The trailblazers may have hiked home, but the innovation and learning from Dreamforce 19 is far from over. The four-day conference brings together marketers, customer experience, and sales professionals from around the country to explore the future of marketing and how technology is impacting our customer-centric world.
Speakers like Barack Obama, Ariana Huffington, and Emelia Clark, took the stage and discussed a variety of topics – but one trend was clear throughout the conference. Customer experience. Sure, we talk about the customer experience and the customer journey frequently on Modern Marketing Today – but what about the journey marketers must embark on to create this experience?
Blazing New Trails, a resource for marketers that was showcased at the conference, dives into the four areas marketers must focus on to begin their journey to success.
Acquire and Grow: To provide a great customer experience – you first need customers – that’s easier said than done. The first step to success is getting customers to choose your brand over the competition. First interactions to build a relationship are key – meet customers in their domain. According to Salesforce, 82 percent of smartphone users say they use their phones to research products before a purchase.
Onboard: Customers are most interested in a brand after their first transaction. This is the time to build a relationship by collecting useful data, educating them on other products, and introducing exclusive offers. “Today’s consumers are accustomed to engaging with brands like Netflix, Amazon, Spotify, and Uber. Their personalized, predictive experiences with these brands have set expectations across all experiences,” said Sitecore CMO Paige O’Neill.
Engage: To keep customers interested, brands must engage consumers with new experiences and tailor content to fit their unique tastes. By leveraging the personal data collected in step two, brands can keep consumers engaged with personalized experiences.
“Consumers also expect to be assisted throughout the entire purchase journey,” said Sean Rusinko, Global Director, Industry Business Leader – Retail & Hospitality at Sitecore. “Many brands are meeting this expectation with personalized experiences, which includes individual product offerings, using data collected about each customer to tailor the messaging, offers, and experiences each receives.”
Retain: Keeping current customers is just as important as engaging new consumers. Paying attention to your audience is important – engaging customers that are at risk of leaving with new offers and promotions brings the customer journey full circle.
“Today, customers are more demanding than ever, expecting an experience that goes above and beyond just the available products. In order to offer quality experiences, build brand loyalty, and remain competitive, brands must put tools in place to meet them, from the use of effective personalization to quick, reliable delivery services, through to providing loyalty programs,” said Rusinko.
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