Most big superstore businesses promise an everything-under-one-roof solution to customers. And because they have high sales, they also have the budget to invest in in-store promotions and marketing activities and offer discounts. Thus, if you are a small or mid-sized grocery business, competing with the big fish can be a daunting task. They have human and monetary resources that you might be unable to match.

This is where the need for an effective marketing strategy comes in. A sound marketing strategy can help you set yourself apart from businesses with a big budget. Marketing doesn’t only entail spending money. You need to have a strategy in place to get the best value for your marketing bucks.

So, here is all you need to market your business, so you can become the customers’ top choice for grocery items:

1. Make Customers Your Brand Ambassadors

Leveraging your existing customer base is a great way to market your business. Ask them to post their experiences online to get credible testimonials. Give them loyalty cards with your logo printed on them so they can use them for discounts. You can also give them referral discounts, so they bring in more customers for you. Use referral cards or unique referral codes that they can share with their friends and family to avail discounts.

Another strategy to leverage existing customers is to provide them with free reusable personalized custom grocery bags with your logo and branding when they make a minimum purchase. This encourages customer loyalty and promotes your brand as customers carry the bags around town.

You could even sell these bags as they are eco-friendly and discourage the use of plastic bags. This way, you get the cost for the bag and come across as a responsible brand. According to an IBM study, more than 50% of customers are willing to pay for sustainable products, so they will likely sell.

A great strategy to encourage bag purchases is to offer discounts to the customers on bringing the bag for their next grocery shopping trip. 

2. Establish a Strong Social Media Presence

According to Forbes, 4.9 billion people use social media across the globe. By 2027 this number will drastically increase. The increase in social media usage indicates a change in customer behavior. Customers are more dependent on social media than ever before. They use it to search for brand reviews online before they make purchase decisions. Many others are influenced by positive reviews and then learn more about the brand before they finally decide to make a purchase. Either way, establishing a strong social media presence is necessary for any business. For starters, you could hire a content specialist and graphic designer to help you build your brand elements and regularly post online on top-performing social media platforms. You can also do this yourself if you want to divert the money towards paid and sponsored marketing posts to reach more customers.

3. Invite Influencers or Hire Them

Traditional advertisements on social media are effective, but they don’t work well enough to break through the clutter of advertisements on the platforms. While sponsored posts are a great way to increase brand awareness, hiring an influencer can help you get more reach.

Hiring influencers does not mean you invest in celebrity endorsements. In the age of digital media, even small-scale content developers with a dedicated audience can work wonders for your business.

Also, you’re better off selecting an influencer who is local. For example, an influencer promoting healthy eating in your small town could endorse your business on their social media channel and get more customers. You must strategically utilize virtual influencers to give your marketing campaigns a human touch. But the human touch doesn’t only mean paying influencers to record a simple message for the brand.

A great idea to make influencer marketing effective is to make it sound genuine. You can invite an influencer to record a video in your grocery store or send them a PR package of fresh groceries to open and cook on video. Since influencers are looking for creative ways to develop content, they will be more than willing to execute out-of-the-box marketing campaigns with you – for a price, of course.  

4. Enable Ordering Online

Customers choose brands that offer them ease and convenience. As a brand that doesn’t have a lot of margins to give major discounts, the least you can do is offer them convenience. If you are a small store and cannot invest in online ordering and handle delivery to far-off places, offer delivery to only a small customer base first.

You can advertise your online ordering service by the counter to spark interest amongst loyal customers. Make sure you mention the areas where you can deliver. Do not make huge promises like delivery within 30 minutes unless you can fulfill them. You can take orders on call or messages from registered customers initially. As you grow, you can invest in a Shopify website and offer delivery to anyone who orders. For the registered customer base, you could even offer the convenience of cash on delivery. This way, they won’t hesitate when ordering because of security concerns. 

5. Offer Coupons

Coupons are a great way to get new customers. You can email coupons to a mailing list comprising residents or give money to newsstand owners to add inserts in magazines and newspapers.

Even better is offering personalized coupons to your customer base. When you have a new customer in the store, get their details. You can gauge the items they purchase the most from their purchase list. For example, a new mom has diapers and baby stuff in her trolley. Or a cooking enthusiast might have ingredients like tomato paste, pasta, or vegetables to cook a meal at home. Offer discounts according to customers’ needs to get them back in the store. This doesn’t only mean more sales; it also means greater customer loyalty.

Final Words

The rising inflation has propelled customers to go for the big grocery brands that can offer more discounts. Competing in the industry under these conditions is tough for small grocery businesses. However, these marketing strategies are very useful in developing a loyal customer base. You can combine these strategies or use a couple of them according to your marketing budget. Be creative in what you can offer if you have a small budget, and you are bound to get a good return on your investment.