SHOPSMART AUTOS – CUSTOMER AWARENESS – July 14th
SHOPSMART AUTOS – CUSTOMER AWARENESS – July 14th Use What You Have: The Social Media Marketing Tools to Help You Discover Your MarketEver been talking to a friend about something you want to buy, and then ads for it start showing up online? ‘I must have googled it!’, you think to yourself. Yes, it can freak us out a little, but…it works. We probably make the purchase sooner. And then there are the product recommendations we get when shopping for something else entirely. We hadn’t looked into or talked about this product, but it’s pretty much right on.
We’ve all made a purchase (or two) from such recommendations. Studies show that most consumers appreciate this kind of personalized marketing, when done right. That goes for car shoppers too. Worldwide management consulting firm McKinsey & Co. ran a study recently asking consumers to keep a mobile diary of their personalized interactions with various brands over the course of two weeks. Guess what the number-one thing that the participants valued was when it came to communications? “Relevant recommendations I wouldn’t have thought of myself.” Let’s break this response down into its two main components: 1) “relevant recommendations” and 2) “I wouldn’t have thought of myself.” “Relevant recommendations”: These shoppers weren’t out looking for golf clubs and then were happy to be sent links to deals on Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. The recommendations were relevant to their wants and needs. (OK, it is possible they were happy about the cereal recommendation if the data supported it!)
Car dealerships across the nation are experiencing success with this type of marketing using behavior-predicting, customer-centric software like AutoAlert’s CXM (Customer Experience Management) platform. It takes myriad sources of customer data and creates personalized deals delivered right on time. These no-pressure offers drive consumers to the store. It also provides ways of connecting customers (both native and conquest) with relevant recommendations when they’re already in the service lane or in the showroom.
2. The second part of what study participants valued (“I wouldn’t have thought of myself”) is equally important. Consumers want companies to make their shopping experiences easier, and they aren’t turned off by suggestions (as long as they’re relevant). “To provide something a customer might be interested in, companies need to use more sophisticated recommendation algorithms to offer complementary products or services instead of just the things the shopper has already browsed or bought,” the McKinsey report deduced. “This might entail, for instance, suggesting a cocktail dress for someone who has just bought or searched for stiletto heels.” This is what Amazon has mastered with its “Amazon’s Choice products related to items in your cart,” “Customers who shopped for [blank] also shopped for,” and other behavior/product analytics-based features. In a special report by The Wall Street Journal this month called “C-Suite Strategies: View From the Top,” CEOs, CFOs, and others in the C-suites of major companies shared their thoughts on pressing business issues. An entire section of the report was titled “Consumer Companies Get Personal.” When it comes to car shopping, many vendors software has perfected the timing on when to engage customers who are already in market, but what’s just as valuable – if not more so – is that it also targets those who aren’t actively looking for cars online, but are statistically likely to be receptive to good deals. For example, a deal that gives a customer an opportunity to trade keys at about the same payment, and drive home a new car today, can be just what they didn’t know they wanted, as deciphered by other data collected. A marketing tool that is proven to engage consumers with relevant, personalized messages at every touchpoint then becomes invaluable. One-to-One Intelligent Marketing. Marketing to today’s smart, connected consumers requires knowing how and what they’re shopping, plus what would appeal to them that they hadn’t even considered. Intelligent software tools like these are essential for getting the job done right. Which is getting you the consumer to the website of a dealer for more information.
Make it a Champion Day! Brandon Hardison Champion Strategies/ Shopsmart Autos
Tags: 2019 Subaru Forester Touring, 2020 BMW iX3, 2020 Chevrolet Suburban, 2020 dodge charger, 2020 EQC, 2020 Ford Super Duty, 2020 Honda Pilot, 2020 Kia Optima, 2020 Kia Soul, 2020 Mazda 3
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