Communication

Creating a Solid Net of Communications with Your Shoppers

Staying in touch with your customers leads to growing your business. The right communication tools for your grocery store must include an all-of-the-above approach to communication. The best way to consistently stay in contact is to use a CRM system, allowing you to connect with store visitors and potential visitors in the surrounding areas. But you can also create your plan without automation and handle this part yourself.

Clear, Consistent Communication Ensures Top-of-Mind Presence for Your Brand

Your communications cadence can be weekly or monthly, but it should be consistent. Creating a circular that’s customized to your client base is a great jumping-off point. It can lead them to engage with you in other ways, like through social media or your website. Speaking of social media, it’s a great way to stay in constant communication with your clientele. You can also use the platform to make special announcements about upcoming events, last-minute grocery deals or to share recipes.

Engage Shoppers and Drive Repeat Sales

Be sure to engage your customers with content they are interested in through email, website updates and social media. Consider seasonal posts, grocery trends, cooking tips and other ways to bring value to your audience. Texting also provides a great connection point, as short messages are very likely to be read. Some simple texting platforms allow for two-way communication to your store, providing another engagement method besides just announcements.

Take Advantage of Shoppers Habits As They Change Over Time

Now is the time to improve your communications strategy, as customers continue to make more meals at home. The total sales generated by grocery stores in the United States in 2020 amounted to more than $759 billion. The COVID-19 crisis is thought to have boosted those numbers, as spending increased in greater volumes than typical. As lockdown began, Americans ate in restaurants less and bought groceries much more often. Plus, the pandemic pushed us toward all things digital.

Entrepreneur magazine explains that the pandemic has successfully fueled the digital trend with a prominently higher number of consumers now exploring and making their buying decisions online.

Regain Control of Complex Grocery Store Operations and Shopper Communications

From the inside of your independent grocery store, operational challenges like overcoming supplier shortages, ensuring you had enough health workers to stay open and finding creative ways to stock essentials (like toilet paper!) may have taken your full attention. Meanwhile, your internal marketing plan was put on hold or forgotten about altogether. Now is the time to reconnect with your clientele and make sure you are the top choice for grocery shopping in your market, including online.

Additional ideas to incorporate into your communications channels include:

  • Seasonal campaigns
  • Promoting multi-purpose products
  • New product demonstrations
  • Hosting cooking lessons or classes
  • Providing free samples
  • Affiliating with local charities
  • Introducing staff and their favorite products
  • Offering satisfaction surveys
  • Providing free coffee service for marketing list members

Get the Full-Service Marketing Support Your Store Deserves

One of the challenges of a robust communications plan is creating content that’s relevant and consistent. The professionals at Webociti have been offering just that — full-service marketing support that provides strategy, content and gets results. In the competitive world of grocery stores, the right marketing plan guided by the right marketing expert will set your stores apart and boost loyalty with your customers.