Customer engagement has become a key focus for many brands within the retail sector, and for good reason. After all, engaged customers who have a positive buying experience with brands are more likely to become loyal, paying consumers in the long-run - providing retailers with security and the financial means to expand and develop.

In today’s increasingly digital age, therefore, it should come as little surprise that more traditional means of marketing, such as print ads and mass media campaigns, no longer reign supreme. Instead, through the evolution of the smartphone and its accompanying technology, they’ve been replaced by a new generation of marketing tools which retailers need to stay on top of if they want to keep up in the race towards consumer engagement and prosperous profit margins as a result.

So, in this article, we’re helping to provide retailers with a blueprint for new and cohesive ways of approaching retail customers by using five key marketing skills sure to boost consumer engagement both in-store and online. From personalising shopping experiences tailored to your customer’s specific lifestyle, to brushing up on the branding and design skills required to resonate with the end user, we’ll assist you on your journey towards consumer delight, ensuring your loyal customers remain just that and your brand identity invites many new ones onboard.

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1. Utilise data analytics tools

A crucial factor for any business’ success - retail or otherwise - is converting and retaining clients and customers through positive experiences. In order to execute this effectively, ensure you use website data analytics tools (a vital weapon in any established marketers arsenal) to help you identify not only who your customers are, but any trends and activity patterns they have that could prove vital when it comes to targeting them for better engagement.

Simply put, data analytics tools are able to provide strategic solutions to marketing questions surrounding their customers. This allows retailers to come up with the most relevant techniques to target their existing customers, as well as providing brands with an opportunity to reach a new customer base that they may not have previously realised existed.

2. Humanise your brand through digital advertising

At the heart of marketing is the mutual understanding that every customer wants to feel as though you and your brand understand their wants and needs on a personal level - allowing them to relate to your brand and become invested in it as a result. In more ways than one, humanising your brand has the potential to be the most fun part of your marketing strategy, however, this needs to be thoroughly mapped out as the decided ‘voice’ of the company and relayed to each member of your team.

As such, we’d encourage you to choose one person to be solely responsible for building this persona. Get them to regularly update your website with blog and video content, engage in speaking opportunities and be an active member in promoting your brand’s values through digital advertising mediums.

3. Invest in content creation

When it comes to engaging with your customers, content really is king. Whether that’s in video or written form, by providing insightful content either on your website or through merchandising techniques in-store, your customers will get to know you - enhancing the customer experience and increasing satisfaction as a result.

According to this Google study, 51% of smartphone users have purchased from a brand other than the one they intended to because the information they provided was more useful - as such don’t underestimate the power of content that is relevant, unique, informative and entertaining. After all, when consumers are bombarded from noon to night with various advertising techniques both on and offline, quality content shines through above the rest and will encourage them to trust you as an authority in the retail space.

4. Personalise customer communication

Personalised customer communication can take many different forms - whether that’s an automatically-generated ‘happy birthday’ email to someone from your mailing list, or a fit assistant tool which has the ability to guess your customer’s sizing based on their previous order history and measurements (like the one fashion-giant ASOS uses). The type of personalisation you opt for will depend on your brand identity and customer-base, but doing it in the first place is a must.

Personalisation is about making the end-user feel special and welcome - no matter if it’s their first-time shopping with you or they’re a regular customer - all while ensuring they don’t feel uncomfortable with the data you’ve used to target them.

5. Create a social media persona

Social media is a brilliant place to really let your brand’s personality shine and, for this reason, continues to be a favourite marketing technique with industry professionals around the world. Real life personalities are commonplace on platforms like Twitter and are a fun and current way to gain real life interest and interaction for your brand. Not only does creating a social media persona for your brand allow you to reach your audience on an international scale, but it’ll also allow you to respond to queries quickly - enhancing customer satisfaction and consumer engagement as a result.

But, beware…

When it comes to social media sass, it’s vital that you remember that there is a line and you should do what you can to ensure it’s never crossed. Whether that’s double checking pre-scheduled social posts before they go out or using a colleague as a sounding board for a joke before publishing it online for all to see, it’s crucial you take extra care when publishing your brand’s personality on the internet as with one tweet your reputation can be ruined.

By actively working on improving your level of consumer engagement and investing in new marketing methods to build your brand’s identity, only then will you be able to fully understand your customers and their ability to help shape your business. With a focus on customer engagement as opposed to revenue extraction, you’ll demonstrate your ability to offer something more meaningful to your customers beyond a sales pitch - fostering loyalty and brand growth as a result.

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