Download B2C Marketing eBook

B2C Marketing:
How to Convert and Retain
Loyal Customers
2016
Table of Contents
1. Introduction .................................................................................................3
2. Plan Your Route: Defining Your Audience ................................................... 4
3. Laying the Groundwork: The 4P’s of Modern Marketing............................. 5
4. Putting It Out There: Packaging and Presentation...................................... 7
5. Following Up: Retaining Loyal (and Happy) Customers ............................. 9
6. Conclusion ................................................................................................12
7. About Pulse Marketing Academy .............................................................. 13
8. About Pulse Marketing Agency ................................................................. 13
Copyright © 2016 by Pulse Marketing Academy
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or
by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the
permission of Pulse Marketing Academy, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and
certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
www.pulsemarketingacademy.com
207-947-9333
2
INTRODUCTION
Marketers face similar challenges in converting prospects to leads and
leads to customers. However, in a high-speed, buyer-driven world —
where tech-savvy consumers carry out much of the marketing process
on their own — business to consumer (B2C) marketers have to sort
out some unique complexities when deciding who their prospects are
and how to best nurture them to conversion. They must balance their
customers’ diverse buying cycles — each shaped by specific personal
behaviors, needs, wants, and perspectives — with the nearly endless
range of product and service offerings available to them, along with a
huge range of media and other marketing channels.
What’s more, different stages in the process are closely connected. B2C
buying cycles are often short, which means marketers should consider
what happens after the sale as carefully as they do the sale itself.
It’s easy to believe the work is complete once a prospect becomes a
customer. In reality, however, it’s only the start of a new cycle.
The challenge for B2C marketers is not only
converting leads to customers, but also
converting customers into brand ambassadors.
www.pulsemarketingacademy.com
207-947-9333
3
Plan Your Route:
Defining Your Audience
It’s impossible – and ineffective – to draw a map without a final
destination in mind. B2C marketing means juggling the huge number
of options faced by prospects with their diverse range of perspectives,
needs, and wants. Before you can decide how to market your product or
service, you need to develop a buyer persona – a model or prototype of
your ideal buyers. To do this you must ask yourself a few key questions:
• Who? Who are your ideal prospects, based on demographics? Do
they share hobbies or interests, motivations or attitudes?
• Where? Where are your customers geographically? Where and how
do they search for information? Where and how do they shop?
• What? What do your prospects want or need? What are their greatest
challenges in obtaining it? What objections or other barriers might they
bring up during the sales process?
• How? How does your product or service resolve your prospects’
challenges, or satisfy their cravings? How can you best communicate
to your prospects the benefits of your product or service? How will
you best utilize marketing content, channels, or approaches to engage
your prospects?
www.pulsemarketingacademy.com
207-947-9333
4
Laying the Groundwork:
The 4P’s of Modern Marketing
The 4 P’s (Product, Price, Promotion, and Place) form the basis of
classic marketing theory. For more than half a century, these four
concepts have served as the pillars on which businesses could
lay out effective strategies and plans. Making the greatest impact in
today’s internet-driven market, however, requires a bit more flexibility.
The foundations behind the 4 P’s still ring true, but modern businesses
need to adapt and reintegrate them in order to make the most of a
customer-centric environment.
Product: Prospects usually have certain criteria in mind when
they begin their shopping process. Staying ahead of the game
means catering to their different needs, desires, and purposes
in a way that other businesses don’t. Start with a unique selling
proposition (USP) that captures your prospects’ emotion while
setting you apart from the competitors. How does your product or
service answer questions, solve problems, or otherwise meet your
prospects’ conversion criteria better than anyone else?
Price: Most people wouldn’t spend $1,000 on a caviar pizza
or buy a brand new SUV online – but for a few, the price
tag is less important than the gourmet dining experience or
the convenience of not haggling over vehicle options. The
price prospects are willing to pay relates directly to their
perceived value of your product or service. How well does your
business balance the two? To find out, use analytics and metric tools
to track consumer behavior and campaign performance. With careful,
regular analysis, you can forecast customer demand and lay out strategies
accordingly — and quickly and easily adjust to improve revenue.
www.pulsemarketingacademy.com
207-947-9333
5
Promotion: Marketing has never offered more promotional
opportunity than it does today — and it’s never been so confusing
and overwhelming for marketers. Email, social media, and mobile
devices present new ways to reach out to prospects while generating
a tremendous tangle of data. On the other hand, with automated
marketing software, you can track and measure all that data. How well do your
prospects respond to each promotional activity? How often do they open and
view your content offers? In other words, when you speak, do your prospects
listen? Paying attention to what works and what doesn’t will allow you to create
better, more focused, and more personalized marketing programs.
Placement: Placement is about understanding how your customers utilize
each type of distribution channel and when. Basically, how do you keep
your product visible, accessible, and available to your prospects? Ask
yourself if your customers prefer to do business with you online or in person?
Answering questions like these sets the basis for accurate supply strategies
(transportation, warehousing of goods, and method of delivery) and helps
anticipate the impact of product availability on sales and on price.
Modern businesses need to
adapt and reintegrate the 4 P’s.
Analyze, analyze, analyze! Automated software makes it easy to get a bird’seye-view of day-to-day marketing transactions. Take advantage of it! Carefully
tracking and reviewing your data — and making changes accordingly — goes
a long way toward managing leads and shaping effective marketing strategies.
Though their relevance may have changed, the 4 P’s of Marketing still form the
root of an effective marketing program. Remember, though, that each strategic
step should resonate with your target audience — their needs, what they’re
willing to pay for, and how they can easily find your product. Once you’ve laid
your basic marketing groundwork — the Who, Where, When, and How of your
campaign — you can start thinking about the details of your image.
www.pulsemarketingacademy.com
207-947-9333
6
Putting It Out There:
Packaging and Presentation
Your package design communicates key information about your brand
to prospective buyers and sparks their interest in your product.
According to MarketingProfs, businesses have reported a 30% increase
in customer interest when they pay attention to packaging. A
well-designed, attractive package encourages them to select your
product over a competitor’s, while a nondescript, untidy package may
confuse or cause them to favor another brand.
According to MarketingProfs, businesses have reported a 30%
increase in customer interest when they pay attention to packaging.
Figure out your budget. Before you start designing, be clear
about how much you can afford before the cost of your package
eats into your profits. How many units per month do you plan on
selling? How much per piece can you afford to pay for packaging
and still turn a profit on the sale?
Grab your customers’ attention. First impressions are vital!
According to a study by MarketingProfs, most shoppers make
purchasing decisions in about 7 seconds, often without
doing more than just skimming the store content. Help your
product stand out from the crowd with a few special touches:
• Uniquely shaped, easy-to-open package.
• Unusual color and design elements, like bold or nontraditional labeling
(think of Apple’s extreme minimalism).
• Strong messaging that helps your product sell itself.
www.pulsemarketingacademy.com
207-947-9333
7
Make it shareable. If your product is good, people will tell
their friends about it, most likely through social media. The
same is true about your packaging. Almost 40% of consumers
will share photos of packaging on social media if it is interesting or
gift-like (MarketingProfs). A person snapping a photo of a package
and sharing it on social media gives it more potential to attract new
customers based on their friends’ recommendations.
Go green. Customers are more interested in environmentally
friendly packaging now than ever before. Along with being
recyclable, packages should also be reusable. About 90%
of consumers reuse product packaging after purchase
(MarketingProfs). By going with green packaging, not only will your
business and consumers benefit, but the environment will too.
Pair a lower-cost standard item
with a striking accent.
Remember, custom packaging costs considerably more than standard
issue. To avoid cutting too far into your profits, it’s often helpful to pair
a lower-cost standard item, such as a paperboard carton or plastic
bottle, with a striking accent like a unique die-cut label. Creating an
effective and attractive package for your product can be challenging,
but the rewards of doing it right are clear.
www.pulsemarketingacademy.com
207-947-9333
8
Following Up: Retaining Loyal
(and Happy) Customers
Your incredible marketing strategies and clever packaging have paid off and
you’re now growing a solid customer base! What’s next?
In the activities of recruiting new prospects, many businesses make
the mistake of overlooking the valuable customers they already have.
According to Forbes, it’s nearly 7 times less expensive to retain an
existing customer than to gain a new one. However, customer retention is
an ongoing process. Businesses can only foster good relationships with their
customers and earn their loyalty by proving consistent value and measurable
ROI. Keep your customers engaged. One sale doesn’t guarantee
loyalty. Don’t assume customers will automatically keep using your product
or service. Instead, make an effort to stay in touch and encourage their
interaction. Alert your customers to promotions, rewards programs, product
updates, and any other content you think they’ll find interesting and relevant.
Ask people to share their stories.
Hold contests to encourage engagement.
Stay a step ahead by anticipating future challenges they may have and
suggesting new solutions. If you haven’t heard from particular customers in a
while, don’t be afraid to reach out to them. The longer the silence, the less
value customers will put on your brand — so keep that conversation
going! Even if your efforts don’t result in immediate sales, they’ll go a long
way toward keeping your brand first in your customers’ minds.
Make the most of social media. Social networks are extremely useful
in maintaining customer contact after the initial sale. Social media offers
great opportunities to engage your customers and build trust by showing
the personal side of your business.
• Monitor your customers’ opinions, interests, and motivations.
• Pinpoint (and reward) your most loyal customers.
• Make efforts to change negative perceptions other followers may have.
www.pulsemarketingacademy.com
207-947-9333
9
Provide great customer service! Consumers have turned to social media
platforms to ask questions, register complaints, and resolve product
issues. Take advantage of it to show how your brand is listening and
cares about your customers.
Get personal. Many customers place as much value on
the quality of your service — friendliness, comfort, and
familiarity — as they do on the quality of your product.
Remember that 70% of buying experiences are based on
how the customer feels they are being treated (Help Scout).
Make your business a friendly and accommodating partner in your
customers’ eyes. For starters, try to customize your offers around actual
customer behavior (via analytics) rather than trying to make predictions
based on general demographics, or your personal perceptions.
Recognize loyal customers by name. Show appreciation with
coupons, special offers, sneak previews, or thank you
notes. Invite them to forums or ask for feedback to let
them know that you value their opinions.
HELL
Problem solve. When customers have problems, make
sure they can speak with a real, sympathetic person
(ideally in person or by phone). Even in our digital
world, people like to communicate with other people.
This desire is so strong that 75% of customers believe
it takes too long to reach a live agent on the telephone or an online chat
(Help Scout). Referring already frustrated customers to a FAQ page or
an email contact form will most likely worsen the situation. Empower
your employees to fix problems when they arise. Employees who are
kept well-informed and believe that they can make a difference will be
more motivated to care and take responsibility.
www.pulsemarketingacademy.com
207-947-9333
10
Take responsibility. Your brand is only as good as the
reputation behind it. When problems arise, admit to your
mistakes — and apologize if necessary. Honesty demonstrates
authenticity. It also lets customers see that you’re willing to
correct faulty processes and prevent future mistakes.
Keep good time. A survey of consumers revealed that 24 hours or less
is widely considered an acceptable email response time (Help
Scout). Make sure your customer support actions are consistent
with the brand image you want to convey, as well as your
customers’ expectations! If you market a product or service to
improve system performance, for instance, don’t take too long to
respond to customer dilemmas.
Bow out gracefully. According to Kissmetrics, 71% of
consumers have ended their relationship with a business
because of poor customer service. It’s never easy to lose a
customer — but if the result is unavoidable, always end the
relationship on a good note. Remember, how you handle a
customer’s departure can determine whether they’ll give you
another chance down the road or disappear entirely and leave
you with a bad review.
Never underestimate the value of effective customer retention.
Maintaining a positive brand experience is crucial to a productive
customer relationship and greater ROI.
REMEMBER THAT
PERCENT OF BUYING
EXPERIENCES ARE BASED ON
HOW THE CUSTOMER FEELS
THEY ARE BEING TREATED.
www.pulsemarketingacademy.com
207-947-9333
11
Conclusion
Today’s changing consumer environment throws B2C marketers
as many curveballs as it provides opportunities. Marketers have
access to more channels, resources and technology, but also
face more complicated consumer interaction. Even with modern
challenges, however, successful marketing still evolves from basic
roots. Whatever the product or service, no marketing campaign gets
far off the ground without a clearly defined audience, a solid, wellmanaged strategic plan and most importantly, an understanding that
the most effective marketing continues beyond the sale. Maintaining
a productive, engaging relationship with existing customers is as
important as identifying new prospects in the first place or knowing
how they’ll find your product.
www.pulsemarketingacademy.com
207-947-9333
12
About Pulse Marketing Academy
Pulse Marketing Academy offers custom training solutions designed to
specifically meet the needs of your organization. We work collaboratively
to develop an understanding of your learning objectives and your
organization, to develop training content and delivery methods that best
meet your needs. Learn more at pulsemarketingacademy.com
About Pulse Marketing Agency
Pulse Marketing Agency was founded in 2009 and employs a group
of highly qualified marketing professionals. Our mission is to help our
clients succeed under our professional guidance. We develop uniquely
crafted marketing programs to achieve the best outcomes, taking into
consideration any challenges and constraints that need to be conquered
along the way to secure the success of our campaigns. We provide
strategic guidance and clarity to our clients and work closely with them
from the planning stage through tactical execution, reporting, and success
analysis. Learn more at pulsemarketingagency.com
We want to be a part
of your
success story
Schedule a free consultation today.
Call 207.947.9333
or visit
pulsemarketingagency.com