Tackle Trade World - January 2024

FEATURE
Marketing
NEW YEAR, NEW
MARKETING STRATEGY
Keeping your customers makes perfect sense. After all, it’s far easier to retain existing buyers
than spend time and resource on finding new ones. So how does customer retention work?
Media expert John Hunter has some answers.
Creating a marketing strategy the
coming year will undoubtedly
require a combination of
traditional and digital marketing
efforts to attract and retain customers. Here
are some ideas to help you get started…
SET CLEAR GOALS: Define your specific
marketing goals. Are you looking to increase
sales, expand your customer base, launch
new products, or improve brand awareness?
Having clear goals will guide your strategy.
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE: Understand your
target audience. Are they professional anglers,
beginners, casual fishing enthusiasts or
visitors from out of town? What are their
preferences, demographics and behaviours?
COMPETITOR ANALYSIS: Identify what your
competitors are doing well and where you
can differentiate yourself. Look for gaps in
the market that you can exploit.
NEW PRODUCT LAUNCHES: If you have new
tackle hitting your shelves, plan a launch
campaign. Tease the products through social
media and e-mail marketing before the
release.
SEASONAL PROMOTIONS: Take advantage
of the seasons when fishing is most popular.
Offer promotions and discounts on relevant
products. For example, winter may be a good
time to promote ice fishing gear.
CONTENT MARKETING: Create informative
and engaging content. This can include
how-to guides, videos, blog posts and social
media updates. Share tips, tricks and stories
42 www.tackletradeworld.com
to engage your audience.
SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING: Use platforms
like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to
connect with your audience. Share photos,
videos and posts related to fishing, and
engage with your followers.
E-MAIL MARKETING: Build an e-mail list of
customers and potential customers. Send out
regular newsletters with product updates,
fishing tips and exclusive offers. Remember
to get their permission.
SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMISATION (SEO):
Optimise your website for search engines
so that potential customers can find you
easily. Focus on fishing-related keywords and
phrases.
PAY-PER-CLICK ADVERTISING (PPC): Run
targeted PPC campaigns, especially on
Google Ads, to drive traffic to your website.
Use specific keywords to attract potential
customers.
INFLUENCER PARTNERSHIPS: Collaborate
with influencers and experts. They can
promote your products to a dedicated
following. Ensure that the influencers align
with your brand values.
LOCAL SEO: If you have a physical store,
optimise it for local search. Ensure your
business is listed accurately on platforms like
Google My Business.
CUSTOMER LOYALTY PROGRAMS: Reward
your repeat customers with loyalty programs,
discounts or exclusive access to new products.
USER-GENERATED CONTENT: Encourage
your customers to share their fishing
experiences with your products. Share
user-generated content on your website and
social media.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Get involved
in local fishing events, sponsor tournaments
and engage with fishing clubs and
organisations in your area.
ANALYTICS AND MONITORING: Regularly
monitor your marketing efforts. Use tools
like Google Analytics and social media
insights to track the performance of your
campaigns.
FEEDBACK AND IMPROVEMENT: Collect
feedback from your customers and make
necessary improvements based on their
suggestions. This shows that you value their
input.
Remember to tailor your marketing
strategy to your unique brand and target
audience. By implementing these tactics,
you can create an effective marketing
strategy to boost your fishing tackle retail
business in the coming year.
• John Hunter is the director of HunterMedia,
a global PR, marketing and events consultancy
with more than 25 years of tackle industry
experience.
Hunter Media
john@hunter-media.co.uk
www.huntermedia.co.uk