Connect the Dots
The next generation of marketing requires a deeper level of
understanding of the consumer, something legacy tactics can’t reliably
deliver on their own. That’s why you need cookies that connect data
between sessions and device, revealing individual trends, behavior, and
areas of opportunity. But you have to remember to connect the IDs of
cookies across multiple devices that belong to a single person. From
there, you can see what the data is actually telling you about each
customer as an individual and how he or she browses and shops. With
those insights in hand, you can create more targeted campaigns that
reach consumers across platforms – treating them like people and not
simply as a series of data points collected by a cookie, which helps the
marketer provide a consistent experience across all connected devices.
Geotargeting
But data-driven marketing is more than just tracking and optimizing
behavior. It also involves meeting,
current weather conditions, and more. For example, a smart marketer
knows not to promote a Patagonia fleece to a potential customer in
Florida. A smart marketer knows that potential customers in the
northeast during the month of December would benefit the most from that
Patagonia fleece. The same thinking can be applied to brands appealing
to a global customer base. Because overseas shoppers will see a dot-com
URL rather than their national extension, they may wonder: Does this
company ship to my country? If so, can I expect drastic shipping fees?
Enter
geotargeting. When the page loads for UK shoppers, for example,
geotargeting technology recognizes their location and displays a box
with clearly defined benefits just for that traffic segment, including
flat-rate shipping and the ability to shop in their native
currency. With 70 percent of consumers
to share their location information for the sake of receiving some sort
of loyalty or benefit, location-specific content can provide customized
relevancy that increases the chances of a conversion and a more
reliable and engaging shopping experience.
Keep Current Customers
Marketers also can use data they have on hand to retain existing
customers. This can be done by incentivizing customers with tailored
offers that factor in customers’ past purchases and cross-promote
products they may also enjoy. You can even give those returning
customers preferential treatment, such as VIP-only shipping promotions
and other perks. There’s always going to be the most important customer
who deserves a meaningful experience. Pay attention to this customer.
Ignore the masses for a second. Use the data you already have on this
customer (demographics, income, marital status, day of the week he tends
to buy, etc.) to develop a clear picture of the actual person behind
this data. And then deliver an experience best suited to that
individual.
Sophisticated targeting will work only if it’s
synchronized across channels. Marketers should be able to determine the
differences in how consumers browse and buy on social, mobile, and
desktop, and respond to that behavior accordingly.
Data-driven
marketing is the smart way for brands to connect with their customers
and deliver relevant experiences that drive engagement and bottom-line
business results. Today, customers are in the driver’s seat. They are
constantly inundated with pleas for their attention from other
marketers, media organizations, and more. Only the retailers who deliver
a compelling customer experience will thrive in this competitive
environment.
