What we know about social media today is that people engage more with content that is entertaining. This is also true for websites in plenty of retail segments. An entertaining site attracts people, holds them and drives engagement.
I say we know this because of data presented at just about every online retail conference I have attended in the last two years, most recently in Chicago this week.
There is no border between what people want and engage with online or in store. Entertainment is as important in store as it is online. The questions are: what is entertainment and how much is needed. These are vital questions because in our businesses, said raditional and transitioning, space, time and resources are limited. So, I suggest a simple approach, within our means.
Here are some examples of what I am talking about here.
- Buying. Buy products that lend themselves to in store demonstrations. Demonstrate them. Not all at once, but on rotation.
- Jigsaws. If you sell them, setup a table and encourage people to engage.
- Cards. Have a small table where people can sit and write cards. Scatter this with text suggestions.
- Craft. Let people do the craft works they want to do in your shop rather than at home.
- Show off. Have a place where people can show off how they use and interact with what you sell. This could be a place for photos or shelves on which people display art works or similar.
There are plenty more ideas. This list here is designed to get to you thinking of ideas appropriate to your specific business. If you are in a marketing group they should be a font of knowledge in this space for you.
Next time you see someone on social media on their phone, given that 80% and more of social media use in Australia is on phone and tables, watch the swipes. See how much time people give for what they see. Usually it is seconds. Yes, that is all yo have to grab the attention of people on their phone. It is similar in store.
Entertainment is key to making your store appealing for new traffic and appealing for existing traffic in store already. Do nothing and you will achieve barely average results.