Creating an enterprise digital strategy can be a tremendous undertaking. From email marketing to PPC, SEO to social media, the bigger the company, the more complex the approach to different channels.
That’s why enterprises tend to evaluate new products and strategies for a very long time before taking a dive – will this be worth the investment? Will there be a return?
But rarely, when enterprises are considering a digital marketing strategy, does the company think about whether or not a digital channel can influence in-store visits.
Google is changing that with a digital marketing product called Local Inventory Ads. By geo-targeting the mobile device being used, these ads offer real-time inventory information for local stores. That means displaying products that are actually in stock in those locations whenever nearby customers are using Google from their mobile devices.
Real-time inventory information can really work for enterprises – Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores (owned by Sears), has been working with Google to use Local Inventory Ads and seen some big results, driving 122% more visits to the 1,240 Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores.
By using mobile, enterprises can actually create a link between retail visits and digital marketing spend. But what if that kind of real-time inventory content could be paired with geo-targeted email?
Renewing the Relationship between Retail and Digital
Traditionally, most enterprises have thought of retail and digital as two very separate things. Retail locations may be siloed from the digital strategy completely, while the eCommerce team is focused only on driving traffic and business through the website. But, with simple tweaks, the digital team can actually start empowering retail locations as well.
Redefining the enterprise email marketing strategy is a great place to start. Your emails are already going to customers and people who are interested in your brand. They’re probably loyal to the company and the products. That also means you can start thinking about new ways to get foot traffic to retail stores.
With contextual marketing technology, real-time inventory information can be displayed within the body of an email, showing people everything from the available shoe sizes to rotating products on sale. If customers check their inbox later, the information will be updated in real-time.
Real-time inventory information guarantees that customers aren’t going to arrive at a store or shop online only to find that the product is out of stock. Meanwhile, geo-targeted emails can be paired with this information to create exactly what Local Inventory Ads delivers – a local map that highlights the locations closest to you.
Except in this case, you’re sending out the campaigns and products to your email subscriber base – an audience that definitely wants to hear from you and doesn’t cost you a thing to reach.
Want to see what all of this look like in practice? Finish Line created an email campaign that put together geo-targeting, real-time inventory information, and more. That led to a 300% increase in click-throughs, a 100% increase in opens, and a 50% lift in email revenue.
Want to learn how the retailer did it? Download the case study here to see how Finish Line:
- Localized product offers in real-time
- Created time-sensitive email campaigns
- Pulled in real-time inventory information during product launches
