Boost Your Brand at Your Next Expo/Pop-Up Shop
For small retail businesses, conferences, expos & pop-up shops have emerged as a highly effective strategy for brand growth. However, it's important to recognize that success doesn't happen by simply showing up at the venue, setting up shop, and hoping for sales to magically pour in. Preparing before, during, and after the event is vital to maximize your investment of time and money. In this article, we'll delve into the essential steps small retail businesses must take to unlock the full potential of their pop-up shops.
What is a Pop-Up Shop?
Pop-up shops are events that give brands the to opportunity sell their products in person. They are mainly a place for brands to display their products to potential customers with the ultimate goal of building brand awareness and generating sales on the spot.
Companies that participate in pop-up shops can range from emerging to established brands who use the event as an opportunity to network, grow their email list, and collect feedback from potential customers and industry professionals.
From open to close, there’s a chance you will meet your next customer.
1. Define Your Pop-Up Shop Goals
By asking yourself important questions and outlining your objectives, you can maximize the impact of your pop-up shop. Consider the following key points as you prepare:
What are you hoping to achieve by participating in the pop-up event?
What is your sales goal?
Are there particular products that you’d like to sell at the event?
How many new email subscribers are you hoping to get?
2. Set Your Budget
How much are you willing to spend to vend at a pop-up shop event and how many sales do you need to make to break even or profit?
Defining a budget is individual to each brand, but it’s important to consider that there is a chance that you will not make as many sales as you projected. Make sure the pop-up shop cost is something you can recover from if you don’t profit.
It’s also vital to consider that even if you don’t profit while you’re physically at the event if you’re able to grow your mailing list, there is much potential to continue to generate online sales after the event. Nurture your new email subscribers to lead them on a customer journey that ultimately converts to a sale.
3. Promote Your Pop-Up Shop in Advance
Make a concise plan to advertise and market your upcoming pop-up event. You can start sharing a month in advance with more frequent promotions in the two weeks leading up to the event.
Where to promote your pop-up shop:
Email marketing
Social media channels
Word of mouth
Facebook groups
Text messages
4. Plan Your Pop-Up Shop Display
Decorate your space with your customer in mind. For the next few days, make your booth a small-scale retail shop that is inviting and on-brand. You’ll need office supplies, too.
Pop-up shop packing checklist:
Decorative plants and other items
Brand signage (logo and social media handles)
Pens
Email signup form (iPad or clipboard)
POS (card reader) — E-commerce platforms like Shopify and Squarespace provide free card readers to their merchants
Business cards and postcards
Shopping bags (and tissue if you use it)
Snacks for the attendees (and for you)
A cloth to cover the table surface
5. Define Your Newsletter Signup Strategy
What’s your strategy for getting your pop-up shop visitors to sign up for your email list?
You can keep a clipboard or an iPad on a counter near your space and hope that people will signup. They will. However, if you create a plan in advance, you can increase the number of email signups that you acquire each day.
Make it fun, and test different strategies throughout the day.
Here are a few strategies that might work to acquire new email addresses:
Offer people a chance to win a $25 gift card for an online purchase when they sign up for your mailing list, and let them know when you’ll announce the winner.
Create a bold sign that lives near your email signup form that provides an incentive to signup for your mailing list. The motivation could be the gift card I mentioned above or a giveaway.
Wrapping up!
Remember, these checklists are meant to inspire you and serve as a foundation. Feel free to add your personal twist, infuse your unique style, and make your pop-up shop truly stand out. We believe in your creative prowess and know you have what it takes to make your event a smashing success!
We'd love to hear all about your recent pop-up shop triumphs too! Share your inspiring stories, lessons learned, and any tips you've discovered along the way in the comments below. Let's celebrate and uplift each other as we navigate the world of pop-up events together.
Stay fabulous, Wealthy Sis, and rock your next pop-up shop with confidence!
