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Opening your own floral shop is no easy feat, especially if you want it to be successful. At the very least, you’ll need to know how to design and make flowers, but you’ll also need to know how to market your shop so that you can attract customers who want what you have to offer. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to market your floral shop successfully without breaking the bank or draining your energy by trying over and over again. In this article, we’re going to take a look at nine tips to help you market your floral shop successfully.
Related: Want to Run a Flower Shop? What You’ll Need — and What You Won’t.
The first step to successfully marketing your shop is to do some market research. Talk with your customers, and ask them what they like about your flowers, and why they choose you over other florists. This will help you figure out how your customers see you, which can guide your marketing efforts in a direction that resonates with them.
2. Reach out and get involved
Get creative, and find a way to differentiate your business from other local florists. For example, if you’re a professional florist trying to drum up a new business in a small town, try getting involved with community organizations, hosting special events, or going door-to-door in order to get your name out there. If you’re not sure where to start, reach out to smaller businesses that are similar, and ask them how they advertise their floral shop. Or attend local networking meetings at night — people might be more willing (and impressed) when they hear about your work during those sessions than during normal working hours. Never underestimate good old-fashioned word-of-mouth!
3. Advertise the benefits you offer your customers
A successful business needs to be able to stand out from its competitors. What makes your shop special? Write down a list of benefits you offer customers and how they will impact their day-to-day lives, then share these online with your audience. For example, maybe you offer a personal touch or floral arrangements that are truly unique. Whatever your selling point is, make sure people know about it.
Related: 6 Ways to Market Your Small Business for Less Than $100
4. Make your business stand out
Having a good reason why your customers should choose you can help when you’re trying to market your business. Maybe you offer better service or a wider variety of products. Perhaps your prices are cheaper than others in town. Whatever it is, make sure you know what sets you apart from other local florist shops, so that when customers start comparing you to other businesses, they will think of your reasons why they should come to your shop first.
5. Get feedback from clients
To keep up with market trends, it’s important to know what customers want and expect from your business. Feedback helps you do that by letting you know when you’re doing well and when there are some areas for improvement. Make sure you’re actively soliciting feedback from your customers, whether that means sending them a quick email survey or chatting them up about how your service could be better.
6. Tell your story on social media
Using stories on social media can be a very effective way to reach customers. Facebook‘s research shows that human connection is key to marketing success, and telling personal stories will do just that. If you have an inspiring story about how your flower business started or grew, sharing it can be great for your company. It makes you relatable and more accessible as a brand leader. The more people feel connected with you and your brand, the more likely they are to purchase from you — particularly in-person at local events.
7. Use social media as a marketing tool
If you’re trying to market your flower business or spread awareness, why not let customers tell your story? If a loyal customer loves what you do, encourage them to take pictures and tag you in their photos. You can also use these images on social media as part of a contest or giveaway. This will help boost your exposure while also giving customers an opportunity to connect with you on a more personal level through social media (instead of other, sometimes unprofessional and impersonal avenues).
Related: 3 Ways You Can Let Your Customers’ Stories Speak for Your Brand
8. Offer free flower delivery in local areas
Consumers are always looking for more ways to save, and offering free delivery is a great way to set your shop apart from competitors. Not only does it impress potential customers, but it makes them more likely to buy — especially if they think you’re competing with other florists in your area who have also begun offering free flower delivery.
9. Get listed in a floral marketplace
With floral marketplaces like SnapBlooms gaining so much traction, it’s important that you have a presence on this platform. Not only will a listing on this website make your products easily searchable and available for online flower delivery in the U.S., but it also offers a way for potential customers to learn more about your brand and shop right there. To make things easier for you, it allows florists to easily set up their own shops and provides them with all kinds of necessary tools. It even offers an option of same-day flower delivery for florists.
If you’re reading this post and you have a floral shop, congratulations on opening your business! Starting a small business is no small feat, but if you take it one step at a time and create a thoughtful plan for your future, there’s no reason why your flower shop can’t be successful. These tips are just the beginning of what needs to happen in order for you to market your shop successfully. Enjoy.
This article is from Entrepreneur.com
