The growth of devices and the multichannel user experience that has evolved from this now allows consumers to pick up their engagement with a brand and begin the purchase journey from whichever point, and through whatever channel, they choose.
Today, it’s more than likely that a customer will interact with at least four or five separate touchpoints before they reach the final purchase point. Device switching has become commonplace for many of us and yet brands are still being slow to react and adapt to this to ensure they aren’t loosing out on opportunities.
For brands, understanding how and when a consumer wants to be engaged through a particular channel and recognising how to enhance the experience for the customer is pivotal if they are going to be successful in achieving longer lasting engagement that really delivers the financial returns. This is only the first stage though.
Yes, brands need to ensure they have the correct systems and tools in place to ensure customers can access them through the desired channels in the first place, but in order to gain truly tangible results from the multi-device opportunities, investment must be made in the content strategies that will link each channel together. Get this right and a brand should be able to deliver a seamless journey that’s relevant, reflects a single brand voice, and most importantly, engages the customer enough to take them a step closer to the point of purchase.
The customers hold the position of authority though – they are the ultimate decision makers behind whether the interaction is granted or not.
Recognising individual shopper behaviour through personalised targeting and reflecting this across all touchpoints will help create a bond with the customer. Being able to react to the choices customers are making and create value across the complete multi channel experience with relevant content, which indicates that the brand is willing to nurture the long-term partnership.
So in an increasingly crowded marketplace, where customers’ attention spans are becoming shorter by nature of the multi-device environment, how can brands ensure they are making the best use of content to maintain the relationship, no matter how they are engaging?
Consider each device interaction separately, but see it as part of the overall story
Remaining mindful of the overall brand story and delivering a consistent message through the content at each touchpoint is a must. Whether the interaction is face-to-face in store or via a trigger email sent out to acknowledge a customer signing up to a newsletter online, with customers being exposed to several interactions with the same brand, there’s no room for inconstancies.
The customers hold the position of authority though – they are the ultimate decision makers behind whether the interaction is granted or not.
Marketers must have a holistic view of the entire path to purchase and should not be afraid to adapt areas that aren’t working.
That said, the content requirements for each device must be viewed separately. Replicating the same content across each customer platform will do more damage than good to a brand trying to encourage the customer to make a purchase.
With customers becoming more sophisticated in their device switching, they are also becoming more critical if brands apply irrelevant content to their interactions. They expect the story to continue as they move between touchpoints – whether it’s a TV ad, a website or an email, and the different content requirements must be met to encourage them to remain engaged. Commercially, there’s no benefit in investing heavily in one area if the story is going to fall short in another.
Plan, plan, plan
Content is the key vehicle responsible for making this happen, but only if its right for that particular customer.
Whilst many brands are happy taking about the importance of content, is appears that actually integrating the approach as part of the marketing, and planning the content strategy, is taking a little longer to catch on. A half hearted content strategy will not generate a positive impact on the financial returns for the business.
Equally, investing heavily in TV content, which then takes the consumer to a tablet where no content plan has been put in place is unlikely to see them making a final purchase or engaging with you in future. Ensuring budgets are set aside to provide the resource for this type of planning will pay dividends in the long-term.
Remember why you are doing this – and keep delivering on it
Ask yourself, is the content encouraging the customer to stay engaged, share data with you, recommend your brand online, enter one of your stores or purchase your product? Content should be meeting a customer’s individual needs and giving them a reason to continue interacting with your brand. If it’s not creating an opportunity to build a deeper relationship with that customer or providing a call to action, more needs to be done.
The opportunities that digital advances now offer brands mean a customer could conceivable be taken on the purchase journey from TV, to tablet, mobile device and finally in store to make the final purchase. Content is the key vehicle responsible for making this happen, but only if its right for that particular customer.
Remember, a brand only really exists in the mind of the audience – therefore to survive long-term, organisations must be continually focused on providing the experiences that deliver a positive impact in the mind of that customer.
