Let’s be honest with ourselves for a moment. The pandemic changed us. Our thought processes about everything from when someone coughs to our casual interactions with our colleagues to the way we eat, the way we engage, and indeed the way we shop and, more than anything – the way we spend our time.
With a change in consumer behavior, marketers must change, too. Marketing how we once drove customer traffic to our stores doesn’t work in the digitally chaotic, brand-forward world in which we live. Often we get caught up in creative brainstorming sessions with our team about selling products, and it’s easy to forget why.
The pandemic modified our behaviors over a long period. The ease of ordering groceries online, pick-up at retail stores using a mobile app, and limited human interaction changed how people think, act, and shop. So how do you drive customer traffic? Here are ten key questions to ask yourself and your team as you work through your marketing plans for the upcoming year.
- Do we have a defined target persona/audience? If not, can we create one?
- What are we good at doing/providing/building? How can we do more of that?
- Where does our customer spend the majority of their time?
- Why would your customer buy from you over someone else?
- What is our customer doing differently now than before the pandemic?
- What are our competitors doing well/not well?
- How do we, as an organization, help fill a need or pain point in their life?
- When our customer is looking for a solution to their problem, how are they fixing the problem? How can we help them resolve their issue?
- Is our business going where our customers are? Why, why not? How do we get there?
- What should we be thinking? How can we be more creative?
Notice these questions do NOT ask: should we run a billboard ad? Should we do more paid social? These questions will help you get to the root issues your organization is facing to help you craft a marketing plan that meets your targeted customer where they are, and drive the customer traffic you desire.
Warning Alert! Keep it authentic to your brand. There’s no need to go rogue, and there are zero reasons to try and create something that someone else is doing. And lastly, it doesn’t and might not be comfortable. Get comfortable with the uncomfortable.
The secret sauce will vary for each retailer. Going through this exercise with key stakeholders, maybe even customers on your team will help you navigate the changing landscape of marketing and reach your target audience.
Find more digital marketing resources and information from HFA here.
