sometimes leave this to others or just wing it at the last minute. We can be the best at what we do — have the most beautiful products, the best location, staff and service — but if we don’t tell the world and make sales, we won’t survive.
Marketing is too important to be left as an afterthought.
You may have a nice website and post on social media, but that’s not marketing. Marketing is so much more than that and the tools and tactics are endless. There are so many options for creative small businesses.
What if we could make it simple?
Hey there, fellow creative souls and business owners! Wendy Batten here, your small business and retail coach and a fellow creative. Let’s talk shop and dive into my game-changing, feel-good marketing framework: Foot Traffic Made Simple.
The Magic of Feel-Good, Aligned Marketing
Picture this: your heart, head, passion and data all working together to create success. That’s the power of aligned marketing. It’s not enough to rely on the brilliance of your products alone; we need to spread the word to the right people. Having a great product and being good at what we do is great, but it’s time to take it a step further. Let’s make marketing easy, exciting and feel-good, and aligned to drive success for your creative business.
When marketing feels good to us, it will feel good to our customers and there’s a bonus: We won’t dread doing it!
Introducing Foot Traffic Made Simple
Now, let me fill you in on Foot Traffic Made Simple, designed for creative business owners like you. I’ve taught this framework to hundreds of shop owners — and it works. The best part? You can make it your own and tailor it to your unique customers.
Our ultimate goal is to have customers who not only find us and buy from us but also fall head over heels for our creations, spreading the love and coming back for more.
Below, you’ll find the five areas and questions to ask yourself. We pose these questions weekly during our CEO dates in my private coaching group, the Retailer’s Inner Circle.
1. Attract: Building Your Audience
First things first, let’s focus on building community awareness of your business and attracting new customers. How can we increase visibility and awareness?
A simple way to get started is by making your storefront impossible to resist with eye-catching signage and a front that screams, “Come on in.” Change it up so people see changes. Grab their attention, and word-of-mouth buzz around town will grow.
Get out in your community. Be visible at events and around town. Collaborate with other businesses and become familiar to a wide range of businesses and groups in your area. Consider joining business or social groups in your community.
Don’t forget the digital side. Regularly update your Google Business Profile (this is nonnegotiable; you need to be findable), consistently create content that’s searchable with smart SEO practices, and don’t forget to harness the power of your existing customers by asking them to share their love for your creative business.
Work on organic and free ways to attract customers, but there are also paid ways to get attention, using ads, billboards, etc. Measure your results. But be sure to work through some organic and free ideas first.
The goal here is to grow your awareness of new people so they can know you. We want them to hear about you, and keep hearing about you, so they think: “Wow, they’re everywhere,” and “I’ve heard about them,” and they just have to know more.
Data to watch
This one is trickier to track, but track the number of things you do in your community and track tasks you do, such as how often you update your Google account or attend local events.
Weekly action
What am I doing this week to attract new customers and get attention?
2. Engage: Igniting Interest
Now they are curious. Engaging your audience is the key to turning interest into action. How can we get them to take that first step and come into your shop, or maybe sign up for your emails?
Let’s start with a welcoming entrance — both in-store and online. Make sure there is a proper welcome.
Your branding should be clear, consistent and inviting. If they look you up (or come in), is your brand clear as to what you are, what you do, and who you are for on all of your marketing assets? (Website, social, front of shop, etc). When they walk through your door or land on your website, they should feel like they’ve discovered a hidden gem. And don’t forget to give them an opportunity to stay connected by offering tempting opt-ins or sign-ups.
Our goal here is for our customers to take action and join us somehow.
Data to watch
Track your email list growth, social accounts and actual foot traffic into your shop or studio.
Weekly action
What am I doing this week to engage customers that are curious?
3. Nurture: Building Strong Relationships
Nurturing your customers is where the magic happens. How can we invite them to know, like, trust and remember us? It’s all about connection, my friend.
If they are in your shop or studio, be sure to use proper welcoming words; train your sales staff to be knowledgeable and approachable; create captivating displays and keep your space clean and inviting.
Stay in touch through regular emails that offer value and be consistent on social media platforms and share store hours and relevant content — not just sales posts.
Important to note: You don’t have to be everywhere on social media, just pick the best place for you and your ideal customers and stay consistent. Add layers of additional “social tools” or marketing tactics as you get consistent and test them. Don’t jump on every new bandwagon.
Build community and a feeling of familiarity by inviting customers in for regular events and workshops, and build excitement around your products, services and brands.
Weekly action
What am I doing to be intentional about nurturing customers that are in the shop and those who have joined online?
4. Serve: Meeting Their Desires
Understanding what your customers think, feel, want and need is crucial for creating an extraordinary experience.
This is where we turn browsers into buyers, where we need to use our creative marketing mindset in-store. Great signage, merchandising, lighting, product information, free demonstrations or samples, and educated and engaged staff all fall under the marketing bucket.
How can we make our customers’ lives easier and better? Think of your creative business as a haven of hospitality. When they walk in, we’re there to serve. Make the buying process frictionless, have clear and easy refund policies and explore new product lines and revenue streams that may help your customers.
Don’t forget to give clear calls to action, both in-store and online.
We also build trust by delivering reliable and consistent service, maintaining stock levels and communicating effectively.
Data to measure
Monitor your average order value, since this will help you gauge if you are on track with sales goals and keeping your customers happy.
Weekly action
What am I doing this week to make sure we are serving customers?
5. Wow and Delight: Leaving a Lasting Impression
It’s time to create those unforgettable moments that make your customers smile from ear to ear. How can we go above and beyond to leave a lasting impression? Having our customers leave with a smile is our goal.
This is our advantage against the big box: Caring. Stand out from the crowd by adding a sprinkle of WOW to everything you do. Do things they don’t expect. Personalize your interactions, surprise them with unexpected gestures and added value by dropping something into their bag: your favorite recipe, a handwritten note, a little extra treat, etc.
We can show gratitude by hosting special customer events just for VIPs.
Data to measure
What is your return-customer purchase rate? We don’t want this to be too low (or too high, as we need new customers coming in, too), but keeping track of this number is a great way to measure your customers’ happiness.
Weekly action
What are we doing this week to wow and delight our customers?
Conclusion
You, my fellow creative business owner, now hold the keys to unlocking your own feel-good, simple marketing magic for your shop or studio. With the Foot Traffic Made Simple frame- work, you’ll attract the right audience, engage with your cus- tomers, nurture meaningful relationships, meet their desires and create moments that will be etched in their memories.
Embrace this framework, infuse it with your unique creative spirit, and watch your business thrive. Get ready to welcome in new customers and turn your creative passion into a thriving and fulfilling venture.
View the rest of this series: here.
