You need an email newsletter
One of the biggest mindset hurdles vendors have with running a market stall is treating their customers as one time customers rather than repeat customers. This mindset could be due to a number of reasons, such as the market being located in a tourist precinct, so the likelihood of that tourist visiting the stall again in the near future is diminished. If the vendor does not have permanent residency at the market, due to it being a one-off market or an annual event, the vendor might not really put much thought into getting repeat or regular customers, and that’s a big mistake.
The email newsletter communication
So exactly how do you keep communication going with a customer once their sale has been processed? One way to achieve this is via social media. Another method that shouldn’t be ignored is email communication. Not all your followers will see your social posts, in fact, according to the latest Facebook algorithm, you can only expect a small percentage of your followers to see your social content. I know it’s harsh. That’s why it’s important to keep the lines of communication open with email.
You might be wondering why you should even bother wanting to establish an ongoing relationship with what might seem like a fleeting customer. The answer is brand awareness and scalability. The bigger picture that can’t be ignored is that market stalls are often the first step to a brick-and-mortar business and an online shop. Having an existing customer base would make that transition easier.
Telling your customers about new promotions
The other reason, of course, is to inform customers of your specials, new product lines, and which market your stall will be attending and on what days. Sounds easy, right? but how do you actually get your customer’s email address? The simplest way is to have a clipboard and an email sign up sheet letting customers know that you have a newsletter. This method will get you some email addresses from your die hard customers, but asking a customer to sign up for your newsletter is kind of one-sided if you think about it – what’s in it for them?
Give your customers value
Vendors need to build a relationship with a customer that provides value to the customer. The most basic value is to offer your customer a discount for future purchases. This is particularly effective if you are providing consumables such as tea or candles.
Another form of value you could provide your customer is opportunity in the form of a contest. Perhaps you might give away a monthly prize or service.
Targeting specific customers
Once you get into the nitty gritty of email marketing, you will learn that you can actually target customers based on a very specific criteria. For example, if you have customers who frequently purchase a certain type of product from your market stall, you can send them targeted emails featuring similar products or exclusive discounts.
If you attend travelling markets such as Fashion Thrift Society which heads all over Australia (and overseas too), you can segment your email list based on which market location they signed up for, such as Adelaide or Perth. That way, the next time you are in Perth, you can send out a targeted email newsletter just for your Perth followers.
The free digital product
The two discussed examples would be the easiest to get you set-up and running, however, there is a third option that you could use as a stand-alone value offering for your customer or combined with one of the other examples, and that is to give away a digital product. This doesn’t have to be anything fancy, just a simple pdf document or printable. This option is dependent solely on what your stall sells.
Let’s assume that Annie runs a market stall selling gorgeous bonsai trees. Annie can write down a guide on how to care for your newly purchased bonsai tree. This not only gives Annie a way to offer added value to her customer, but in the eyes of her customer, she is now an authority on the subject. Win. Win
OK great, but how do I get my customers to sign up
So how do you go about actually getting an email address from your customers? There are a few ways. The simplest way is to ask each customer if they would like to sign up and take down their email address.
Another popular method that you have seen is the giveaway. Its as simple as customers filling out a form with their email address and name to be in the draw to win a prize.
There should be a perk to signing up, such as a discount, giveaway, or free digital product. It’s not just about staying in touch with customers; it’s about giving them added value.
How do I actually send an email newsletter?
When you first start sending out an email newsletter, there will be little or no cost to you, just the cost of your time. Many popular email marketing newsletters have free plans for small lists (the limits change often, so check current plans), which is plenty to get you started. Two great email service providers to look into when you are starting out is MailChimp and MailerLite – both of which have free plans and email templates.
When you first start setting up your email marketing, spend some time creating the template. It needs to reflect your business, which means using your logo and brand colours. Each time you send an email, your branding needs to be consistent. Same fonts, colours, logos, etc. A template will be a timesaver with this.
How often should I send an email newsletter?
How long is a piece of string? How often you send your market stall email newsletter is often found through rearch. You don’t want to send too often, but not too little either. My personal rule of thumb for my business is to send one high-quality newsletter monthly and then perhaps mid-month send an email newsletter to my segmented audience if necessary.
The products you sell might even work with a set series of emails. In the previous example of the bonsais tree and the free giveaway, you could always do a series of 6 emails weekly covering the different aspects of caring for a bonsai tree. You can package this as “Join our free introductory course, ‘Caring for a Bonsai Tree. This establishes you as an authority on the subject and will likely mean repeat customers.
Don’t forget to measure results of your email newsletter
Sending an email newsletter is great, but it’s important to also measure results. Most email service providers will have an analytics feature on their website. You are looking out for things like the email-open rate (how many people actually read your newsletter) and the conversion rate (how many people click links or make an order after reading your newsletter)
The analytics will help you determine if you need to change tactics. Maybe your email title needs rewording, or your content needs some work. Don’t expect to get great results the first time. It takes practice, resilience, and consistency.
Every time you meet a customer for the first time, just picture them as a repeat, loyal customer, and with a bit of work, they just may be.
Looking for markets to promote at? Browse the market directory, then plan your day with the market stall checklist.
