Enhancing your retail precinct

It's important to have a clear understanding of your precinct’s brand. This will be the foundation of your promotional materials and activities. opens in a new tab

Your marketing should communicate your unique offering through creative storytelling.

Tips for promoting your precinct

• Form a local business group so businesses with shared interests can work collectively to promote the precinct. Use the 'Importance of collaboration' toolkit module for help with how to do this.
• Reach out to schools, community groups and parent groups to highlight reasons to visit the precinct.
• Find out how to develop a marketing plan to help your precinct stand out. Use the 'Promoting your precinct' toolkit module for help with this.
• Encourage businesses in the street to use the free Google Business Profileopens in a new tab listings to provide opening hours, contact information, website and social media links and photos. The ‘offers’ functionality can also be used for promotions or coupon codes.
• Seek promotion through publications such as:
  • The Urban Listopens in a new tab
  • The Weekend Editionopens in a new tab
  • Broadsheetopens in a new tab
  • Must Do Brisbaneopens in a new tab
  • Style Magazineopens in a new tab
  • Concrete Playgroundopens in a new tab

• Engage a digital provider to enhance an existing digital presence or build a new one.
• Encourage the ‘Support local’ experience through a shop local campaign, which could include letterbox drop to surrounding communities.
• Promote the precinct through local Facebook community pages.
• Share stories: Make short videos that businesses can use on their own social channels or on business group social channels, focusing on:
  • celebrating longstanding businesses in the precinct
  • highlighting destination businesses that have potential to bring new customers to the area
  • sharing the business story of any local business that creates positive social impact
• Promote businesses and events on the Brisbane appopens in a new tab that provides a one-stop destination for things to see and do in Brisbane.

Access support to enhance the quality, performance and distinctiveness of businesses in your precinct.

Where to find support

• Emergency preparedness for business: Find information on developing risk mitigation and business continuity plans.
• Business recycling consultations: Access free consultation to improve way the business manages waste and resources.
• Graffiti management for small business: Get advice and assistance from graffiti liaison officers, including individual graffiti assessment on your property.
• Connect with mentors at the Brisbane Business Hub or through the Queensland Government Mentoring for Growth programopens in a new tab.opens in a new tab
• Attend free business events to build new skills, learn from industry experts, connect with local businesses and discover the suite of free Council support services on offer.
• Check the Queensland Government Grants Finderopens in a new tab and the Australian Government grants systemopens in a new tab to see if there are any grants that may be suitable for your business.

Updating or refreshing the look of an area can help to re-energise your precinct and draw customers back to explore.

Tips for refreshing your precinct

• Organise a 'sign squad' to encourage or arrange removal of signs that no longer serve existing businesses.
• Decorate vacant tenancies or construction hoarding to improve streetscapes and amenity.
• Run a Clean Up eventopens in a new tab.
• Arrange for an artist to decorate any unpainted traffic signal boxes through the Artforce Brisbane program.
• Putting some greenery, such as planter boxes or hanging baskets, out the front of businesses can provide a splash of colour and improve street appeal.
• Adding a welcome mat is a small, affordable change that makes customers feel invited.
• Encourage businesses to change window displays regularly to keep passers-by interested in the store and eager to see what will be displayed next.
• Supply a bowl of water and somewhere to tether a dog are great ways to invite dog-loving customers to the precinct.
• Use seasonal décor to celebrate the holidays (but make sure it’s taken down in a timely manner).

Facilitating events and activities can create more to see and do in your precinct.

Ideas for activations

• Activate vacant premises with pop-up shops or art decals.
• Incorporate an installation to attract new customers and provide Instagram-ready moments. This can prompt customers to share photos of the installation, contributing to promotion for the business.
• Events are good ways to engage with the local community and new customers. Find out how to organise a precinct event.
• Work with other businesses for collaboration activities, for example shopping trails and progressive dinners. 
• Business associations can apply for precinct promotion and activation sponsorship to support activation events (3-month lead time required).
• Engage with schools and/or community groups to display artwork or perform in the precinct.