One of my favorite writing events, National Novel Writing Month (NANOWRIMO), divides participants into two groups: planners and pantsers. The planners map out all of their writing for the whole month weeks in advance. The pantsers sit down on day one and stare at the blank page — waiting for ideas. These two groups remind me of my retail clients. Some plan out their campaigns months in advance. Others are searching for ideas days before they want to boost sales. No matter which group you fall into, the list below offers inspiration. Each of these marketing campaigns focus on a single marketing goal — boost online sales.
Retail Marketing Campaign Ideas
In general, I recommend that stores run a new campaign once a quarter. For the first month, you tease the sale and release new inventory. In the second month, you let the sale run. In the third month, you evaluate and plan for the next quarter.
New Inventory Campaign
A campaign to promote your new inventory creates a sense of urgency for your customer. If they like your brand, they’ll understand that the quantities are limited and they need to shop soon.
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This campaign message alerts your customers to your latest products — creating excitement around your brand.
Seasonal Sale
Seasonal sales focus on consumer behavior patterns. In retail, shoppers follow the calendar instinctively. When it starts to warm up, people need warm weather clothes, look for outdoor supplies, and crave summer flavors. When the weather cools off, they cozy up their spaces and wardrobes with knits, candles, and indoor activities.
Running a sale slightly ahead of seasonal shifts helps you generate interest in your seasonal items.
Holiday Sale
Holiday sales capitalize on shoppers’ time off from work. Additionally, people tend to celebrate and travel during this time — increasing overall frivolity. This includes holiday weekends like Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Black Friday (or Small Business Saturday).
Following the holiday sale calendar allows you to piggyback on the awareness efforts of big brands.
Customer Appreciation
Customer Appreciation Events focus on your loyal customers by offering a discount to those who shop often at your store. You’ll need a solid customer loyalty list to target appropriately.
These events generate goodwill for your brand — delighting your customers with an unexpected discount.
Facebook Giveaway
A Facebook Giveaway should be simple to enter and generous to the customer. In fact, I’ve outlined my favorite format for Facebook giveaways — creating less customer annoyance.
Done correctly, these giveaways can actually boost your sales. Essentially, you give away one big prize. Everyone else, gets a coupon code — just for participating.
Boost Online Sales
Whether you like to plan ahead or find yourself searching for last-minute inspiration, you can use this list to boost online sales. They’re easy to run, especially using social media and email marketing campaigns.
