Transactional Marketing is the Future of Advertising
1. Implement credit card-linked offers. Using services like CardSpring, retailers can engage consumers on social media with deals and offers they can take advantage of right then and there.
2. Target consumers further down the purchase funnel. Mobile is a great tool for lead generation, but too many ads don't convert because marketers don't understand the mobile "moment of truth." This is a short window of opportunity in the purchase funnel where a successful conversion often depends on whether a consumer can easily find the nearest store location or the right phone number to call.
3. Personalize advertisements. Retailers need to use whatever data they have available to add context to mobile ads. That could be limited to location now, but in the future additional information, including purchase history and social data, will be available.
4. Integrate in-store locations in e-commerce. Use consumers’ love of "webrooming" to your advantage through transactional marketing. For example, place a "try it on" button next to a blouse, which would then link the shopper to the nearest store that sells that blouse.
Living in a Mobile World
The rise of mobile is fundamentally transforming the internet. By 2016, Deloitte estimates that $689 billion in sales will be influenced by mobile — more than double the desktop e-commerce equivalent. With this type of opportunity, brands need to focus on creating content that interests mobile users who have little time — or patience — for irrelevant ads.
With a strong focus on converting mobile users into physical customers, transactional marketing creates an ideal situation for brands and consumers alike: a seamless shopping experience that guides a customer to her unique point of purchase every step of the way.
Anthony Nicalo is the CEO of Dónde, a tool for marketers that drives retail sales by connecting mobile users looking to buy with retail locations through contextual ads, coupons and other offers. Anthony can be reached on LinkedIn.
- Companies:
- Target
Anthony Nicalo is the VP Platform at Mobify, a mobile customer-engagement platform that facilitates all of a retailer’s real-time interactions with its mobile customers in one place. Nicalo guides and grows the platform capabilities for serving mobile marketing and extends the platform ecosystem through partnerships. Nicalo is a thought leader in digital marketing, an expert in omnichannel commerce, and a frequent presenter on the future of commerce, mobile retailing, and shopper marketing, including at Shopper Marketing Expo, iMedia Summits and Kantar Retail.
