As with most business ventures, succeeding as a sporting goods retailer can be quite tricky if you are new in the industry. Establishing a good reputation and capturing the attention of potential clients can be a struggle if you’re competing with bigger brands. Despite that, there are certain things you can do to improve your presence and market your business to your target market.
Consider the following ideas, and you’ll see it’s actually possible to make your mark — even if you’re still pretty much a rookie!
1. Take advantage of social media.
It may sound hard to believe, but yes, there are still some businesses out there that do not have any social media presence. You can’t afford to make the same mistake since there are a lot of opportunities for you out there. As they always say, you need to go where the audience is.
The good news here is that using social media is mostly free (unless you’re planning to spend on advertising) so begin with the basics by creating accounts and pages on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, as well as Twitter.
And once you’re there, try to make your posts fun and engaging. Don’t just try to sell products. Interact with people well, and you’ll be able to find your voice and build a good image for your brand.
2. Invite popular athletes to your store.
This one’s a surefire way of generating some buzz in your community. Fans just love it when their favorite sports heroes come to town, especially when there are opportunities to get their memorabilia signed.
How do you book athlete signings for your shop, you ask? Well, you can try getting in touch with sports agents for detailed information about what you need to do. You may also partner with popular brands for sponsorship or in-store promotions. You’d be surprised that there can actually be a lot of possible options for you if you ask around.
3. Always train your people.
At the end of the day, what matters most, of course, is providing your customers with a positive experience when they visit your store. Obviously, the key here is to train your people, so they are know how to deal with people. All the social media posts as well as athlete signings will not mean anything if customers often get disappointed whenever they drop by your shop.
Sports fans, in particular, appreciate it when staff members are knowledgeable not only about the products but also about sports teams as well as athletes. So make it a point to train your workers in that aspect, too.
Sure, the thought of starting a business from scratch may seem overwhelming at first glance, but these ideas — and many others — can help you rise from obscurity to success. Just take your time and be open about trying different marketing strategies so you can determine which ones work best for your business. Mistakes are inevitable, but what’s important is that you learn from them.
