Creative ways to promote your floral or horticultural retail store

It's easy for small business owners to get too involved in the day-to-day operations of their business to spend any time brainstorming marketing ideas or promotional events. In a competitive economy, it's necessary to find innovative ways to attract customers and make them regular visitors.

As you assess creative ideas to generate buzz about your retail store, consider implementing a few of these suggestions:

Get active on social networks. Small business owners can't afford to ignore social media. Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram allow you to reach out to potential customers without spending exorbitant amounts of money on advertising. A good social media presence can help you engage your customers, display your products, and grow your business.

Run a sale with a daily deal website. Daily deal sites like Groupon and LivingSocial can be valuable additions to your marketing strategy. Many of these networks have tens or hundreds of thousands of customers who are looking to discover and buy new products, so why not leverage their network and get your products in front of them?

Hold a contest. Contests or sweepstakes are a fun way to get customers involved and provide them with an incentive to support your business. You can increase customer interaction by having them work for their submissions by naming a new product, taking cool product photos, or writing short testimonials. Be sure to consult with a lawyer to make sure your contest or sweepstakes follows local legal requirements.

Send out a press release. Press releases can be a key marketing element for your business because of the potential for free media coverage. The topics for press releases are endless. They can include announcing product releases, new services, team members, new offices and expansions, or charitable contributions.

Brand your vehicle. Branding your vehicle with a magnet can be an inexpensive way to advertise your store, a particular service, or a running special. For the one-time cost of the sign, your business name will be on display everywhere you drive.

Provide an unforgettable customer experience. A welcoming, pleasing storefront emphasizes your imagination, professionalism, and dedication to quality. We have some tips.

Time or money shouldn't stand in the way of promoting your business. No matter what services or products you offer, there are plenty of ways to get noticed and attract customers.

We're here to help you grow and protect your business. Talk with a Hortica specialist to learn more.