This is very interesting! Attention all you shop owners looking to find creative ways to improve your marketing without incurring horrendous costs. Let’s all take a second to take in that the future is upon us and today is the future. Way to go Kristie!!!

The Future of Marketing for the Shoe Business

If you’ve been in the business world for any amount of time, there is no doubt that you’ve seen business marketing efforts change and evolve. Many businesses have abandoned print advertising altogether and focus their efforts online or with direct mail marketing instead. So this poses the question: what does the future of marketing the shoe business look like?

Mobile marketing (but it’s not what you think)

The biggest change that we’ve started to see, but will continue to evolve, is cell phone marketing. With the widespread use of smart phones, such as Blackberry and iPhone, the landscape for mobile marketing is changing in a major way. First, it changes the location where you do business—and it has nothing to do with moving your business to a new storefront.

Let’s say you’re out to dinner with your husband and you have on a pair of your latest designer shoes. You’re a mobile marketing force to be reckoned with. When you excuse yourself from the table to powder your nose in the ladies room a fellow diner along the way compliments your shoes and asks where you bought them. You tell her you sell them. She insists she must have a pair and you ask her for her size.

Enter the cell phone. You whip out your iPhone, pull up your credit card processing system, process her order with her credit card and tell her the shoes will arrive at her home in 2-3 business days. This is already taking place for some businesses but you’ll see it continue to be more of the norm. Gone are the days when you tell her where your store is, hand her your business card and hope for the next week that she walks through the door of your shop to purchase the coveted pair of shoes. It gives a whole new meaning to the concept of mobile marketing.

Changes the Audience

The evolution of mobile marketing also changes your audience. It’s expected that 50% of the world will be using a mobile phone by the end of 2010. Again, this is not 50% of the United States; it’s 50% of the world. Whether you’re using text messaging or video marketing as part of your marketing campaign strategy, you’re not only able to reach mobile customers in the U.S. but you can start tapping into those with disposable income in other countries. Statistically, smart phone users have annual household incomes that exceed $100,000. What would it mean to tap into even a small percentage of this income to increase the sales for your business? Not to mention multiplying this over a number of customers.

Broadens Reach

Imagine a marketing opportunity where a smart phone sends an alert to its owner as it walks past your store. How much power can it have that as your prospective customers are strolling the street where your store is located their phone says, “Hey, there is a fabulous shoe store right around the corner.” And then a map pops up to guide them right to your front door. Not only will you have the ability to put a “lo-jack” on potential customers but you’ll also be able to send them a coupon or bring a sale event to their attention—all on their cell phone and all because the GPS-like system picked up on the fact that they are in the vicinity of your store.

Maybe you thought the future of marketing ended with Internet-based marketing techniques. Web 2.0 has been the talk of the town for quite a few years now. Don’t get too comfortable though because Web 3.0, including all of these mobile marketing techniques, are emerging and evolving—and the marketing landscape will change once again.

About the Author 

Copywriter and marketing consultant, Kristie Lorette, is passionate about helping entrepreneurs and businesses create copy and marketing pieces that sizzle, motivate, and sell. It is through her over 14 years of experience working in various roles of marketing, where Kristie developed her widespread expertise in advanced business and marketing strategies and communications. Kristie earned her BS in marketing and BS in multinational business from Florida State University, and her MBA from Nova Southeastern University. You can learn more about Kristie and her services on her website here.