Social Media and Pop-Up: A Powerful Dynamic for Inspiring and Driving In-Store Conversion

Social media is everywhere – on every phone, computer and tablet. It drives people’s lives, inspiring purchases, influencing sharing habits and consuming hours each day (135 minutes on average) of scrolling, liking and clicking. It’s no wonder brands try to tap into its power, and, as a result, live or die on their social media presence.

But it’s even more than just company branding. Over 50% of people who follow brands on social media do so to view products. Even more say they look to brands on social media for inspiration and for purchasing. Mobile shopping and ecommerce are enhanced by social media’s influence. And with Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and other platforms now offering click-to-buy options, social commerce is rising.

But social media is not the be-all, end-all. People still look to shop in-store. [bctt tweet=”More than purchasing opportunities, people turn to social media and pop-up for inspiration – and experiences.” username=”MeetMrPopUp”]

And nowhere do the two come together better than in pop-up retail.

Recreating Social Media

We already know pop-ups are great for offering a consumer an unforgettable experience in a temporary installation. But they can go even further by driving social media conversation – and later, purchases.

As we outlined in our blog post about popping up where the people are, consumers don’t only crave experiences. They want to share their experiences – orally with friends and visually with their followers. Creating a shareable moment rooted in aesthetics, inspiration and innovation gives your brand an opportunity to engage with customers in a manner that’s both direct and highly personal.

Glossier, a skincare and makeup line celebrating natural beauty, made social media come to life in a successful pop-up a couple of years ago. A young brand, they are taking the category by storm. Since its inception, the brand has framed its Instagram and Pinterest profile presences around their millennial pink color and artsy product photographs. In 2015, the brand took their social media accounts to real life, creating a showroom that looked and felt like the Glossier feed come to life where consumers could participate in live social media and purchase products.

Going in a completely different direction, Birdseye, the classic frozen meal and vegetable company, jumped on the trend of “food porn” and Instagramming meals with a London pop-up restaurant called “The Picture House,” where diners settled their dinner bill with an Instagram post and a branded event hashtag.

Birdseye went beyond just tapping into a popular food trend – they created a visual memory forever enmeshed with their brand name. The visitor didn’t purchase the product with monetary currency, but instead bought with social currency via a hashtag, and came away with a memorable experience to inspire future in-store transactions.

More than bringing social media to life, brands can tap into the priceless value of social media for spreading word of mouth and driving foot traffic. In the fall, Yankee Candle launched a holiday gift pop-up in trendy SoHo. The installation featured a full sensory experience, focusing on the power of scent. To raise awareness, the brand took to social media, sharing a branded #CandlePowerNYC hashtag for candle enthusiasts to follow and tweet. Yankee Candle also tapped YouTube influencers to come to the pop-up to film and get followers interested in attending.

For your brand, a social media-driven pop-up could focus on brand-aligned colors, iconography and special settings for the Instagram or Facebook photography moment. Once you have the consumer’s attention and the attention – and likes – of their followers, you have primed them to go in-store and spend.

Social media provides fantastic leverage to expand your brand presence and interest. Combining social media with pop-ups – and using social media to attract pop-up audiences – is a surefire way to reach the socially connected consumers and influence their spending habits. Partner with your audience – give your customers a one-of-a-kind ephemeral experience that will create lasting results.

Interested in learning more about combining social media and pop-ups for a powerful in-store driver? Sign up for our upcoming pop-up webinar or reach out today.