Ever since the advent of the advertisement industry, and throughout its evolution, there have been various marketing trends that have caused a revolution in the way brands reached out to, and attracted, their customers. Now, in what is arguably the height of the digital marketing era, there are even fewer limitations to a brand’s reach, or ability to influence its customer base. From influencers, to social media campaigns, to creative hashtags, modern-day advertisement is an exercise in keeping up with the latest marketing trends to boost your business. However, a trend that can sometimes get lost in the crowd, but that is no less effective, is personalization.
Your customers want to feel like people – not a group, or target audience – but a person. As a brand, you can win more customers by tailoring experiences, products & services specific to individuals. In fact, personalization can make the difference between a brand’s success & failure.
As a retail brand, if you want to take advantage of this trend, here are some tips for you:
Create a Personal Connection
Many brands try to create and sell products based on their own knowledge, instead of what the customer is actually looking for. Today, marketing approaches that may have been successful in the past are simply not working anymore. Small things like a token, personalized gift for each new customer can go a long way. The same goes for personalized messages on special days, a message when something on their wish list goes on sale, or products based on their personal interests & shopping history.
Connect Philosophically
As humans, we tend to gravitate towards those who share similar belief systems, moral codes or those who, more simply, feel the same way we do. This can also be applied to brands looking to connect with their customers. You can, for example, share relevant and pertinent content on your social media pages that correlates with current issues.
Other examples include:
- Starting a ‘green’ initiative in which all products are shipped in recyclable materials
- Starting a local clean-up or safety initiative in the community
- Sharing content that shows your brand’s compassion for and awareness of global issues
- Sending an email to your customers (personalized by name) sharing ideas of how they can help when natural or other disasters occur (locally or globally)
All of these ideas can help you form a connection with your customers that is based on shared ideas, beliefs & human empathy, which will almost naturally make them feel more positively about your brand.
Entertain Them
People will always be naturally attracted to new and fun experiences. One way to provide your customers with an engaging experience is to harness technology – AR, VR or AI to be specific. For example, last year Target unveiled an AR feature that allowed customers to see how the items they were buying would actually look in their own homes. Needless to say, an experience so unique, yet so indisputably practical, boosted their sales by a long shot, prompting other companies like Ikea, Wayfair, and Lowe’s to jump on the bandwagon this year as well.
In closing
Generic marketing practices are simply no longer as effective as they used to be. A failing brand can find its sales soaring by incorporating personalization. A major advantage: the ease with which a company can implement it without having to do any major restructuring.
