I see a lot of marketers very excited about beacons — and rightly so. Beacon marketing has the power to leverage customers’ mobile devices and deliver, better personalized content with them. Well-placed beacons have the power to literally transform how we shop.
But many fail to use beacons to their full potential, with lackluster results that may leave them wondering what the fuss is about. Use these four handy tips to discover beacons’ true power.
Make It Relevant
Beacons should always be relevant. No matter how great a store’s deals on electronics are, if a customer’s going through the shoe department, they want information on shoes — not electronics! Stores should thoroughly test their beacon systems before they go live to make sure they respond appropriately.
Customize It
Beacons’ power consists of their ability to deliver personalized, relevant content. Using a customer’s name will get their attention, but true customization needs to go a step further. For instance, if a customer’s loitering in one area or revisiting the same spot repeatedly, a beacon system might send a notification to their phone, offering to direct them to a page where they can search the store’s inventory for a particular make or model.
Make It Helpful
Beacon notifications should never irritate customers — or, worse, creep them out. Marketers should think about what they’d want or find useful from beacon marketing. Would a coupon be helpful? How about a way to search a store’s inventory or to take advantage of a loyalty program? By looking at beacons from the customer’s perspective, and perhaps even polling customers, marketers can make beacon marketing a real game changer.
Go Beyond Discounts
Many retailers have first implemented beacon marketing to offer customers discounts and coupons on products they’re physically near. This is useful, but the power of beacons goes far beyond pushing coupons. A creative marketer can use beacons to open up new interactions with customers that might otherwise not be possible.
Beacons are remarkable ways to interact with customers exactly where they are as they’re considering making a purchase. A well-considered, well-implemented beacon strategy is a powerful tool for personalizing the customer experience. It can be enough to close a single sale or improve customer loyalty over time.