Making a large purchase can be difficult and looking to others for advice often reduces the stress in making that decision. With over 4 billion users on Facebook alone, online spaces are fast becoming the leading resource in reviews of and recommendations for products and brands.
Some of the most successful considered purchase brands engage with their consumers in the online space. Whether that space is social media, forums, or even their own website, it’s this interaction that makes them excel in their market through the gathering of information, assets, and the building of trust. This is something you don’t want to slide, as it reflects your brand’s overall reputation, and taking advantage of these opportunities will help boost your ROI.
Use incentives to build brand loyalty and repeat customers.
Every time something new hits the market, it’s shortly followed by everyone marketing their own versions. So how do you keep your customers? One of the easiest things to do is to address the long-term customers you have now and reward them. Offering anniversary discounts or incentives is a great way to encourage their repeat purchases. Make the repeat purchase process easier and less stressful by offering the customer the chance to work with the same rep or team. And don’t forget the power of reviews:
81% of consumers can confirm that their buying decisions are directly influenced by reviews and their friends’ direct recommendations on Facebook.
Don’t miss this low-hanging fruit while planting the seeds for new customers.
Ask for feedback to improve processes and targeting.
Engagement doesn’t have to be complicated—simple polls on Facebook and Instagram stories are a great way to ask for feedback from consumers. This gives you the opportunity to not only get from-the-field intel on your product or service, but also allows you to feed more entries into the top end of your sales funnel. In most cases, you can retarget these engaged consumers with offers specifically tailored to them that move them further down the funnel. It’s a win-win - consumers get to offer feedback and you receive information on how to improve your processes and optimize your targeting while building your customer database.
Leverage user-generated content.
If you’ve ever seen a GoPro ad, you were probably wowed by the amazing video of extreme sports and beautiful outdoor locations. If you’re like me, you were ready to go out to the store and buy one of these cameras so you could go on amazing adventures and see exciting places, too. These amazing shots are all user-generated content.
While your product or service may not be as exciting as rock climbing in the Alps or surfing huge waves in Hawaii, it still may offer some life-changing benefits. Have Bill tell his story about how a mattress from your store helped ease his back pain and allowed him to go back to work. Have Jessica tell her story about how she was able to go to her dream college out of town because of the car loan your dealership got approved.
This is the best advertising you could possibly ask for if you look for it. 77% of consumers prefer to see user-generated content on Instagram over professionally shot photos. Take the time to talk to your consumers online and learn their stories, then ask them to contribute to your brand’s story.
Online engagement can benefit both the consumer and the brand or retailer. Use brand loyalty discounts and incentives to create repeat customers. Utilize polls to learn more about your demographic while feeding the top of your sales funnel. And, most importantly, use online engagement to learn more about who your customers are. Taking advantage of these few strategies will boost your sales and create a better atmosphere for your customers. If you want to learn more about considered purchase brands and what makes them different from impulse purchases, click here.
