Ralph Waldo Emmerson is often credited for “Life isn’t about the destination, it’s about the journey.” Though there could be a debate on who coined this meaningful statement, there’s no debate, from a marketing perspective, that it’s unequivocally true. There’s no better time to shift away from one-way marketing to interactive marketing and provide a journey that allows your customers to interact with your brand.
What is One-Way Advertising?
Think of a one-way road. Already, it’s pretty dull with no chance of even taking a side street for a different view. In one-way advertising, a consumer is being led from point A to point B to be sold something. They have no reason why other than that’s what they’re being told, and for the most part, people hate being told what to do. Two easy-to-understand examples of this are:
A billboard ad with no chance of further interaction
A digital ad that takes you directly to a product after clicking on a button or link
Yes, it can be effective but getting your customer to really interact with you is what’s important.
What is Interactive Marketing?
Interactive Marketing allows the consumer to interact with you and your brand in a meaningful way. Interacting is not to be confused with the example above about clicking on a “buy now” button. Yes, they’re interacting with your ad, but they are not interacting with you or your brand.
Consumers want to be heard, they want to have a say, and they want to interact. Though we’re living in a near virtual world now, COVID has reinforced the need for brands to supply consumers with a way to interact with them to be successful. A great example of this is how an eyeglass company may have an app that allows the consumer to try on glasses virtually until they find the pair they want. The same can be said for furniture stores that enable consumers to virtually place furniture in the home, becoming their own interior designers.
Luckily, you don’t have to be tech-giant or have deep pockets to start implementing great interactive marketing strategies. You can quickly start with the following:
Using tokenization in email drip campaigns
- Using the consumer’s first and last name makes it personal and interactive as you reach back out.
Implementing quizzes in your newsletter, in your posts, or on your website
- When you formulate quizzes, you have to do your homework and know your customer.
- Your quizzes must have substance to be successful.
- They can’t be flippant and void of purpose.
Providing calculators for your customers
At the end of the day, consumers want to experience something unique and feel they are involved. Consumers don’t want to buy a product or service, they want to buy convenience. They want to buy status. They want to experience a journey that reinforces their behaviors. Remembering this will help set your mind on the right track for interactive marketing strategies.
If you want your brand to have polish and build credibility, sometimes it pays to partner with an agency that has experience in developing interactive marketing strategies. Contact us today, and let’s discuss the right journey for you and your brand.
