White Paper

1brightage.com 818-887-0999
How to Use Social Media
to Drive In-Store Sales
As our society continuously shifts more online, it’s important to remember the benefits of real life,
person-to-person experiences. The focus on driving in-store sales continues to grow while it becomes
more difficult with each new day. Many businesses are now jumping onto social media with the
hopes of capturing their audiences’ attention in a new way.
Learn How To:
• Merge the online and in-store shopping environments to generate the best possible
experience for your customers.
• Gain an advantage over competitors through unique online marketing tactics.
• Understand the booming industry of social media and achieve the most effective practices for
your brand.
Read “How to Use Social Media to Drive In-Store Sales” to discover the best practices for improving
your online presence to increase in-store sales.
Synopsis

Table of Contents
1. title page...................................................................................................................................... 1
2. table of contents ....................................................................................................................... 2
3. Introduction................................................................................................................................ 3
4. promblem statement.................................................................................................................. 3
5. existing solutions....................................................................................................................... 5
6. Better solutions...........................................................................................................................7
7. Market research........................................................................................................................ 9
8. case study................................................................................................................................... 11
9. conclusions and call to action............................................................................................... 12
10. about the company.................................................................................................................. 13
11. references................................................................................................................................ 14
12. Charts.........................................................................................................................................15

Technology is becoming increasingly more accessible and advanced with each new day. It’s no surprise that
almost 50% of the entire world population is now on the internet.1
The massive number of people recently
logging online has led to substantial growth in multiple social media platforms over the past few years. People
aren’t the only ones taking advantage of these platforms, though. Now, more businesses are logging on
than ever before with hopes of attracting customers in entirely new ways. The internet is no longer solely a
place for people to chat and discover information, but rather a newfound hotspot for stores to differentiate
themselves. Big and small businesses alike are now currently facing the task of harnessing the attention
attracted by the brand on social media and converting it to in-store sales. How can a business successfully get
potential consumers off their computers/phones and into the store?
The internet has opened doors in the world of shopping that, at one point in time, could have never even
been imagined. Having the ability to buy and sell products from opposite sides of the world is a total game
changer. Today, digital interactions influence 36 cents of every dollar spent in the retail store, or approximately
$1.1 trillion total.2
Denying the influence of the internet is no longer an option, and while the benefits of this
technology to both consumers and producers is undeniable, definite consequences have resulted for the old
fashioned brick-and-mortar store fronts.
Introduction
Problem Statement
There once was a time when if you needed something, you got off your couch, drove to the store, purchased
the product, and returned to the couch. Today, a purchase can be made directly from the couch. This modern
method spares consumers time and energy by eliminating the hassle in between that we refer to as “moving”.
While food and entertainment must still be driven to, for the most part, retail can now come to you via the
internet. This recent convenience for shoppers has led to a new problem for many stores. In the span of just
C.1

three years, from 2010 to 2013, US stores received approximately half of the foot traffic than previously during
the holiday season.3
Yet, as foot traffic continues to decline, sales are growing steady. Retail sales have been
growing at nearly 4-5%4
over the past few years. Although general consumer spending is increasing, attracting
customers into your store is proving to become both more
crucial, yet more difficult.
Businesses understand the enormous role that social media
has been playing in consumerism and are joining in quickly.
In retail, a shocking 91% of retail brands now use two or
more social media platforms.5
At this point in time though,
merely having a social media account will no longer give
you that much needed competitive advantage. Your brand
needs to have and use the accounts effectively. Racking up
followers and interacting with users is an important part in
making your brand stand out. These many social media platforms can be incredibly helpful to get the word out
about a brand, but that doesn’t necessarily transfer over to in-store sales. In many cases, all of the improved
and growing technology has not been carrying over to an improved and growing brick-and-mortar shopping
experience.
Why does driving in-store sales even matter? With the economy doing well and consumers spending record
highs6
, is there really a need to attract customers into your physical stores? The issue involves the fact that
online shopping and buying is entirely different than the in-store experience. The moment that you can bring
a potential customer into your store, the easier it becomes
to convert them to a purchasing customer. On top of this,
Caltech actually found that consumers are willing to pay
an average of 50% more for items that they could touch
and see in-store.7
Your brand’s success and profit can be
easily increased understanding the significance of the in-
store shopping experience. From the design and feel of
the location to the customer service given by employees,
setting the tone for your brand is done largely in-store. On
top of this, nothing compares to the personal feel given
from in-store shopping. Being able to speak with and help customers in person can lead to a better experience
for them and increased sales for the store.
While in-store traffic is falling at an alarming rate of 15% annually8
, 94% of retail sales are still made in store.9
As the trend of online shopping grows, the power of brick and mortar stores should not be overlooked for your
brand’s success.

Existing Solutions
To combat the problem of these recently declining in-store sales, many businesses have begun taking
advantage of the creative and effective marketing tactics available through social media. Providing your
followers with a reason to come in is the key to handling this arising problem. This use of social media deals
with more than just brand awareness and online engagement, but attracting customers to the physical store
location. If millions of users view your post, but no one acts on it, it’s a failed post.
Businesses are currently trying a variety of different strategies on multiple platforms to drive these needed
in-store sales. The most obvious and prevalent of these involves posting online coupons and codes that are
available to redeem only in-store. Just as good as discounts are freebies. By posting about giveaways in-store,
you can easily manage to draw in customers. Another existing solution for driving in-store sales is the use of
loyalty programs. From Panera to, recently, Chipotle, successful businesses have been rewarding consumers
for their loyalty for years.
Delivering reasons to physically travel to a store location via social media posts is not the only way these
platforms can grow in-store sales. Social media can indirectly drive these sales as well. Customer service and
online interaction with users proves to be very beneficial. If you can give your customers a good experience
when needed on social media, they are more likely to return. As a matter of fact, 78% of small businesses
attract new customers and engage current ones using social media.9
On top of this, social media gives
businesses a direct look into what consumers are saying about their brands. If interpreted accurately, knowing
how your brand is perceived by the general population can be directly translated into better in-store sales.
Starbucks is one company that has repeatedly
done an excellent job at converting social
media posts into in-store sales. Their Twitter
is full of clever and creative tweets focused
on getting customers to drop in. In one case,
Starbucks paired up with artist Corinne Bailey
Rae to give an exclusive preview of her album,
The Heart Speaks In Whispers, in their stores
only. By pairing up with this Corinne, her true
fans were sure to stop by a store and grab a
drink while listening to the preview. On top
of this, both Starbucks and Corinne tweeted
the announcement to their followers. This
partnership drives both profit for Starbucks and
exposure for Corinne, the best of both worlds.
Starbucks’ creative and engaging Twitter account
has clearly paid off, leading them to having the third largest following of any brand on Twitter, behind only

Chanel & Samsung.10
Taco Bell is another example of a brand that is
currently excelling in the world of social media. On
June 21, 2016, Taco Bell used Twitter to advertise
free Doritos Locos Tacos between 2-6 p.m. The
tweets from Taco Bell’s account leading up to the
event resulted in thousands of views and retweets,
and ultimately more publicity for the occasion.
Although their Twitter account is infamous for its
comical tweets and good customer service11
, Taco
Bell’s most famous advertising campaign has to be
their recent Snapchat lens. On Cinco de Mayo of
2016, Taco Bell released a Snapchat lens to the social
media platform that would turn the users face into
a giant taco. While the idea sounds ridiculous, it
resulted in a shocking 224 million views in one day.12
This is now understood to be the top marketing
campaign in Snapchat’s history.
From Starbucks to Taco Bell, the food industry seems to be pretty invested in discovering new tactics that will
draw customers into stores, yet the retail industry continues to struggle. With 2015 Black Friday sales dropping
by nearly $1 billion13
, clothing stores need the same success of the food industry at attracting in customers
through social media.
One major retail chain that has embraced the concept
of social media to bring in customers is Nordstrom. This
massive chain has focused on bridging the gap between
online shopping and the in-store shopping experience by
taking advantage of social media giant, Pinterest. Stores
have begun labeling their “Top Pinned Items”.14
This new
program has been drawing attention to in-store items
that are popular online. The initial feedback returned so
positive that the program was rolled out to all 117 store
locations. Nordstrom’s social media manager, Bryan
Galipeau was quoted saying, “Each month, customers
engage with our Pins hundreds of thousands of times, generating millions of impressions and significant site
traffic and demand.”15
This is a clear example of the effectiveness of taking advantage of social media for the
in-store experience.

This approach to embracing social media is focused on making the overall shopping experience more fluid, both
online and in-store. As the idea continues to develop and expand, in-store sales are sure to increase with the
new shopping convenience.
Better Solutions
In 2016, the need to stand out from your competitors is bigger than ever. Differentiating yourself in a saturated
market can be difficult, though. While there have been many recent social media campaigns with a focus of
attracting new in-store customers, these are only just beginning to unleash the full potential of social media.
According to Forrester Research, the most important reason for in-store shopping from consumers is not
wanting to wait for a product to arrive.7
When a consumer shops in-store, they can purchase the product
to be used immediately. The idea of this instant experience should be capitalized on by brands hoping to
increase their brick-and-mortar sales, considering this is the biggest selling point for consumers. Following right
behind instantaneous purchasing power is the ability to touch, feel, or try on a product before purchasing it.7
Consumers love the guarantee of knowing what they are spending their money on. By emphasizing the in-store
perks of instant gratification and firsthand experience of the product in your marketing campaign, customers
will unconsciously acknowledge why they love in-store shopping and, in return, be drawn to your location.
The social media account of any brand with the goal of driving in-store sales should focus on what consumers
enjoy about the in-store experience. Gap recently emphasized the importance of in-store shopping in one of
their new campaigns. Now, consumers can reserve clothing online at select Gap stores for up to 24 hours. The
reserve system allows for customers to try out the potential purchases before they actually commit, a previous
problem with in-store pick up. This online approach to increasing in-store sales is a great way to merge both
the online and offline worlds of shopping.
Social media’s rapid growth is what makes it such a powerful force in the world of marketing. With big names
like Facebook and Twitter reaching billions of people each day, it’s surprising that this growth shows no signs
of stopping. Instagram, for example, continues to attract a larger audience of all ages each day. In the period
of less than two years, the number of 16-24 year-olds with an Instagram account jumped 20 percent, from
40%-60%.16
This isn’t the only age group that has shown growth, though. Even the older generations are
increasing over time. The 55-64 age group shot up 9% total, from about 7%-16%.16
If these numbers continue
to grow at a similar rate, by no later than 2018 should more than 75% of all internet users between 16-24 have
an activated Instagram account. Other than Instagram, Facebook’s growth and numbers is astonishing. As of
March 2016, more than 1.09 billion users are logging onto the platform daily.17
These kinds of numbers show
the promising results of marketing through social media.

Instagram isn’t the only social media platform booming currently, though. Almost all major platforms are
seeing some kind of growth lately. Just last year, Pinterest was found to be the fastest growing social platform
in both members and active users.18
On top of this, the number of internet users is growing at an incredible
rate as well. In the period of one year, from January 2015-2016, we saw a total of 332 million new active
internet users around the globe.18
That is more than a 10% increase of new users online. The combination of
more people on the internet and a greater percentage of the internet population now logging onto social media
leads to a dramatically increasing number of worldwide social media users.
Driving in-store sales through social media first begins with acknowledging its power. Social media is not
something to be underestimated, or underused. If done correctly, your brand could easily and quickly reach
the literal billions of online social media users. Reaching all of these potential customers is a great start to
attracting in-store sales. How you plan on using social media to reach your customers makes a big difference.
Similar to TV commercials or billboards, you need to be posting content that will not only catch the attention of
your followers, but engage them. As social media continues to change and advance, being on the cutting edge
of these technologies is necessary to stand out from your competitors. Similar to how Taco Bell took advantage
of Snapchat’s new lens feature, your store must try something different than merely a post on Facebook or
C.2

Twitter to stay relevant. When you can successfully get your followers to share your posts or use your content,
they have inadvertently become your own personal advertisers.
Once you have established a loyal following, attracting more in-store sales should be more feasible. By posting
about in-store only discounts, location specific coupons, or even free merchandise, you can easily attract
new or old customers alike into your stores. On top of this,
finding ways to merge the online and in-store shopping
experience is a great idea. Considering that 72% of young
shoppers research online before shopping in-store9
, finding
a way to bring the online experience into the store, similar
to what Nordstrom did with Pinterest, would be incredibly
beneficial to your brand. Whether it be creating a “most retweeted” section or even placing the positive online
comments about a product above it in a store, bridging the gap between online and in-store is always a good
idea for your brand.
Lastly, another underrated way to get consumers involved in your brand is through competition. People love
competition, and giving them something to compete over is an excellent way to win both their engagement and
loyalty. Creating a simple hashtag competition on Twitter or an Instagram post activity with respective rewards
for participants is a great start to driving up brand recognition, which leads to higher in-store sales.
Simply selecting one social media platform to focus on is no longer a viable option if trying to stand out
amongst your competitors. To be successful at engaging consumers and driving in store sales, it’s necessary to
be both active and effective on a variety of different platforms due to overall social media growth. Engaging
users across multiple sites is necessary to keep them involved as loyal customers
Market Research
Collective Bias conducted a study on how U.S. consumers’ online behaviors impact in-store purchase
decisions.19
With a sample of 14,000 adults in early March, much relevant information was gathered about
these consumers’ choices. Facebook ranked to be the most persuasive channel, with 19% of consumers using
it to influence their purchasing decisions. Twitter, on the other hand, was found to be not very useful at all. A
mere 2% of people surveyed went to the platform first when researching products, and even less stated it had
the most influence on their in-store purchases. While the information gathered by Collective Bias is helpful
for developing good social media marketing strategies, still much is unknown about what exactly it takes to
specifically drive consumers into your store.
A group of 100 participants were surveyed to learn more about their shopping habits and the relation to social
media.22
The following results provided multiple new angles at looking into the power of social media, and in
many ways backed up information that was already believed to be true.

Of the participants surveyed, 66% of them stated that Facebook was their most often used social media
platform. Following Facebook was Twitter with 8%, Instagram at 5%, Pinterest at 4%, Snapchat with 2%, and
Tumblr with 1%. These results vary from previous research, for it deals directly with the amount of time
spent on each individual platform. While active Instagram and Snapchat users have been soaring in numbers
recently, it does not necessarily translate over to more time spent on the applications, as seen in these results.
When viewing social media as a medium for brand awareness, it’s important to note that more than one out
of three users follow the accounts of their favorite stores. Out of these users, 64% are following for the reason
of announced sale or deal information with the next highest being 23% simply interested in staying up-to-date
with the brand. Understanding that a large number of social media users are not only interested in following
your brand, but also finding deals is important for running an effective online campaign.
With the focus of drawing customers into your physical store, it’s crucial to know whether or not social media
is even an effective way to do so. More than half (52%) of people questioned stated that they had visited a
physical store location in the past due to a promotion, deal, event, etc. that they had viewed on social media.
This information alone shows that social media can be and is effective at drawing in-store sales with a large
number of consumers. On top of this, nearly one out of five people are using social media multiple times each
month to express their opinions on a brand or product. Harnessing the online attention given to your product
by consumers can be effectively converted into positive buzz with this information.
C.3

When it comes to the in-store experience, businesses need to understand what is driving current customers
into their physical locations. An overwhelming number of 73% responded that their favorite part of the in-
store experience is being able to see and feel the product. The second highest result, with 10%, was the desire
to purchase something immediately, not having to wait for the product to deliver. Focusing your social media
campaign around this highly desired ability to experience the product in person combined with the mention of
no wait time will lead to an easier time driving in customers and sales growth.
Social media has time and time again proven its worth in the physical world, and this survey validates exactly
that. Knowledge on what consumers enjoy about the in-store shopping experience can be used to each
brand’s advantage. With a better understanding of where online users are placing the majority of their
attention and what it takes to get them into the store, an effective advertising campaign can be put together to
draw in larger crowds.
Case Study
Dog Haus, a craft-casual hot dog chain, opened their first franchised location in Canoga Park during June of
2014. To ensure the success of their grand opening, Dog Haus partnered with Bright Age to develop a strong
social media marketing campaign. Bright Age was presented with the challenging task of creating word of
mouth and buzz around the Dog Haus brand in a new geographic location. With a focus of driving in-store
sales through the use of social media, Bright Age took advantage of many practices previously discussed in this
paper.
The sheer power of Facebook when it comes to advertising made it the obvious choice for Bright Age’s
primary focus throughout this campaign. With Facebook, Bright Age could segment the target audience into
two primary groups; students and adults. The student group was sent one form of messaging and the adults
another, both appealing to the specified group. Segmenting the audiences dropped the cost per Page Like and
increased the Click-Through-Rate. The ads that were being placed on Facebook to their targeted audiences
resulted in both likes and engagement for the Canoga Park page.
On top of simply advertising the grand opening, Bright Age engaged the users by starting conversations with
them online. They were determined to ensure that all customer questions and concerns were addressed
timely, professionally, and in accordance with corporate guidelines. This take on responding to all customer
comments created a more personal and local feel from the newly franchised business.
The tactics used by Bright Age proved to be quite the success when it came to driving those much desired
in-store sales for the opening. On opening day alone, Dog Haus served over 1,000 meals. However, the
popularity of this hot dog joint did not end there; by the end of the first month, Dog Haus had reached an
average daily sale of 350 meals. Building up to the grand opening, Bright Age achieved a growth of 1,636% in
Facebook Page Likes. In just the first week, they had attained a Click-Through-Rate of over 7.2% and received

over 38,000 impressions. This astounding campaign, in total, generated 274,000 Facebook Impressions, 5,515
Interactions, 4,176 Likes, 792 Comments, and 543 Post Shares.
As the 2-year anniversary in Canoga Park approached, Dog Haus had big plans for a special campaign. They
wanted Bright Age to develop a social media marketing strategy that would promote a Free Combo Upgrade.
Having run similar promotions before, Bright Age focused on trying a new tactic for drawing in customers.
Bright Age created a new campaign that allowed customers to text a phone number to receive their coupon
for redemption. With this new strategy Dog Haus received many more participating customers, for it’s
much more efficient and quick than receiving an email in your already overflowing inbox. The results of this
campaign yielded over 35,000 impressions at a cost of less than $2.90 per 1,000 impressions. This generated a
result of 471 messages to receive the coupon, and 203 coupons redeemed. The text messaging campaign was
extremely cost efficient and beneficial to this Dog Haus location. With a new customer acquisition price of only
$1.94 per customer, Bright Age was able to show Dog Haus the strong return on investment when using social
media marketing. Due to the cheap costs and precise information, this form of campaign is a new favorite of
both Dog Haus and Bright Age.
Through the use of Facebook, texting, and effective advertising tactics, Bright Age’s success towards driving
in-store sales for Dog Haus Canoga Park is clear. Selecting an effective target market combined with top of
the line customer service created the desired build up feel for the most beneficial grand opening and events.
Since the end of these campaigns, Bright Age has continued working with Dog Haus to simulate comparable
experiences in dozens of other franchises across the United States.
Conclusions and Call to Action
In 2016, deciding on whether or not to use social media for your brand is no longer on option. Now, placing
your brand on social media could very well be considered a necessary move for its success. The important
issue currently is utilizing these platforms for their full potential. How can your business avoid the trend of
waning in-store sales through the use of social media?
It is no secret that online shopping is extremely popular in our current society. E-Commerce alone has almost
quadrupled in worth in less than the last ten years, and shows no signs of slowing down.20
While the research
previously presented shows the undeniable success of online shopping, it also has presented many reasons to
hold on to the precious in-store shopping experience. Understanding that 85% of consumers prefer the in-
store experience21
as well that they are willing to pay 50% more for items that they can physically touch and
see7
should be convincing enough to stick with the brick-and-mortar experience. But as these sales continue to
fall at a rate of 15% each year8
, holding onto these locations is proving to be more and more difficult.

About The company
Social media is the crucial link between the online and in-store experience and should be embraced sooner
rather than later. By bridging the gap between virtual and reality, your store can and will experience great
success. From Nordstrom’s successful real-world “pin boards”15
to Taco Bell’s game changing Snapchat
campaign12
, drawing in customers through social media is becoming more competitive, yet beneficial.
Bright Age manages and perfects businesses’ social media posts, optimizing them to drive the maximum
number of customers in. With a focus on digital content and money efficiency, Bright Age should be your next
stop if trying to drive those much desired in-store sales up.
Bright Age Digital Creative Agency is a small boutique firm dedicated to developing innovative campaigns that
clients can be proud of. Being located in Woodland Hills, California keeps them close to the quick pace of
the LA lifestyle, while being able to focus locally and benefit the beloved small business. In 2015, Bright Age
received five separate awards for their excellent work on Digital Marketing Campaigns and Web Design. They
offer a wide span of digital services, including social media advertising, marketing research, search engine
optimization techniques, and much more. Every team member has attained at least a four-year degree from a
university and focused on a concentration in business, marketing, advertising or design in their studies. With
a strong emphasis on being a partner instead of just a service provider, Bright Age is dedicated to developing
long term, successful relationships with brands.

References
1. http://www.internetlivestats.com/internet-users/
2. http://www.cmo.com/features/articles/2014/5/6/Mind_Blowing_Stats_Online_Shopping.html
3. http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeremybogaisky/2014/02/12/retail-in-crisis-these-are-the-changes-brick-
and-mortar-stores-must-make/#5cde4c2c1127
4. http://www.kiplinger.com/article/business/T019-C000-S010-retail-sales-consumer-spending-forecast.
html
5. http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/yesmail-retail-brands-social-media-channels/622117
6. http://www.tradingeconomics.com/united-states/consumer-spending
7. https://s.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/XfuM5yeAICNceinarYJGgw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NQ--/http://
cdn.business2community.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Offline-Shopping-Infographic.jpg
8. http://retailnext.net/en/blog/brick-and-mortar-vs-online-retail/
9. https://www.nchannel.com/blog/retail-data-ecommerce-statistics/
10. http://www.socialbakers.com/statistics/twitter/profiles/brands/
11. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/28/taco-bell-tweets_n_4856259.html
12. http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/taco-bells-cinco-de-mayo-snapchat-lens-was-viewed-224-
million-times-171390
13. http://bizbeatblog.dallasnews.com/2015/11/black-friday-store-sales-drop-off-by-more-than-1-billion-as-
shopping-habits-change.html/
14. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/27/nordstrom-pinterest_n_3510584.html
15. https://business.pinterest.com/en/success-stories/nordstrom
16. https://www.globalwebindex.net/blog/instagram-membership-continues-to-rise
17. http://newsroom.fb.com/company-info/
18. http://www.smartinsights.com/social-media-marketing/social-media-strategy/new-global-social-media-
research/
19. http://collectivebias.com/blog/2016/03/influencer-marketing-update-non-celebrity-influencers-10-
times-likely-drive-store-purchases/
20. http://www.statista.com/statistics/239372/us-b2c-e-commerce-volume-since-2006/
21. http://www.retailtouchpoints.com/topics/shopper-experience/85-of-consumers-prefer-to-shop-in-
physical-stores
22. Research Study Conducted by Bright Age Surveying 100 people about their social media and shopping
habits. July 2016.

charts
C1. http://www.cmo.com/features/articles/2014/5/6/Mind_Blowing_Stats_Online_Shopping.html
C2. https://www.globalwebindex.net/blog/instagram-membership-continues-to-rise
C3. Research Study Conducted by Bright Age Surveying 100 people about their social media and shopping
habits. July 2016.

White Paper

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Viewers also liked

Viewers also liked (20)

Similar to White Paper

Similar to White Paper (20)

White Paper