4 Ways Marketing Automation Can Boost Online Sales, Store Visits And Customer Loyalty

It’s been a year unlike any for several retail brands. And while physical stores will have most likely taken a hit as they continue in their recovery, ecommerce has soared during the global crisis.

 

We are pleased to feature top insights in our guest post from Adam Oldfield, Managing Director of retail marketing automation specialist Force24.

 

So how can industry marketers ensure they’re communicating with customers in the right way when everything seems so unpredictable?

Online shopping continues to increase especially during a year that’s been turned upside down by COVID-19. In March alone, as the UK went into lockdown, the Office for National Statistics revealed that digital sales reached a record high of 22.3%.

So, there’s a critical opportunity for retailers to capitalise on – and here’s where marketing, and automated technology, can play a vital role.

 

 

Whether communicating via social media, email, direct mail or SMS, delivering ultra-personalised messages that land perfectly can prove to be the difference when brands are searching for that all-important competitive advantage – at a time when they need it the most.

Here are four ways that marketing departments can engage customers in their ecommerce offering.

 

1. Get on a deeper level with your customers

 

It sounds obvious but building an understanding with shoppers means you can nurture relationships through tailored comms that are personalised to their of-the-moment interests and online behaviours.

Providing the content that leads to repeat purchases is a bit of a ‘holy grail’ moment for many marketers – and that’s where cart abandonment emails and ‘batch and blast’ style copy might not cut the mustard.

If a shopper hasn’t bought what’s in their basket, the answer isn’t always to replay that back to them. Instead, delivering rich value-led content swiftly – and when they’re most engaged – can really transform a cold prospect into a warm lead.

 

2. Utilise the insight to your advantage

 

Information is all around us – and it’s right there to be used. So, do it! Tapping into the detail that matters most to a customer, by analysing attitudinal behaviours, can prove to be the difference. Audience segmentation reporting is a retail marketer’s best friend in this instance!

Dissecting a consumer’s browsing engagement is critical – it can provide the data required to understand their budget, evolving buying habits and what they’re interested in there and then. Once you glean this detail, it should help to shape your hyper-personalised content that fuels a purchase. If you fail to react to such insight that’s right there at your fingertips, it could result in a lost sale and lead to a competitor stealing a march.

 

3. Spend time on who the more ‘avid’ buyers are

 

Utilising lead scoring – placing an ‘imaginary’ number above a shopper’s head to represent how engaged they are – is absolutely vital for retail marketers in today’s ecommerce-led world. It’s no longer about a ‘catch-all’ mentality, things have to be tailored and proactive when interacting with a recipient.

When you know who really buys into your brand, you can deliver more focus on digital comms as a result. Lead scoring is something that’s been around in marketing for a while but not everyone does it. So, is now the time for your retail organisation to tap into its vast powers?

 

4. Listen to your audience

 

Of course, without a band of ‘brand advocates’ your products or services may start gathering dust. And if you’re sending them irrelevant information – or detail based on older purchasing habits – they’ll soon tune out and spend their money elsewhere.

That’s because you’re showing that you’re not really understanding them. If you were, you’d be telling shoppers exactly what looks or feels good – you’re a leader in their eyes and they want their retailer to provide them with all the detail they need to encourage a purchase.

Yes, this is all very much an ‘ideal scenario’ but if you plug in savvy marketing automation platforms – this kind of technology can assist and drive the comms you create. It enables seamless customer sequences and helps marketers to connect with their audience on a more granular level. So, have you considered martech?

 

 

myCloud Media are Platinum Partners for Force24 and assist with onboarding to the platform as well as creating and managing marketing campaigns on behalf of clients. 

Learn more about how Force24 and Marketing Automation can help with your business success.