June 4, 2015 |

Anna Lawrence

Maneuvering A Consumer Driven Market

You already know that today’s consumer has more decision-making power than ever before. After all, you are one. We have more brands to choose from. We can purchase online or in-store. When shopping online we have numerous devices with which to do so.

You already know that today’s consumer has more decision-making power than ever before. After all, you are one. We have more brands to choose from. We can purchase online or in-store. When shopping online we have numerous devices with which to do so. And if we are researching a product or company, there’s the company website, online research and social media – just to name a few. So why do so many businesses still operate as if traditional push media alone is the driver behind branding and sales? It’s time to re-evaluate your marketing strategy.

If you want to win consumers today, you have to build the experience.

But I don’t mean the customer service experience, which by now should be a given – and yet sadly, is not. Let’s just state the obvious – delivering exceptional customer service must be a priority with each and every encounter a customer has with your brand. And if you are not making sure every one of your associates understands this, then stop reading now and figure out that.

For those who are still with us, what other experience factors are talking about?

  • The relatable experience. It all starts with understanding your customer. Are you taking the time to really understand them so you can provide an experience that is desirable? For instance, why are they at your business? What do they like about it, and just as importantly, what don’t they? What do they ultimately hope to accomplish with your product or service and why? What is their lifestyle like and what do they do with their spare time? If you truly want to provide an experience that resonates with customers, you have to first learn how to relate to them.
  • The valuable experience. What can you offer as part of your brand experience that your customer would consider valuable? Would a new mother appreciate a nice waiting room with a big screen TV, or would they rather have the ability to call ahead and book for faster service? Does a corporate executive want their fifth service free, or would they rather know that when the work is done, someone will deliver it to them? Providing real value to customers is a loyalty builder to be reckoned with.
  • The outward focus experience. Is the experience you offer really about your customer, or is it about you? It’s natural as human beings to prefer to focus on ourselves, and business owners are typically the worst offenders. Ever been to a doctor’s office with medical trade publications in the waiting room? Reverse your focus and be surprised what you actually see.

It’s important also not to neglect the experience of your advertising. One of the biggest mistakes advertisers make is using marketing messages all about themselves. The truth of the matter is, no one really cares what you do, or how long you’ve been doing it. They don’t care how you do it  or or why. What they do care about, is how any of that affects them, and how you will make their life better because of it.

And finally, when it comes to choosing your message delivery, go to the customers instead of expecting them to come to you. There are a multitude of options on where we get our information, and that means it is not enough to just utilize traditional push media. Effective media strategy today should utilize a combination of traditional and non-traditional mediums in order to be in the places where your customers are seeking you.

Begin to focus on the experience you can deliver to your customer and you will quickly see that all of your marketing efforts will be magnified.