If you run a business, it’s only natural to wonder how to get more guests, increase retail sales, and maintain a steady flow of new guests. Many restaurants and retail stores waste hundreds of thousands of dollars on marketing initiatives that may seem fruitful at first but fail to constantly acquire new guests or create a good name for themselves amongst the general public. However, business owners often forget to harness the power their loyal guests can provide: word of mouth marketing.
What is Word of Mouth?
Word of mouth marketing encourages conversation about your business by encouraging existing guests to talk positively about your products, services, and staff. According to publishers McKinsey & Company, word of mouth contributes to 20 – 50% of all buying decisions and influences purchases in ways traditional advertising fails to. Guests tend to trust their friends’ and loved ones’ opinions more than that of a magazine display, an ad on Facebook, or a TV commercial. For example, if a friend recommends a particular clothing store to you when you are shopping for a new coat, you are likely going to take their advice and visit that store. So, if you want to increase retail sales, it’s time to tap into word of mouth marketing.
How Does Word of Mouth Marketing Bolster Retail Sales?
Word of mouth marketing encourages your guests to chat with others about your business. Mostly, this encouragement is done by offering incentives, hosting events, or sending friendly reminders about your services. For example, many retail stores offer a certain percentage off a guest’s next purchase if they refer their store to a friend. Companies are becoming increasingly creative in using word of mouth marketing to increase retail sales, such as using fun hashtags on social media, promoting giveaways, or engaging brand advocates with discounts on merchandise. The momentum of people talking about your brand carries on into a full-fledged marketing campaign that yields a positive ROI for your business.
Of course, word of mouth marketing takes time and energy to implement before your guests take the reins and spread the word about your business. So, many strategy-minded retail businesses turn to word of mouth software, like Check This Out, to streamline their word of mouth marketing. Word of mouth software simplifies the word of mouth marketing process into a single platform so businesses can customize, better manage, and track their word of mouth campaigns. Word of mouth software may include automating emails to clients, sending texts and photos to clients to keep them engaged, or tracking which new guests came from which existing guests.
How Can Check This Out Help Increase Retail Sales?
If the pandemic has taught us anything as business owners, it’s that loyal guests are valuable. They bring their friends and families through doors and increase retail sales through their referrals. At Check This Out, we want to nurture and reward loyal guests through friendly, encouraging word of mouth campaigns that keep guests talking about your business. With Check This Out, we accelerate word of mouth referrals by using our word of mouth software to create a unique marketing strategy that is trackable, knows the true return on investment (ROI) of your marketing budget, and fits your business’s needs. Below, we list the top ways in which Check This Out can help increase retail sales through word of mouth marketing.
1. Channel Existing Customer Base
Check This Out allows you to import your current guest list into your business account, so you don’t have to create a guest list from scratch to target. Also, guests can easily opt themselves and self-onboard to your client list through a QR code or by texting a keyword for your business.
2. Multi-Channel Messaging
Check This Out’s software lets you schedule and send text messages, instant messages, and emails to your guests with any updates or promotions you desire. Whether you want to let guests know about updated store hours or an upcoming sale, our multi-channel messaging functionality lets you reach your guests.
3. Discount Redemption
When a referred guests buys your goods or services using a Check This Out discount, just click Redeem Discount in your business account to redeem the discount.
4. Promotion Tracking
Our software allows you to track your top promoters and how many new and repeat guests have come into your business. This lets you see your ROI and adjust your marketing budget accordingly. Plus, you can reward your most loyal guests for spreading the good word about your business!
Grow with Check This Out Today
If you are wondering how to acquire new guests and increase retail sales, partner with Check This Out today. We want to help you create great experiences for guests so they return to your business and refer you to all their loved ones. Referral/word of mouth marketing is based on actual guest experiences and authentic relationships. Let us help you enhance your guest/business relationships through encouraging word of mouth marketing. Contact us today for a demo and more information on how Check This Out can help your business thrive.