Here's an exercise to challenge you small business marketers: see how you can integrate motion into your store's environment.

Remember, motion is the attention-getter; the successful small business marketer uses the motion with a specific customer action in mind.

So, Map out the Motion: determine a customer behavior you'd like to influence, and then determine how to employ motion as a first step in the process.

Is there an area of the store you'd really like to pull customers into? Perhaps there's a section that's neglected, somewhat overlooked, even by your best customers. This might actually be a region of your store that's camouflaged. These hidden' spots in your shop are safe from customer detection.

You need to change that.

One benefit of using motion is the cost: there are many effective ways to snag the customer's eye without spending oodles of money. A simple oscillating fan with some brightly-colored streamers taped to it seems almost quaint; but if it's the middle of summer and you're trying to steer customers towards the lawn chair and table umbrella display in the back of the store what better way to instantly signal the route to them? Yes, signage is important. So are seasonal, holiday, or sports-themed displays. Motion is just one more tool in you marketing toolbox.

So the exercise at hand is quite simple: keep on active alert for new motion-marketing ideas as you are out and about at other shops the next few weeks. Remember, successful marketers borrow good ideas from other industries then reconfigure them to match their own needs.

No checklist in this article. Just jot down any attention-getters you find, and then map out how they could help you in influencing a customer behavior.

Remember, the motion is the lure, but you need to have a concrete goal in mind for the motion to pull the people towards. Motion just for the sake of motion can easily lead to distraction and clutter and that wont lead to increased sales--or profits.

Remember: Brand (who you are) + Package (your Face to the Customer) + People (customers and employees) = Marketing Success.

2006 Marketing Hawks