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In today's fast-paced digital world, traditional marketing strategies are no longer enough to attract and retain customers. Things have moved on so you need to work even harder just to keep up.
The modern consumer is more informed and more tech-savvy than ever, but they also have a shorter attention span than ever before. The choice they have now spans the globe so if they're not finding what they want, they'll soon go elsewhere.
How Marketing To The Modern Consumer Is Good For Your Business
With the advent of the internet, no longer are consumers limited to shopping locally, the whole world is their shop window, so you need to think bigger to reach further.
This wealth of information available to them has meant that consumers have grown to demand more personalised and more innovative marketing tactics that engage them on an emotional level and provide them with a seamless shopping experience tailored for them.
Blanket, wide-reaching, cookie-cutter marketing campaigns won't have the same impact when your competition is so fierce and attracting attention is so tough. The marketing world has changed, so you must too.
To succeed in this evolving environment, businesses must understand their target audience and develop marketing strategies that appeal to their unique preferences and needs.
I've been working in marketing for over 20 years and in that time I've seen trends come and go, 'the next big thing' disappear as quickly as it came and witness the marketing landscape change beyond all recognition.
In this blog, I will explore the importance of personalised and innovative marketing tactics in today's market and provide tips for businesses like yours to effectively reach and engage modern consumers.
Why Personalisation is Key
Personalisation has become a critical element in modern marketing strategies. Consumers are inundated with information from various sources, from emails to social media, and they have become increasingly adept at filtering out irrelevant content.
Generic advertising is just a finger swipe away from never being seen again.
Personalisation allows businesses to cut through the noise and deliver tailored messages to individual consumers, increasing the likelihood of engagement and conversion.
Personalised marketing also improves the overall customer experience. By providing customers with personalised recommendations and promotions, businesses can enhance their shopping experience and build customer loyalty.
Personalisation can also help businesses gain insights into customer behaviour and preferences, which can inform future marketing strategies, but what techniques can you use to personalise your messaging?
Make It Data-Driven
One of the most effective ways to personalise marketing is through the use of data, but to build a fully-fledged marketing strategy from it, you need data... a lot of data.
Data-driven marketing used to be the sole preserve of large, corporate-focussed marketing agencies, but no longer.
By collecting and analysing customer data, businesses can gain fascinating insights into their behaviour, preferences and needs, no matter what size of business they are.
Social media insights, website analytics and purchase history are all readily available and can give you some incredible insights into visitors and customers. This data can then be used to create targeted marketing campaigns that are relevant to individual customers.
For example, if you are a clothing retailer can use customer purchase history to recommend products that are similar to past purchases, or to offer promotions on items that are frequently purchased. Although it's important not to use data to be invasive and to stay on the right side of GDPR. How you manage your data is just as important as how you use it.
A snapshot of data may not give you much to work on, but make it part of your KPIs to track regularly and you'll soon begin to collect a wealth of information that you can use to make informed decisions about all aspects of your marketing.
Think Location-Based
Another effective way to personalise marketing is through the use of location-based marketing. By using geolocation data, businesses can send targeted messages to consumers based on their location.
For example, a restaurant can send a push notification to customers who are within a certain distance, offering a discount on their next visit or, even on a more granular level, it can be used to target shoppers when they enter particular aisles. This is known as beaconing.
This type of geo-focussed marketing is particularly effective for businesses with a physical location, as it can drive foot traffic, increase sales and deliver more relevant (and therefore more personalised) advertising.
Innovative Marketing Tactics
In addition to personalisation, businesses must also use innovative marketing tactics to stand out in today's market.
Thinking outside the marketing box by using innovative marketing tactics can really capture consumer attention and create a memorable brand experience. They also offer ways you can stand out from the competition.
I understating that they may not all be suitable for you and your business, but I hope there's something here you can leverage.
That said, if you are looking for some innovative marketing tactics that you can use to engage modern consumers why not try:
Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing is a popular tactic that, as the name suggests, involves partnering with social media influencers to promote products or services.
Influencers will have large followings on social media and can provide businesses with access to their audience which often runs into millions.
Obviously, the bigger their audience, the more it might cost you, but often finding new 'up and coming' influencers might help you find long-term partners who can grow with you.
This type of marketing is particularly effective for businesses targeting younger demographics, as influencers often have a strong influence on their followers' purchasing decisions.
Interactive Content
Interactive content is a type of content that requires active participation from the consumer. This can include quizzes, polls, games, and surveys. This interaction creates engagement, which in turn also helps to push your brand into areas where you may not normally frequent.
Interactive content is highly engaging and can create a memorable brand experience, especially for those who may not normally have heard of you. They will initially just come for the interaction, but it gives you the opportunity to introduce yourself to a whole new audience.
Again, this type of content is particularly effective for businesses targeting younger demographics who are accustomed to interactive experiences, but not exclusively so. Depending on the event, you can target all ages with the right marketing and hit a whole range of demographics.
Experiential Marketing
Experiential marketing involves creating a memorable brand experience for consumers. This can include pop-up events, product demonstrations, and interactive installations, in other words, something they can experience.
Experiential marketing is highly effective for creating a lasting impression and building brand awareness because it's tangible, something that isn't covered by more traditional marketing campaigns they will see everywhere. It also allows you to make experiences that are fun, photogenic, hashtag-friendly, have the potential to go 'viral' and, above all else, be unique to you and your brand.
This type of marketing could involve a pop-up shop, an event or a guerilla marketing campaign.
Whatever it might be, there are things you need in place first. Whilst the 'thing' might be experiential, the planning is very ordinary.
To make it a success you'll need to know your target audience, set goals for yourself on what you're hoping to achieve, coordinate across multiple channels/platforms and, above all else, make it a memorable experience for people.
The real benefit of this kind of marketing is that it can be anything you want it to be. Naturally, you'll want to promote your product or service, but it doesn't have to be just that. You can use them to connect with other partners, support local communities or raise funds for a local charity. Get your creative juices flowing and you can experience real success from it.
Social Media Stories
Social media stories have become an increasingly popular way for businesses to engage with consumers. Stories are short-form content that disappears after 24 hours and can include images, videos, and text. Stories are highly engaging and can create a sense of urgency for consumers to act.
Conclusion
"He who withholds grain, the people will curse him, But blessing will be on the head of him who sells it." - Proverbs 11:26
These are just some of the ways you can reach today's consumers. It can't be exhaustive, because many of the amazing ways to reach people in the 21st century may not have even been thought of yet. That's the joy of it. It's a game that never ends, but its success starts with you.
In today's market, businesses need to think bigger and go further than their competitors, because they're already doing it.
You can use personalised and innovative marketing tactics like these to effectively reach and engage modern consumers and make them long-term customers.
Personalisation allows firms to deliver tailored messages that are relevant to them that cut through the noise and banality they see everywhere else.
In the past, most brands and customers have a relationship that only lasts as long as it takes to get what they ordered, but times have changed and consumers want more. To have a chance of succeeding in a global marketplace, we have to change with them.
The future is already here, and you better believe you can be a part of it. #BelieveInSuccess
We'd love to know what you think. Has your business used any of these techniques to reach new customers? What worked for you? Have you tried something new that we've missed that's worked very well? Let us know in the comments below.
If you need any help with your next marketing campaign or are looking for a partner to help plan your next pop-up event, convention or business conference, the team at P45 Consultancy are here to help you.
Take a look at our dedicated page and then complete the form below to see how we can work together to create something truly memorable.
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