The Covid 19 Pandemic has affected customer behaviours all over the world.
At a time where many workplaces up and and down the country have been temporarily closed and consumers have been driven indoors more frequently in a bid to combat the rising infection rates, online traffic has increased as people consume content across a plethora of digital platforms. With this change in consumer behaviours, businesses of all sizes have been prompted to re-think their marketing strategies in order to cut through the noise and engage their customers.
A recent study conducted by Ofcom showed that during lockdown 1, the average UK citizen spent a whopping 6 hours of their day online. What’s more, the vast majority of that online content will in some way be rooted in advertising or marketing a product or service. The sheer amount of content found online can at times be overwhelming.
So how do we ‘shout loudest’ and ensure our content is seen and heard amongst the melee of marketers vying for consumer attention? We’ve put together a few simple tips you may find useful for engaging your customers in 2021:
“Scrutinise the data”
First and foremost, I think we can all agree data confidentiality is paramount. So before we start on this tip, we’d obviously recommend you treat your customer data with the utmost importance in terms of confidentiality and security. Now the legal bit is out of the way, how can you leverage the data you hold on your customers to deliver the best possible product or service? We’re not suggesting you analyse to the nth degree, but there are certain trends and patterns within the analytics that can tell you a lot about the way your target audience consumes content. From the type of content that resonates with them to the devices they consume it on and the optimum times they prefer to absorb it, it can all be gleaned. It’s important to remember the goal here and not be distracted by the urge to ‘sell, sell, sell.’ We want to create engaging and thought provoking content that drives customers to our website or business don’t we? Curating that journey from content to sale, and ensuring everything inbetween equates to the best possible experience for our customers, has to be the priority.
“Make it personal”
You want your customer to feel they are your only customer. Of course, you have plenty, but its that personal experience in dealing with your business that sets you apart. You’ve analysed the trends in the data, you’ve scrutinised the patterns of behaviour and you know exactly what interests, excites and motivates your customers and the way in which they like to receive your content. According to recent direct mail statistics, 84% of consumers would be more likely to open a piece of mail if it is personalised. Personalise the enclosed pieces even further with content that speaks to the consumers interests and it shows you clearly understand what makes your customers tick.
“Try not to oversell”
This past year has been tough, in fact it’s been well reported as one of the toughest on record. The desire to increase sales and recoup some of the financial losses this pandemic has wreaked on many businesses is understandably strong. But an often forgotten element of the sales process is brand engagement. As we mentioned earlier, everyone is vying for a piece of your customers attention online right now, be it through social media advertising or live content streams. There’s a real risk of digital fatigue here. What makes your business stand out from the crowd? Perhaps instead of pushing a product or service promotion, you could give away some free industry knowledge or advice? Maybe draw attention to a project or cause you’ve been supporting that your business is passionate about. Sometimes it’s not just about the ‘sell’, it’s often more about the relationships you build and foster with your target audience. In every marketing meeting I’m sure we claim to put our customers first but in practice, are we actually doing that?
So in 2021, lets get back to basics and make sure we’re putting customers first in every facet of their journey with our businesses. If we implement that directive and ensure it’s paramount within our marketing strategy, we’re sure the new year will look a lot more positive than the last.
Thanks for taking the time to read this blog, if you require any assistance or would like to discuss your own direct mail campaigns, we’d be happy to help.
