Field note 2 / practical guide

How to recruit merchants for a campaign

The best merchant invitation answers the practical question first: what will we need to do, and why is this useful for our customers?

Make the ask specific

Explain the campaign name, dates, participating businesses, and the role of the merchant. Include a short description of the QR display and where it should be placed.

A sample invitation

Subject: Join our local discovery campaign\n\nWe are inviting local businesses to join [campaign name], a coordinated promotion running [dates]. Participating businesses will receive campaign materials and a short set of participation instructions. Reply by [date] if you would like to be included.

  • Campaign purpose and audience
  • Start and end dates
  • QR placement and staff briefing
  • Where shoppers can see the full rules
  • Organizer contact for questions

Brief the team

Keep the staff briefing short. Show the QR display, explain the shopper-facing invitation, and make clear what the campaign records. Contact verification is not automatically marketing permission.

Promote together

Give merchants a small set of approved messages for social posts, email, window signs, and event listings. A shared campaign name and date make the invitation recognizable across the district.

Close the loop

After the campaign, share the participation view that is available and invite merchant feedback separately. Avoid claiming sales lift without separately collected evidence.