Jon Nock with senior members of the iDIS team
Jon Nock (second from left) with senior members of the iDIS team

With retail shops across the majority of the UK now back open, the focus for retailers will be on driving footfall and reaching out to customers to rebuild consumer confidence and generate much-needed sales revenue.

Key to achieving this will be having an effective communication strategy and at the heart of it, securing valuable PR amongst trusted, local media sources.

Mobility marketing specialist Jon Nock, Managing Director of iDIS Creative Marketing Partnership, shares his top tips on how mobility retailers can get their companies featured in local newspapers, websites and more.

By Jon Nock

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As mobility retailers open their doors once more, raising positive PR is crucial for bringing back sales. Communication to market needs to instil confidence that shopping and services are safe and products are the solution for assured independence inside and out. This can be done through a variety of PR ways including press coverage in local and online newspapers, social media and company website information.

The power of press PR is reliant on good quality photography that clearly explains the message and promotes a feel-good factor. Customers or staff with smiles, in context and with a decent pixel resolution will always produce more results.

Human interest stories tend to provide greater traction along with angles that demonstrate how dealers help local communities. The press is generally only interested in people, not products.

The quality of writing is also vital to hook in journalists, particularly with considered press release headlines. This is also true with social media – eye-catching and interesting content with attractive images will always generate more engagement and sharing.

The value and purpose of each organic social post needs to be carefully considered and the effectiveness of Facebook advertising should never be underestimated in this sector. As Facebook ads become more sophisticated, my agency is achieving greater ROI for clients through our specialist management services.

Social media continues to evolve at a rapid pace with basic posts and likes achieving very little now. Try shooting short videos where you talk to your customers about what you’re doing to help them – this format is always the most effective.

However, aside from through-the-line media, the most important PR to generate as ever will be word of mouth. Getting the message out that you are open, here to help and offering safe services is critical.

Promotions will help, however, explaining these are for paid-for media, not PR. Actively calling customers to see if they are ok, cultivating contacts and networking will all help build business momentum once more.

Make sure your PR is straightforward, concise and targeted correctly and the sales will follow.

To contact Jon Nock, email jon@idiscreativemarketing.co.uk or call 07786 245896

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