As a small business owner, one of your primary duties is to develop strategies to get more people into your store. In fact, the two most important metrics that every retailer in America should track are store traffic and basket size. If you have enough people coming through the door and they are buying things, barring tremendous waste in your operating model, your business is likely to be successful.
But how has advertising evolved, and what can you do to build an ad strategy for your store?
A Brief History of Advertising
The age-old way of getting people to your business is advertising. Advertising is one of the oldest forms of communication and persuasion and has evolved dramatically over centuries. In fact, the earliest origins of advertising were primarily verbal. Traders and merchants in ancient markets used their voices to attract customers to their wares.
Advertising first turned visual in Egypt, going back as far as 3000 BCE, where papyrus scrolls were used for sales messages and posters. In the 15th century, advertising took off following the invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg. For the first time, flyers, posters and pamphlets could be mass-produced. The first newspaper ad in America appeared in 1704 in the Boston News-Letter, offering a reward for a stolen horse.
Things began to change in the 19th century, when the first advertising agencies were formed. Moving into the 20th century, new mediums like radio and magazines began to flourish. At the same time, new research emerged around consumer behavior, and rapidly, jingles, slogans and more burst into the consumer consciousness.
The 1960s ushered in “the Creative Revolution,” an era of bold advertising led by agencies like Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB), Leo Burnett and Ogilvy. Campaigns like Volkswagen’s “Think Small” broke conventions, using humor and simplicity to connect with audiences.
The “Mad Men” had arrived on the scene. While you may never have heard of Albert Lasker, Eugene Kolkey, Carol Williams or Tom Burrell, you know their work. From Tony the Tiger to the Marlboro Man, or Coca-Cola’s “Hilltop” ad, they created iconic campaigns that have persisted to this day.
Digital Arrives on the Scene
In the modern era, digital technology has led to a revolution in advertising. Twenty-five years ago, Google’s launch of AdWords revolutionized online advertising with its pay-per-click model, allowing businesses to target consumers with unprecedented precision. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter further transformed the landscape, enabling advertisers to engage directly with audiences and leverage data-driven strategies.
Mobile advertising emerged as smartphones became ubiquitous, and programmatic advertising introduced automation to ad buying and placement. Today, technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality and influencer marketing are pushing the boundaries of what advertising can achieve.
How Digital Advertising Works: An Analogy
Imagine you own an advertising company with 10 digital billboards along a busy highway. These billboards are very popular, and 100 different companies want to advertise with you.
How do you decide which of the 100 companies get to advertise?
You set up an auction. Companies willing to pay the most get the most time on your billboards. But it’s not that simple.
To keep earning top dollar, you need to ensure a great audience keeps driving along your highway. If the experience is bad—say the billboards are controversial or offensive—people might avoid your highway altogether, making your billboards less valuable. So, you set limits to avoid advertisers that could harm the user experience.
You also know that for companies to keep advertising with you, their billboards need to work. You don’t want empty billboards, and you want advertisers to see great results.
So, you create a system. You don’t just take the highest bidders. You prioritize ads that are likely to perform well, avoid anything too controversial, and give the best-performing ads more billboards and longer exposure.
In addition, you match ads to the right audience. For example, you place ads for heartburn remedies and fried chicken near truck stops, while ads for makeup go near shopping malls. Using AI, you figure out who’s most likely to see and respond to an ad, and you target only those people. In some cases, this means certain ads are seen by more people, based on the popularity of that part of the highway.
That’s how digital advertising works. Most ad providers don’t just favor the highest-paying advertisers. They prioritize ad quality, audience relevance, and overall user experience to ensure the platform stays engaging for its users. If ads are irrelevant or poorly designed, people might tune out—and that’s bad for everyone.
9 Ways to Create an Advertising Strategy for Your Store
1. Define Your Brand and Target Audience
Your brand is your identity. What makes your health food store unique? Are you known for organic produce, locally sourced goods or specialty supplements? Define what sets you apart and build your advertising around that identity. In prior issues of Vitamin Retailer, I’ve outlined methodologies for defining your brand that can help you with this process. They are available for free on vitaminretailer.com.
Next, identify your target audience. Who are your ideal customers? Are they health-conscious Millennials, parents seeking better options for their families, or seniors focused on wellness? Understanding your audience’s preferences and habits will help you create ads that resonate.
Tell your audience what they value and customize the story for your audience. If your store is in a golfing community, a more effective ad might be “Advice and supplements to improve your golf swing” rather than “buy vitamins.”
2. Set Clear Goals
What do you want your advertising to achieve? Clear goals will guide your strategy and help you measure success. Common goals include: increasing foot traffic, boosting sales of specific products, building brand awareness and growing your social media following.
3. Choose the Right Advertising Channels
Not all advertising channels are equal, especially for small businesses with limited budgets. Here are a few options to consider:
• Social Media: Platforms like Instagram and Facebook are ideal for sharing photos, promotions and customer stories. Use targeted ads to reach local audiences.
• Local Partnerships: Collaborate with nearby gyms, yoga studios or wellness centers to cross-promote your store.
• Email Marketing: Build a mailing list to share weekly specials, events and wellness tips.
• In-store Advertising: Use signage, flyers and displays to promote new products or highlight your values.
• Local Media: Advertise in community newspapers, radio stations, or local blogs that reach your audience.
4. Create Engaging Content
Content is the heart of effective advertising. Use visuals like high-quality photos and videos to grab attention and make your ads memorable.
Focus on creating messages that educate, inspire and connect with your audience. For example: share health tips or recipes featuring your products, highlight your commitment to sustainability or local sourcing or run targeted promotions like “10 percent off your first visit” to attract new customers.
5. Leverage Customer Testimonials
Word of mouth is powerful, especially in the health food industry. Feature positive customer reviews and testimonials in your ads to build trust and credibility. If you have Google or Yelp reviews, these can be simple yet highly effective ads.
6. Engage Your Community
Health food stores thrive on local support. Engage your community by hosting events like cooking classes, wellness workshops, or product tastings. Brand lectures can still be effective—but think of your audience. Would more people be interested in “A Lecture on the Human Microbiome” or a “Wine Tasting Featuring Exquisite Local Wines”? (You can still talk about the microbiome during the wine tasting!)
Participation with local charities, sponsoring events and attending community activities is essential. Whenever there’s an event in your area with vendor tents, your store should be present. Give out samples, coupons and invitations to visit your store.
Influencers aren’t just on Instagram. Who are your local influencers? Medspas, doctors, preachers and others often advise people on their health. Collaborate with these “local influencers” who align with your values.
7. Monitor and Adjust
Track the performance of your advertising efforts. Use tools like Google Analytics for your website, insights from social media platforms, or customer feedback to determine what’s working. Be ready to adjust your strategy based on what you learn.
8. Stay Consistent
Consistency is key in advertising. Keep your branding, messaging, and visuals cohesive across all channels. This helps customers recognize your store and builds trust over time. Just because you’ve seen your ad 10 times doesn’t mean your customers have. Repetition, even for months, has value if the advertisement is effective.
9. Do It With Passion
As a small health food store, you have the advantage of being personal and community-focused. Be “out of the box” in a way that your competitors never will. Embrace your passion and share it with those around you!
Finding Your Voice
If you’re looking for inspiration, check out Ed Jones, founder of Nutrition World in Chattanooga, TN. Founded in 1979, perhaps no independent retailer in the nation has better evolved to the digital landscape than this store, where Jones and his staff produce exceptional content that educates and makes a difference for tens of thousands of consumers (they boast nearly 50k followers on Instagram alone). Along the way, they celebrate their roots and values with a passion for nutrition and health.
Rather than “Old dogs can’t learn new tricks,” I prefer the phrase, “It’s never too late to learn.” If this seems overwhelming to you, that’s perfectly normal. The trick is to get started. Think of advertising like a small experiment. Try something.
Here’s an interesting anecdote for your next dinner party: In 1988, Dan Wieden, co-founder of the advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy, was tasked with creating a campaign for Nike that would unify the brand’s diverse range of athletic products and resonate with a broad audience. During this process, Wieden was inspired by the final words of Gary Gilmore, a convicted murderer executed in 1977. Before facing a firing squad, Gilmore reportedly said, “Let’s do it.”
Wieden found these words striking but slightly altered them to “Just Do It” to give the phrase a motivational, action-oriented tone that aligned with Nike’s brand ethos of athletic performance and determination. The rest is history.
When it comes to advertising for your store, “Just Do It!” Try something. You might be surprised by the results.VR
Ryan Sensenbrenner leads marketing at Enzymedica, Inc. With extensive expertise in various marketing fields, including retail and e-commerce, he places a special emphasis on branding and customer centricity. Sensenbrenner has collaborated with retailers nationwide, enhancing their marketing strategies to boost revenue and brand recognition in their communities. He serves on SENPA’s Board of Directors, holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Grand Valley State University, and is an Executive Scholar and Certified Chief Marketing Officer from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Business.
