Have you ever considered using iPad in your store to engage customers? Using iPad as a marketing tool for engaging customers while in your store is growing in popularity among businesses. You’re seeing restaurants use iPad as a menu. Airlines are using iPad to allow travelers to order in-flight meals and drinks. Lebron James recently opened a shoe store whereby 45 iPads are on display to provide product information to customers. Retailers are beginning to realize just how powerful iPad can be as an in-store marketing tool. Why not use iPad in your store?
What’s Needed to Use iPad in My Store?
Depending on what you want to use iPad for, there are different things that you will probably need to run this new marketing program. The main things that you’ll need in order to use iPad in store as a marketing tool are:
- A new or refurbish iPad (maybe even more than 1 depending on how big your store is and what you want to use it for)
- An iPad stand or even an iPad kiosk in order to display and secure your iPad in your store
- Wireless internet (you can use an iPad with 3G, but we recommend you get wireless internet in your store)
- Some people like to use a wireless keyboard to make typing easier for customers, but it’s not a necessity
- A sign of some kind explaining anything customers might need to know about interacting with your iPad in your store
Other than the items listed above, you don’t really need anything more in order to run an effective in-store marketing campaign with iPad.
10 Ways to Use iPad in a Retail Environment
Retailers should be very intrigued by all of the possibilities that iPad offers as a marketing tool. We think that as 2012 progresses, and especially as we enter 2013 and beyond, you’re going to see more and more businesses begin experimenting with using iPad in their stores. Here are a few of the many ways we see retailers using iPad in their store to engage their customers:
- Use iPad as an electronic billboard – Set iPad up on a stand, or better yet, create a iPad kiosk, and display a message to your customers.
- Use iPad in your store to display your Twitter or Facebook page activity
- Use iPad as a Point-of-Sale tool
- Download an iPad app like OnSpot Social to collect customer email addresses in your store
- Collect Social Media Connections in Your Store on iPad – OnSpot Social can also allow customers to Like your business on Facebook, and follow your business on Twitter, right there in your store
- Show videos about your products, service, industry, or business to customers
- Set up an image slideshow on your iPad and display the slideshow in your store
- Use iPad to ask customers to answer a survey question while in your store
- Display a QR Code on iPad which takes customers to your website or one of your social media sites
- Run a special promotional offer on iPad
Who Can Use iPad to Engage Customers?
Using iPad as a marketing tool isn’t only limited to retailers. Really anyone who has a customer-base that travels to a physical location to transact business can take advantage of iPad as a marketing tool. Here are a few different ways we see iPad being used across different types of businesses:
- Retailers can use iPad in their store
- Use iPad to collect email addresses at your trade show booth
- Colleges & Universities can use iPad to show High School Seniors and their families information about the school during their visits
- Malls can use iPad to show mall information, events, store information, etc.
- Airlines can use iPad to engage travelers during flights
- Restaurants can use iPad as a menu or for ordering your meal from your table
The list goes on and on. What’s apparent is the iPad and other tablets are beginning to change how businesses and customers interact. Depending on what type of business you run, and what your goals are for your business, you can probably find a few different ways to use iPad as a marketing tool for your business as well.
Using iPad as a Marketing Tool
Would you ever consider using iPad as a marketing tool for your business? Here at Catalyst Marketers we think we are at the very beginning of the next BIG trend in business. Using iPad to engage your customers while they are at your location is going to be a very big opportunity for thousands of businesses around the world in the very near future. What types of things do you think you can use iPad for? Leave your comments below.
Play Plinko In Your Store
Have you ever considered using games in your store to engage customers? Everyone loves playing games right? Playing games remind older customers of their childhood and obviously the younger customers are probably still playing games all of the time, so they love it too. Small Business should use games in store to engage their customers.
Now I’m not just talking about businesses like bars and restaurants running fantasy football leagues as a marketing tactic. I think any business who’s target audience is primarily males, ages 15 – 50, should consider running a fantasy football league with their customers. Think about it, you have unlimited communication opportunities with 12-14 customers for 17 weeks! Here’s a list of some of the businesses that I think would benefit from using fantasy football as a marketing tactic designed to engage their customers and build stronger relationships with them:
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After settling on what information will be stored in the QR Code, any individual can generate their code for free through a number of internet websites, such as 
