The experiences that are delivered by retailers are what determines success in the commerce world today.
From mobile phones dominating the start of all searches online, to the involvement of voice search, social apps and conversational commerce in consumers’ decisions to purchase, the recent shift in how consumers are purchasing has had a huge impact on retailers that are not prepared for the change. For both B2B and B2C retailers, there are challenges brought about by the technology that consumers are using daily. Here are just a few new thoughts and concepts to keep in mind, to help you stay ahead of the e-retail game.
We’re All Human – Market for B2H
Embrace the new concept of B2H, Business to Human. While the terms B2B and B2C are still commonly used, this new concept may help you drive your commerce experiences in the right direction.
The B2H concept is geared towards the idea that no matter what product or service you provide, you should always be marketing to the human being that receives your experience. It no longer matters as much what device or channel that human being is using; just remember that your experience is meant to be consumed by a relatable human being, not a machine, so build your experiences as you would want to be interacted with, and not just marketed to.
B2H is a less formal way of connecting with the human on the other side of your screen. As explained by Marketing Envy: “This is part of a wider trend that melds paid marketing and paid content via the social networks to give the potential client the feeling that “we are all friends trying to help each other out”. The selling takes on a very social nature and becomes almost warm and inviting. We are no longer talking about B2B or B2C, it is now, if you may, B2H (business to human).”
An interesting article on Wired recently concluded that “Human capital management and customer service are the foundation of a successful modern enterprise. That future is not “B2C” or “B2B.” It’s B2H. Business to Human.”
Personalization and Commerce
Your customers are starting to expect personalization. With so many brands embracing personalization technology, personalized content is quickly becoming the norm and implementing personalization can be key to catching up with your competition.
Luckily, numerous CMS and ecommerce platforms are embracing this shift towards personalization, including Kentico, Sitefinity, Sitecore, and idev, making personalization methods accessible to smaller and mid-market businesses as well as the big players.
If you’re looking to implement personalization, start by outlining personas to ensure you’re marketing to the human you wish to engage with more than just your campaign in mind.
Americaneagle.com can also help you with personalization – from strategy to implementation. We work with a variety or partners in this space, including HubSpot, a partner specializing in marketing automation, and email service providers Bronto, Real Magnet and dotmailer.
Experience Marketing through Marketing Automation
Anyone looking to expand their digital marketing and keep ahead of the game should also consider marketing automation. Marketing automaton can enable you to send your audience email messaging based on their actions. Using marketing automation, you could schedule the following:
- Email marketing campaign sent
- If delivered/unopened for 3 days, resend marketing campaign email
- If opened, but no click, resend
- If clicked, but no purchase, resend with focused message on department/product viewed
This process can continue for as long as you see fit. After several sends, you could also consider including an offer or incentive to convert.
As explained on elasticpath.com, “Instead of continuing to fire-fight leveraging a traditional commerce approach, organizations must realign with experience-driven systems and methods to build relationships with, and sell to, the modern consumer.” Experience marketing is essential to modern day marketing, and experience marketing through marketing automation is one great aspect to include.
Americaneagle.com is here to help you embrace the concept of B2H marketing and enable you to engage with your customer base. Simply get in touch for advice tailored to your unique audience.
