You don’t have to shout to be heard by consumers

HANDS up if you, like me, clear your inbox from e-mail direct marketing that you have received between 5.30am and 8.30am.

It is understandable that brands want to get in front of potential consumers during this time, as a majority of South Africans look at their phones first thing in the morning.

But this type of activity has created a problem – brands are shouting at customers, vying for attention, instead of engaging in conversations to influence purchases.

Too many brands are communicating with minimal to no relevance to the recipients’ purchasing behaviour.

Often they are offered an entire inventory and, occasionally, shown the exact product they have just purchased.

Marketers have access to a phenomenal amount of consumer data, and brands should think about how they are using it, and why they keep shouting at potential customers.

What needs to change is how data is used to understand why a customer is choosing a brand, and figure out how marketers can continue the customer conversation between one purchase and the next.

Too often, data is seen as valuable purely because it contains figures, trends and observations.

The real value of data is the conversation you can have with your customer. ý Two ears, one mouth: The opportunity to reach customers at almost any time of the day, regardless of location, has created the problem of brands over-communicating. This needs to stop.

Customers don’t like to be told the same thing, repeatedly, and this can lead to them disconnecting. Marketers need to listen to what data shows them before they communicate. ý Ask: – Are you repeating something the customer already knows? Do they really need to hear it again?

– Are you recommending a product/service that complements previous purchases?

– Have you looked at purchasing patterns?

– Are you creating message fatigue?

These are all great questions, and listening to what data is telling you will help you to create a tailored conversation.

The right type of conversation will keep your customers engaged with your brand longer.