A study on digital enabled shopping patterns was recently completed by marketing research firm Synchrony. It handed down some important pointers such as the fact that shopping using smart phones is no longer the prerogative of younger users, but indeed has spread across demographics. Nearly three-fourths of the US market now uses them to at least search for products and compare with rivals. Customers now expect digital marketing channels to be proactive and the entire process to be seamlessly integrated into the actual buying. Majority of marketers are aware that instead of channels, the final experiences is what matters, thus it is needed to do away with narrow silos. Yet, few organizations are following such maxims. Marketing and sales goals to be aligned together as customers do not differentiate between digital channels and in-store experiences. For them it is the overall connect that matters leading to the final purchase.

Source:http://customerthink.com/think-experiences-not-channels-to-connect-with-customers/

In earlier times, any buying decision would be influenced by the knowledge acquisition stage which was often long and cumbersome. Now with so much of data available at the click of a few buttons, sellers need to map out the entire journey of the buyer to target the major touch points. First of all the specific problem or need needs to be pinpointed. Majority of such problem identifications begin with a Google search, so it is very important to be relevant on search pages. Specific level of digital marketing preparedness needs to be done accordingly using a combination of blogs, white papers, e-books or analyst reports. Once this is done, all options to reach the customer must be assessed. At this stage, top content must be broadcast involving webinars or comparison charts. Finally at the stage the customer is ready to buy, Calls-to-Action must be inserted which will provide genuine value such as “request a quote”, “talk with an expert” or “request a consultation”.

Source:http://www.business2community.com/marketing/how-to-build-a-decision-making-model-for-your-marketing-strategy-01290123

A number of organizations worldwide are struggling with how to match organizational capabilities with disparate customer needs. Marketing strategies can also be tailored accordingly in order to fit customer expectations. A good way of starting this is direct selling as this enables a line of revenue to be established until the brand becomes big enough to attract inbound business. High ROI campaigns must be selected. Social media induced digital marketing when successful usually gives high bang-per-buck. Strategies successful must be benchmarked so that future campaigns can be measured against them. A lot of startups make the mistake of targeting high resource channels. These expensive methods must only be used up once there is enough business to survive a few failed campaigns in case experimentation does not hit the bull’s-eye.

Source:http://customerthink.com/how-to-pivot-your-marketing-strategy-for-different-customer-expectations/

Marketing research firm Gallup has found out that less than a third of B2B customers are engaged with organizations they need to work with. Thus four ways have been identified which will help companies to engage better with their industrial customers. First of all the right questions must be posed. This includes matters such as how well customers are known as individuals, how they interact with the company, what are their challenges or priorities or needs, how customer interactions can be more valuable and whether customers are genuinely committed to the brand or would not hesitate to shift over to competitor. Companies must treat industrial partners or vendors as they would people. IBM for example excels in such engagement. The entire organization must be geared towards client interaction. This includes a common purpose for cross-functional teams, metrics to be defined so that proper measurement can be done, teams to be empowered in decision making and thorough conversations with customers. Another method is to create customer advisory boards. These will share business insights and advice the company on client interaction.

Source:https://hbr.org/2016/12/4-ways-for-b2b-businesses-to-keep-their-customers?referral=00563&cm_mmc=email-_-newsletter-_-daily_alert-_-alert_date&utm_source=newsletter_daily_alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=alert_date&spMailingID=16061807&spUserID=OTY0OTMwNTk5NwS2&spJobID=920550778&spReportId=OTIwNTUwNzc4S0