When we think of marketing, we tend to think of things like aesthetic branding, digital advertising, and maybe even a jingle.
However, when we remember that two of the biggest goals of marketing are to create an emotional reaction and build a lasting memory, we realize that sight and sound are not the only senses marketing should appeal to.
What Is Scent Marketing? Everything You Need to Know
Our sense of smell can produce one of the strongest emotional reactions in the shortest amount of time. In fact, the scent is very closely linked with both emotion and memory.
This is where scent marketing comes in. If you’ve never heard of it or you want to find out more about how it works, you’ve come to the right place.
Read on to learn everything you need to know about scent marketing. We’ll look at what it is, how you can start using it, and why it’s worth your while.
What Is Scent Marketing?
Scent marketing is exactly what it sounds like. It is an appeal to the olfactory senses in a way that will speak to your branding, complement your other marketing strategies, and reach your target audience.
Ultimately, the goal is to engage your customers’ or buyers’ senses in a way that will help them build a faster, more positive relationship with your brand or business. It is a simple and effective way to enhance the shopping, browsing, or buying experience.
We’ll look at some of the benefits in more detail later on, but first, let’s talk about some of the ways that you can start using scent marketing in your own marketing strategy.
How Do You Use Scent Marketing?
Who can take advantage of developing a scent marketing strategy? Any business professional who interacts with customers or buyers in a physical space can start using scent to build their brand.
Industries that can especially benefit from scent marketing are retail, concessions, and real estate. All of these industries create spaces that are supposed to be inviting and enticing.
Whether you sell merchandise or homes, you want your customers or buyers to stick around and have a positive experience that encourages them to move forward with a transaction.
If you’re new to scent marketing, it can benefit you to work with a company that specializes in this particular brand of marketing. It’s not always easy to determine what scent complements your pre-existing brand, and companies like ScentAir can be a huge help.
Benefits of Developing a Scent Marketing Strategy
We’ve talked about what scent marketing is and who can benefit from incorporating scent marketing into a larger marketing strategy. Now let’s talk about how you can benefit from scent marketing.
Smell Can Drive Consumer Habits
Whether you’re taking advantage of scent marketing or not, your business does have a smell. If it’s neutral, you don’t have too much to worry about, but what if it’s unpleasant? Think about how you feel when you walk into a room or building with a strange or unpleasant aroma–you probably want to turn around and leave right away.
Now think about how you feel when you walk past a bakery or a candle shop. Those smells call to you and they offer a hint as to what experiences you can have if you go inside and make a purchase.
Even if your scent marketing doesn’t directly correlate with what you have for sale, you’re still tempting customers and buyers to come in and take their time–which leads to higher conversions.
Smell Can Evoke and Form Memories
Why are we drawn to certain smells? They might remind us of a positive experience we’ve had in our past that we want to recreate in our present. They might tell us, on a subconscious level, that we’re about to form a new positive experience that we’ll cherish in the future.
In the end, smell and memory are closely linked. One of the most important things a business can do is invest in strategies that build brand awareness and recognition, which entails that a consumer knows who you are based on something like a logo. The faster that this occurs, the more quickly you can build up a base of loyal, repeat buyers.
Pairing smell with the sights, sounds, and experiences associated with your business is a great way to tap into that memory-forming part of the human brain. After visiting your shop or location once, a consumer is more likely to remember that experience and come back if they walk by a second time and catch a whiff of your marketed scent.
Good Smells Create a Positive Customer Experience
We know that people love to say that no publicity is bad publicity, but we beg to differ. Remember that brand awareness we were talking about? The last thing you want is for a consumer to remember your brand for the wrong reasons.
A good smell can help put people at ease. It can make them feel happy or calm or nostalgic, all things that are a boon to any business. Plus, the smell tends to evoke these feelings on a subconscious level, so you can help consumers to have a positive experience without making them feel like all of your marketing strategies are in their face or over the top.
Follow What the Nose Knows
Every business owner knows the importance of developing a strong marketing strategy. What fewer realize is that scent marketing is a smart, easy, and effective way to take control of their branding on a new and impactful level.
Remember, you want your marketing to engage the senses–and our sense of smell is particularly evocative!
Looking for more ways to enhance your marketing strategy and increase sales? Take a look around for tips, tricks, and studies that will help you make the most of your marketing.
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