Posts Tagged ‘iPad In Store’

iPad, Where Retail Marketing Meets Digital Marketing

Wednesday, March 21st, 2012

Have you seen the iPad HD yet? People have been going nuts for it since it’s release last Friday. From the moment iPad 1 was released, this remarkable product has been changing people’s lives and turning entire industries on their ear. Take Sales Reps for example. Sales reps used to carry paper detail aids. Then, the move from to paper to a laptop was a big leap, but it has it’s obvious issues. Now, iPad has completely changed how Sales Reps engage their customers. iPad is creating a tremendous amount of change in the Retail sector as well. Businesses of all kinds are beginning to realize the power iPad has a customer engagement tool.

ipad retail marketing

Image Courtesy of Bryan Derballa/Wired.com

Ever since the Internet went mainstream businesses have been using it to market to their customers. As the years have gone by tools like the Internet, mobile phones, geo location, etc. have allowed businesses to slowly begin to merge their digital marketing efforts with their retail marketing. Tools like QR codes, text messaging, and foursquare have been extremely beneficial for merging retail and digital marketing, but they never quite completed the synthesis. Now, with iPad, we finally have a tool that business owners can use to digitally engage their customers while at a physical location, like a store or trade show booth.

Ideas for Using iPad for Customer Engagement

Seriously, take a minute to think about all of the different things that you can do to engage your customers with an iPad in your store. You’re only limited by your creativity. Here are a few ideas for engaging customers with digital marketing tactics through an iPad at your physical location:

  • Play your YouTube videos – Do you have product related YouTube videos? Before iPad, where did most people watch those videos to learn about your products? Probably at their house, right? Now they can watch them in your store, right next to the product. You now have the ability to use that video to convert that shopper into a customer right then in there.
  • Play games – Pick your favorite game and have sales associates challenge customers. Be sure to pick a quick game and offer an instant prize if your customer wins (even better, give it to him just for playing). Think “Save 10% on your purchase if you can beat one of our sales associates in a game of Tic-Tac-Toe”.
  • Convert customers into social media and email connections – OnSpot Social is an iPad app that lets businesses collect Facebook Likes on an iPad, as well as, Twitter Followers and Customer Email Addresses.
  • Display your e-Commerce website – Do you sell more products online than you do in your store? Set up an iPad kiosk in your store, open your website in Safari browser and let customers purchase products from your online store while at your retail location.

These are just a few of the many ways that you can use an iPad at your retail store to engage your customers with digital marketing tactics. What do you think about this new trend? Will you consider using an iPad in your store for customer engagement? Leave a comment below with your thoughts.

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Posted in Digital Marketing, Retail Marketing | No Comments »

Use iPad In Your Store to Engage Your Customers

Sunday, January 29th, 2012

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?

ipad in store marketingDepending 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:

  1. 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.
  2. Use iPad in your store to display your Twitter or Facebook page activity
  3. Use iPad as a Point-of-Sale tool
  4. Download an iPad app like OnSpot Social to collect customer email addresses in your store
  5. 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
  6. Show videos about your products, service, industry, or business to customers
  7. Set up an image slideshow on your iPad and display the slideshow in your store
  8. Use iPad to ask customers to answer a survey question while in your store
  9. Display a QR Code on iPad which takes customers to your website or one of your social media sites
  10. 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.

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Posted in Small Business | 2 Comments »