The value of human interaction in business is as important as ever today.
Marketers need to incorporate PR, advertising, traditional and direct marketing into their multi-channel campaigns if they want to be consumer-centric. It is important to produce different types of campaigns and allow many ways to exchange ideas. The cookie-cutter model of marketing is out – what works for one consumer/client may not work for another. Consumer behavior changes and as marketers, we have to adjust and adapt to their needs (or as Michael Scott from The Office would say “Adapt, react, re-adapt, act”).
To remain fully engaged in the customer experience marketers must be present in the entire process – from the beginning to POP (point-of-purchase) or POS (point-of-sale). Here are a few tips to stay current:
- Follow the consumer along their purchasing journey - build trust and cultivate deeper relationships between marketers and consumers.
- Position your business as industry experts - be relevant and appeal to different types of consumers (not just the computer or social media savvy).
- Enhance the experience – consumers expect to be engaged through rich, interactive media but they don’t want to be bombarded with heavy content.
- Be available and flexible to answer questions or reply to comments - customer service will continue to be one of the most important aspects of your business.
I’ve said it before, but consumer power will continue to grow. Customers can provide your business some really exciting and unique ideas to help your business grow. Loyal customers want to help the brands they buy/love to keep them alive.
The most important thing we can do as marketers is listen to our customers. After all, the best marketers are the best listeners.
