Competing for customers’ attention is an ongoing challenge for today’s retailers. Standing out requires a marketing strategy that works across channels to meet fast-changing customer expectations. Retailers that can engage in real time with the right message can retain customers and create better customer experiences, giving them a distinct advantage. Let's explore how retailers can improve engagement with personalization, automation, and mobile marketing strategies.   

Focus on the customer journey

 

Use data to improve personalization. To get the full picture of your customers, utilize first-and zero-party data. This data doesn’t rely on external sources, and because it’s information that customers are willing to share, you can use it to create engaging, personalized campaigns. The right MarTech tools can help you leverage this data effectively to increase revenue growth and retention.

 

Gain a 360-degree-view of customers. Connecting with customers across channels is only valuable if these experiences are consistent and seamless. Technology solutions offering centralized data can help you provide a more consistent experience. With a 360-degree-view of your customers, you can seamlessly manage customer interactions throughout their journey.

 

Profitable touchpoints are everywhere. To win in retail, you have to be able to scale your marketing communications across multiple channels in a timely way. Automation and cross-channel journey creation can make it easier for marketers to manage and realize ROI.

 

Establishing a multichannel and cross-channel experience. The customer journey is no longer linear. Leveraging all the channels and touchpoints available to you is critical to your success. Reach your customers where they prefer to shop (marketplaces, social media, online, or in-person) and use methods that match how they want to engage with you at different points in their journey.

 

Build community among customers. One of the best marketing strategies for retailers is to host an active customer community. Brands excel when they build forums, social media communities, or virtual and in-person meeting spaces where their customer community can engage, sharing photos, and gathering intel on products from other customers.

 

Don’t fall short in the last mile: Every detail counts. It’s important to avoid common pitfalls. Every detail counts. The experience needs to be seamless and effortless, so your customer actually makes a purchase – and comes back again in the future.

 

Embrace the power of mobile marketing

Email isn’t your only option for keeping customers engaged. SMS and mobile push notifications can be an engaging and convenient channel for timely marketing messages. A mobile-driven strategy can transform how your brand engages with customers all along the customer journey. Thinking about implementing an SMS strategy? Keep these best practices in mind.   

• Keep it concise. One or two sentences to get your message across is all it takes. 
• Focus your audience by only using one link or CTA. Decide your primary goal and keep it simple. 
• Timing and frequency are everything. Since text messages are typically read within minutes, you’ll want the message to coincide with the action you’re hoping the recipient will take.  
• Leverage automation. Using SMS messages that are triggered based on a time sequence, account change, or behavioral event are critical to creating highly relevant, efficient mobile marketing campaigns.  
• Don’t overuse SMS. A safe rule of thumb is to send between two and four texts per month. 

 

Build customer relationships that last

 

Access to behavioral data provides a deeper understanding of customers and an opportunity to deliver more impactful, targeted campaigns. By optimizing journeys based on customer needs, preferences, intent, and behavior, marketers can create a brand-consistent customer experience across multiple channels. A powerful customer engagement platform provides marketers with the behavioral insights they need, along with the automation capabilities that can improve the productivity of their team, reduce the amount of effort it takes to launch and monitor campaigns, and reach audiences with real-time communications. 

 

To learn more ways to succeed in the industry, download our book, Building customer loyalty in retail and ecommerce.