How to Increase Foot Traffic with Strategic Magazine Advertising
A community magazine can sit on a kitchen counter for weeks, but not every ad gets people in the car. Here are five simple ways to turn magazine readers into customers who walk through your door.
Getting people through your door starts with getting into their homes first. Our Search community magazines land on the kitchen counter and stay there for weeks. Families flip through them over coffee, and they get passed along to neighbors. That staying power makes them one of the best tools a local business has for driving foot traffic.
Give readers a reason to visit now
A dated offer, a seasonal event or an “in-store only” special turns casual interest into a trip to your store. An ad that only says “we exist” is easy to forget.
Make finding you effortless
Put your address, hours and a landmark people recognize, such as “next to the library on Mainstreet,” front and center. Make it easy for readers to picture the drive.
Show up consistently
A single ad rarely changes behavior. Readers who see you month after month start to think of you as part of the neighborhood, and that familiarity is what finally gets them into their car and walking through your door.
Track the results
Ask customers how they heard about you, or use a code that only appears in the magazine. You’ll learn quickly what’s working. We suggest creating a “Search” Special: tell people to ask for it by name and change what the special is on a regular basis.
Match your timing to your season
Landscapers advertise in spring and tutors in August. Plan your placements around when your customers are making decisions.
A well-placed magazine ad does more than build awareness. It gives your neighbors directions to your front door and a reason to go there now. If you have questions about how to make any of these ideas work for your business, give us a call and let us show you what we can do.