How do you create foot traffic and interest in the Cigar Industry? As experts in the cigar marketing industry, we’re committed to helping you grow your cigar shop business. We’ve compiled 7 quick tips to help you increase foot traffic to your cigar lounge doors. While some of these tips may seem basic, they are all important, budget-friendly, and easy to implement.
1. Create an Online Presence
A common misconception is that e-commerce businesses need to be online but brick and mortar businesses don’t. If you want to sell cigars in 2021, you have to have an online presence, even if you don’t sell cigars online.
Statistics show that 53% of customers research products and services online before they decide to try them. In other words, you could lose 53% of your potential customers by not being active online.
Here’s what you can do to get your online presence going:
- Set up a Google My Business profile. Stay active and respond to reviews.
- Get a website with mobile-friendly web design and engaging landing pages.
- Create social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube) and post to them often.
These are essential tools you need to showcase your shop, lounge, humidor, and location online. Keep your online business listing and website up to date. Stay active on social media to gain a following. Create relevant videos for YouTube to keep people engaged. Use every opportunity to be active online.
2. Leverage the Power of Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing has been around for decades. Famous figures have always recommended new businesses, products, and services. The only difference between then and now is that social media makes influencers easier to connect with.
A great cigar lounge marketing strategy uses social media to get influencers to mention your business. Contact them. Invite them to your lounge. Offer samples of your products. Invite them to your digital and in-store events. Get photos of them at a virtual event, in your place, or smoking your cigars.
3. Host a Meet & Greet Event
Now that people are interested in coming to your shop, it’s time to welcome them to your door. Give them an event featuring the influencer. Host a poker night or fantasy football draft party. Create a meet and greet space for your guests. This kind of event draws people inside and keeps them coming back. Create a twist on the event that sets your lounge apart.
4. Encourage Selfies and Use Event Hashtags
The success of this strategy is all about likes and shares. Give event-goers a great background to pose in front of. Encourage them to tag your location and their friends. Create a unique hashtag for your shop, one for the event, and make them a part of the photo backdrop. This impacts the popularity of your lounge while luring future customers through the door.
5. Create a Facebook Group
Make a Facebook group where customers interact with you. Create an online community that increases your popularity. Invite current customers to join and start discussions about popular sticks.
But keep in mind that high-value content and regular interaction should be the goal of your group. Host weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly events that keep members coming back. Your content doesn’t always have to be a cigar review or brand-specific. It should be about the group.
For example, if you find many of your members are beer drinkers, talk about the best beers to pair with their smokes. Do they like to smoke at home or on the go? Talk about that. Keep the discussions varied. Switch it up so the conversation doesn’t become predictable. Member discussions and engagement is what drives the group’s success. As it grows, continue to plug your shop and invite group members to upcoming events.
6. Don’t Forget Parking Lot Opportunities
This is often a missed opportunity. While digital marketing is the way to market to the masses, parking lot signs are still an effective marketing tactic. If your store is in a location with a big parking lot, add branded “customer parking” signs right in front of your door. Gas stations and fast-food restaurants do this all the time. This technique draws new customers to the door and advertises the business at the same time.
The parking lot technique doesn’t aim to sell a product. It creates brand awareness that keeps customers coming back to your business. This technique is effective because customers can’t miss it. The message is subliminal, but your cigar lounge marketing is constantly working.
7. Prioritize Customer Loyalty
New customers are in your store and they’ve made a purchase. It’s time to make them loyal so they keep coming back.
- Offer them a high-quality experience and a friendly, helpful staff.
- Provide them with the cigars they way, but also invite them to try new products.
- Offer discounts and loyalty programs.
- Host events aimed at loyal customers.
Loyal customers are cigar lounge marketing gold. They recommend your business to friends. Give them a “thank you” for their business, and they will bring new business.
In a Wrapper
Put all of these cigar lounge marketing tips together and watch the increased foot traffic to your shop:
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- Get online. Make sure you have a business listing on Google, a mobile-friendly website, and social media accounts. Stay active on Google My Business
- Use influencers. People with a large following can bring instant brand awareness and traffic coming through the door.
- Host a meet and greet event. Give customers the opportunity to meet influencers.
- Encourage selfies and hashtags. Create a backdrop with your lounge’s hashtag for people to pose in front of.
- Create a Facebook Group. Interact with customers and create future customers in your group. Share upcoming specials and events.
- Don’t forget the parking lot. Add “customer parking” signs with your logo to create brand awareness and increase foot traffic.
- Reward customers to gain loyalty. Give them great experiences and offer loyalty programs. Host an event that says “thank you for your business” and invite them to bring a friend.
All of these methods are useful for getting the job done. If you need help, no worries. Call us now. We’re the experienced cigar lounge marketing agency that knows how to help increase foot traffic to your lounge.
Also, if you want to learn more about the most powerful tool a Cigar Lounge can leverage check out our SEO program here.