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Running a vape shop can be pretty tough. Some may find themselves not getting a lot of positive results or at least much more room for improvement. They may be missing a few key elements that can make customers return.
That’s why creative ideas are needed to increase sales, especially with marketing being more limited by new legislation. Let’s look into what can be done in 2021 and beyond to greatly increase your vape shop sales.
Running any physical store is mostly about observing the three basic rules—location, location, location. But while you’d think that being in a prime location with lots of foot traffic will bring in sales, that alone is not enough.
The vape shop itself is the most flexible marketing vehicle as it’s a space where you’re still allowed to freely market vape products without legal restrictions. Therefore, store design is of great importance for vape shops.
Much of your sales will come from loyal customers who are looking to top up on eliquid, as well as buy new vape devices. Whenever you get new customers, you should give them a good reason to return and buy more from you.
The best way to promote customer loyalty is creating a loyalty program like a loyalty card that can be filled out for freebies, or a VIP club that provides bonuses and additional perks with loyalty points. That can encourage your customers to become patrons.
You can also partner with nearby businesses who don’t directly compete with you as a way to introduce new customers to your store and vice versa. This doesn’t only enrich your own business, but also your whole area as you promote your neighbors.
You can also host special events in your area and have your neighbors participate as well. Hold a big special event and/or four weekly mini events each month to give customers something to look forward to and have a way to promote the businesses nearby you.
Nowadays, Google advertising is very limited for vape businesses due to legal restrictions. Therefore, it’s imperative for vape businesses to use content as their primary means of digital marketing. That means creating quality vaping content that’s both relevant and helpful.
It has been found through studies that businesses that blog are 13 times more likely to attract and engage with more customers, thus generating more leads and improving their ROI. Blogging ranks as the most effective form of content for generating brand awareness.
Search engine optimization remains a powerful online marketing strategy as it’s a gift that keeps on giving. Post high-quality content on your website and optimize it for search engines with relevant keywords. You can use tried-and-tested SEO tools, techniques, and strategies to help make your website more visible in search results.
That will then bring in people who otherwise would’ve never found your vape shop. It’s one of the best ways to extend your reach and acquire new customers beyond your physical area. This is especially true for vape businesses, with most customers looking online for information.
Nowadays, social media serves as the most effective marketing channel for a lot of businesses, and even more so for vape shops. Having a solid social media presence lets you engage with your audience on a regular basis, thus creating more trust and some of them may be enticed to become your customers.
Whenever you have new products coming in, you should promote them on your social media channels. Take high-quality photos, then share them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and so on. You may also want to use Facebook marketplace as well for even more visibility, especially if you happen to have a delivery system in place.
Social media platforms also let you track your analytics, so you know what posts get the most engagement. You can then focus on the types of posts that work best for your business, as well as try new things to see what ends up being a hit for your audience.
If you want to take the extra step in content, you can start making vape-related videos featuring your products. You can curate each of your products to show viewers what they’re good for. You can also show glimpses behind the scenes, promote events, and so on.
Of course, if you’re getting into making videos for your business, you should have the equipment for it. Fortunately, a good quality video camera may already be in your pocket. If your smartphone happens to have a good camera that takes HD video, then that should be good to start with.
YouTube is one of the most significant search engines where people look for content about vaping. It’s a great place to build up your brand visibility and authenticity, which can then build customer trust. There are plenty of active vape channels there, and you can watch their videos for ideas on what to do with your videos.
As you post more videos, you may want to gradually improve the quality like doing more video editing and acquiring better equipment like microphones and higher-end cameras. Only upgrade if you see that video marketing is working for your business in improving your ROI.
Finally, we have the “old reliable” of digital marketing. Email marketing remains one of the best methods of generating and nurturing leads, and it works well for vape businesses. You can deliver updates and vaping news directly to your subscribers’ inboxes.
You can promote new products, announce new business information, give sneak peaks to upcoming events, and so on through your email newsletter. It’s cost effective as you get to directly communicate with each and every subscriber with not too much effort.
Of course, doubling your sales is easier said than done. The vape industry now is incredibly competitive nowadays with all the new businesses popping up. It has also become rather perilous due to all the legal restrictions you have to walk around.
Much of the challenge in running a vape store is finding the right balance that will bring profits in. Taking a steady and measurable approach is crucial to your success. Focusing on quality over quantity is best, especially in the long run.
By tracking your progress along the way with measurable metrics and adjusting your strategy according to trends and changes, you should be able to double your sales and stay ahead of the competition.
kurt sonderegger
Author
Founder/CEO of Cafe Racer Craft E-Liquid