Shopping Centres are hubs of activity – drawing people from their homes to shop, eat and socialise.
With the steady rise of online shopping, it can sometimes feel like the high street is fading away before our eyes, but that’s where shopping centres have a phenomenal opportunity to showcase the benefits they bring to the local area.
With the power to both bring people together and offer many local businesses or pop-ups a platform to connect with new customers – alongside supporting traditional larger retailers – shopping centres have a unique place in the British commercial landscape. BUT, they can be difficult to market across such a diverse audience. From promoting on social media to driving footfall, it can be difficult to know where to start with your shopping centre marketing strategy.
And that’s where we come in.
We’ve got five tried-and-tested ideas to connect with both your existing audience, and future potential visitors of your shopping centre.
Why do shopping centres need marketing?
Now you may be wondering…
Why would a shopping centre need marketing tips? They’re full of other shops doing that job for you anyway, aren’t they?
While that’s partly true, shopping centres still need to stay competitive in the retail landscape – proving that they’re attractive to new tenants and drawing customers to their existing shops.
Exploring different marketing channels allows shopping centres to introduce new brands to customers, establish relationships with their visitors, and boost their image – ensuring they are the place to go when a shopping trip is on the agenda.
5 marketing ideas for your shopping centre
As a shopping centre, if you want to engage with your audience, you must diversify your strategy. This is because there’s a vast range of customers – and retailers – that you’re looking to attract.
The ultimate aim is getting people through the doors… so let us show you how.
We’ve run many successful marketing campaigns on behalf of local shopping centres and can share the top five ideas that have worked for us to drive traffic – both literally and digitally.
1. Free family activities
We all love a freebie, but what makes this such a great idea is that putting on activities to attract families during periods like the school holidays can be an excellent way to engage with the local community and establish your shopping centre as a family-friendly destination.
There are lots of different ways you can approach this – from one-off experiences to a series of themed events – the key is to discover what connects well with your ideal visitors.
However you choose to run your activities, we guarantee you’ll have lots of happy children – and hugely grateful parents – that may go on to spend, share and recommend.
2. Make the most of video
While reels may not be at the forefront of your marketing plan as a shopping centre, they’re incredibly important in the social media landscape.
Instagram reels can have more than double the reach of a single post, meaning that if you’re not taking advantage, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to connect with a new audience.
One of the best ways to create a reel for a shopping centre is to simply collect as much video footage as you can. Be sure to include both staff and shoppers – giving the videos a feel of what it’s like to shop there, along with insider information and a peek into the day-to-day operation.
Check if you have any regular questions that customers ask and try to answer these in the videos, establishing your social presence as the place to go for accurate and easily consumed information.
3. Jump on what’s trending
Linked closely with creating video content, jumping on appropriate trends can boost your social media reach – allowing you to stay relevant and at the forefront of shopper’s minds. You don’t have to join every trend, but those that can be adapted to the shopping centre environment will inevitably make you look quick, clever, and appeal to a wider audience.
You may also want to consider other innovative ideas, such as creating themed photo spots for a younger demographic to engage with, inviting trendy pop-ups to take up temporary space, and experimenting with visually striking (aka Instagram-able) designs.
4. Get the competitive edge
Believe it or not, marketing isn’t solely about social media. Gathering key data like email addresses can be an effective way to regularly share marketing messages with customers – a valuable direct marketing tool.
Running competitions and giveaways – complete with exciting prizes – in return for email addresses can help build your email list quickly. From creating innovative physical trails around the shopping centre, to generating a buzz about a new shop launch, there are lots of opportunities to share competitions with your visitors and online audience.
5. Host seasonal events
Whether it be Easter, Halloween or Christmas, hosting seasonal events – and shouting about them on social media – is a fantastic way of drawing more footfall to your shopping centre.
Using a combination of the ideas above, you can use significant times of the year to entice people through your doors, spending money, sharing emails and promoting your events to others. Having a strong seasonal game also gives you a competitive edge, especially with returning customers who value traditions, making your shopping centre stand out from the crowd.
Working with Piece of Cake Marketing
If you’re inspired by these top five tips, but aren’t quite sure where to start, we can happily help you out.
Drop us an email at hello@pieceofcakemarketing.co.uk and find out how we can use our extensive experience to elevate your marketing strategy.
Whether you need guidance on developing a comprehensive marketing plan or require hands-on support with social media management, we can help. We understand the unique challenges and opportunities that shopping centres face when it comes to marketing, and we’ll tailor our approach to meet your specific needs.
Don’t miss out on the chance to attract more customers, build a strong online presence and see your shopping centre thrive.