Marketing seems to be all about the online world these days. Tools like social media and pay-per-click ads are the go to for businesses that want to expand their reach and find new customers and, when used correctly, they are incredibly effective. However, you shouldn’t focus all of your efforts on online marketing because there is still something very valuable about face to face contact with potential customers. Getting up close and personal and meeting people is an important part of your marketing strategy, and there are a few good ways to do that. Hosting your own business event, for example, is a great way to meet lots of potential customers and make some good business contacts. Pop-up shops have also become very popular in the last few years. 

A pop-up is a great way to expand into a new area without committing to a long lease, and it’s a good way to generate some buzz about your company. However, if you want to start your own pop-up store, you need to consider these important aspects. 

Location 

Location is so important for any physical business and a pop-up is no exception. If you get the location wrong, you won’t get anybody through the door and you’ll waste a lot of money. Although you will market your pop-up online, you rely heavily on passing foot traffic if you want to reach people that have never heard of you before. It’s important that you pick somewhere that is busy, but you also need to consider the other businesses nearby. If there are a lot of other businesses that are in direct competition with you, it will be tough to attract new customers. 

Logistics

It’s important to think about the big picture stuff, but don’t forget about the logistics of actually opening and running a pop-up. For example, you’ll need a generator and some red diesel from fuelbox.co.uk so you can power the store. You’re also going to need a portable card payment system so people can actually buy things. The store needs furniture and lighting as well. If you don’t organise these simple details beforehand, your big opening will be a disaster. 

Customer Experience 

If you want your pop-up to be a success, you can’t think of it as a small shop. Instead, you have to think of it as an experience. Unless it offers a unique customer experience, people will not get excited about it and you won’t get the word of mouth marketing that you need to fill the place out. If you run a coffee business, for example, don’t just put up a small shop that sells bags of coffee beans because people will pass by without a second glance. Instead, create a mini coffee shop where people can taste samples, and put up displays that show how the coffee is picked and roasted. Once you start telling a story and taking people on a journey, they will be far more likely to buy a product at the end of it. It’s also important that you consider the practical elements of customer experience, like a quick checkout process and an interesting design. 

If you get these three elements right, your pop-up shop will be a huge success and you will get a lot of new customers off the back of it.