8 Tips to Effective Customer Acquisition using Digital Marketing

Looking to engage with consumers, nurture brand relationships, create social buzz, and drive repeat purchases? Of course you are! But are you getting the most from your in-store, online, and cross channel customer interactions?

If you’re like most other retailers, you’re probably missing valuable opportunities to acquire new email subscribers, mobile subscribers, and social advocates. And, each missed opportunity can lead to one less conversation and one less purchase.

To determine where your brand ranks, ask yourself these questions:

Do you promote digital engagement in-store? This could include posting opportunities for email opt-in, your website URL, Twitter handle, etc.
Are you asking for customers’ email addresses at the point of sale? We found that fewer than half of the top retailers were!
Do you have an email opt-in form on your website? How easy is it to find, and how quickly can someone complete it

And perhaps the most important question of all—what are you doing with the data you’re collecting? If you aren’t utilizing it to drive a more personalized, relevant customer experience, you’re missing the biggest opportunity of all.

If improved customer acquisition is a priority for your business, the best place to start is by analyzing where your consumers are already engaging with your brand. Then, determine how to enhance the customer experience and drive interactive engagement.

Here are a few ways to get started:

In-Store. Engaging consumers who are already interacting with your brand is the ultimate win-win. And, your physical store provides you a competitive advantage over your eCommerce competitors. Take advantage of the time a consumer spends in your store and promote opportunities to interact with your brand after they walk out the door.

Tip 1: Promote your website URL, email opt-in, SMS messaging programs, social channels, and more within your store, specifically at places where consumers are waiting (e.g. near the check-out).

Tip 2: Evaluate if collecting data at check-out is right for your business (via sales clerk, SMS capture, etc). Whether you collect personal data or geographic data, it should lead to more personalized communications—if it doesn’t, you’re just inconveniencing your customer with a lengthier transaction process.

Tip 3: Offer to send in-store receipts to consumers via email. This is a great way to provide value and added convenience to your customers’ shopping experience, plus it gives you an opportunity to gain feedback, promote special offers, and drive web traffic. Not quite ready for digital receipts? Then focus on including a digital call-to-action on your in-store receipts to encourage further brand interaction.

Online. Be respectful of consumers’ time.

Tip 1: Make your email opt-in form easy to find on your website.

Tip 2: Request only the data that you plan to use—and actually use it! If you request a name and zip code, use personalization and geographic segmentation to make your messages more relevant and engaging.

Tip 3: Communicate the value of what you’re offering up front—make sure your customers know why they should provide you their information.

Cross-channel. Consumers want different things from different channels, so make goals and priorities for each while utilizing the strengths of one channel to promote another.

Tip 1: Take advantage of your consumer’s down-time and promote your mobile and social programs across all of your commonly-used mediums—in-store, print, TV, display advertising, etc.

Tip 2: Include an email opt-in form on a Facebook timeline tab and follow the same principles as you do for your website opt-in form.

Learn more how to improve your retail communications in Subscribers Fans and Followers: Retail Touchpoints Optimized.