The mobile device industry is one of the most competitive in the world, especially when it comes to individual cellphone stores. All these stores offer the same devices from the same companies, and they offer the same services, too. If you want to make your business stand out, you’ll need to be different in some way. Experiential marketing may be the answer.

What Is Experiential Marketing?

Traditional marketing involves digging for leads, reaching out to those leads, and using traditional means to convert those leads into buyers. It may also involve maintaining relationships with past customers so they’ll keep coming back. Some common examples of this include things like email marketing, reminders, promotion campaigns, loyalty discounts, and even automated birthday wishes to past clientele. While these things can certainly help you be successful, they’re tactics that just about every store employs.

Experiential marketing takes things a step further. Rather than simply working to drive customers into your business or rewarding them for having done business with you in the past, it creates an in-the-moment experience for every customer that comes through your doors. The first Apple Store is a prime example; it was more than just a place for consumers to buy Apple devices or have their current Apple devices repaired; it offered a high-tech, hands-on experience unlike anything currently available.

Experiential Marketing Concepts and Ideas

If you’re interested in deploying experiential marketing techniques, there are a few options to consider. For example, you might choose to set up your checkout in such a way that customers can pay for their devices out on the sales floor rather than waiting in line at a register. This provides instant gratification, which is a huge part of providing a unique experience to your customers.

Other options include setting up working device displays that allow customers to not only handle and test the latest devices, but also the accessories that come with them. Health accessories and watches are great examples; often, people are interested in trying them, but they aren’t willing to shell out the money because they aren’t sure how these accessories work. Experiential marketing allows a sales representative to work directly with interested customers and give them a hands-on tutorial on the sales floor.

A Better Experience Translates to More Sales and Repeat Business

Your bottom line comes down to your customers, and without them, your business isn’t successful. With experiential marketing, you can provide these customers with something new, something surprising, and something they’ll come back to experience time and again. They’ll also tell their friends and family about their experiences, which drives even more business. Remember: it’s all about offering something new that no other store in the area can provide. Be creative, and consider polling your customers to see what kind of experiences they’d like to have in your store.

Marketing is an important part of your success, and while traditional marketing methods have been proven, there’s nothing truly special about them that will separate you from your competitors. Experiential marketing, on the other hand, wows your customers and provides them with long-lasting positive memories that will keep them coming back.