Need help marketing a local Kayak Shop?
I need some creative advice on getting my kayak shop off the ground. Besides online methods, what local methods such I try?
I have tried Print and Radio, but it costs too much and I get very little response.
How bout helping me with some creative ideas.
I agree that print and radio are difficult. Local publications aren't particularly targeted by niche, while kayaking-specific magazines (Paddler, Canoe & Kayak, etc.) aren't geographically targeted. In my experience of running a kayaking school, I find that about half my business comes from online searches and half from local word of mouth.
On the online front, make sure your website is optimized for search engines. Google has some nice webmaster tools to show you what keywords it's picking from your site. Tweaking text can help a lot (for instance, changing "boat" to "kayak" as much as possible helped me).
Get an opt-in email list set up on your website so you can keep in touch with potential customers. You might also want to set up a fan page on social networking sites, which can serve as both online and word of mouth advertising.
For local advertising, be seen, literally, as much as possible. Get some good business cards and always carry them with you. When I'm running a class or just paddling, people always approach me, and I'm ready with a card. I give stacks of cards to friends to hand out, too.
In addition, get shirts and wear them. Sites like cafepress let you print small quantities of your own design. And magnetic signs for your vehicles. I used to work for a shop that was a little out of the way, and the owner would park his van with a kayak on top near a busy street with a big magnetic arrow pointing the way. Consider getting bumper stickers to give away to customers, and slap them on your demo fleet and every boat you sell. Make sure your logos, slogans, fonts, and everything are consistent across all your marketing material.
Hold free demo days. If your shop is on the water, this should be easy. If not, find a good spot, but beware that many municipalities want special permits and insurance for holding events in their parks.
Maybe there are local events and groups you can help sponsor. You'll have to determine whether you can afford the money and time for this. Contribute free rentals or lessons (if you offer them) to a charity auction or raffle. Or offer up your fleet to take a boy/girl scout troop out for a weekend.
Get involved in local clubs. If there aren't any, start one. There's a bit of a balancing act when communicating with clubs. Most are eager to support local businesses, but they do have little tolerance for spam. Instead of blasting all your special offers, first talk to the club officers about the best way to communicate. Maybe offer up a free event to the club, such as a clinic, demo day, or slideshow.
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