The folks over at ClickRain are always an excellent source of insight when it comes to online marking. It’s kind of what they do. As such, when they put out a list of predictions for the upcoming year, it is wise to listen. Here’s what I heard.
Social media is, of course, expected to stay in the limelight when it comes to online content. While its importance has been realized for a long time to people in the know, not everyone has yet embraced it. Soon, even the stogy old service station will use Twitter and every local café will need a Facebook fan page. If they don’t start using social media soon, they will be left out in the dust.
Unfortunately for my home-town grocery store, simply using social media isn’t enough: one must understand how it works for it to be effective. All business, even ones with established web presences, need to understand where their online customers are coming from, what they are doing there, and why. By knowing the customer, it is possible to constantly improve what the message says, where it is put, and when it is most effective.
However, not all is bleak and dreary for the little guy. Of all people, it is local businesses and retailers that utilize text messaging to its full potential. Mobile couponing and other text-based offers are quickly gaining widespread acceptance, and they are fantastic methods of building consumer loyalty.
It is important for everyone to embrace the new. Twitter is quickly becoming a primary means of communication; it is foolish not to utilize it. Try putting your twitter handle on your business card.
But that is not to say one should throw away the old. Email is long from dead, and it remains one of the best ways to accurately reach consumers. Sometimes it is overshadowed by the new guys, but the world is a long way from being able to ditch email altogether.
Finally, businesses will need to focus on building not just sales and loyalty, but also on reputation. Even the most loyal customer can be instantly put off if something unfortunate gets into the mainstream. By building a strong brand image and maintaining it, such shocks will not cause the catastrophic failure that it might have.
As even the fine folks over at ClickRain, it is impossible to predict what will happen in the future. New, better, and more exciting ideas are sure to come in the years ahead, but following these tips will only help when that time comes.
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