Are your marketing strategies helping you reach empowered customers?

Perhaps the Internet had a role to play in people s transition from being passive to empowered consumers, but we can t really tell what has driven this shift. Still, we can t deny that the playing field for businesses has changed, rendering some marketing strategies obsolete.

Empowered customers, though they live on smart phones, aren t motivated by ads. They use information wisely as they decide to buy products or services. But alongside these changes in the purchasing journey, brands have to change the way they connect with their target market.

Connecting with empowered customers can be challenging, but here are some ways to do it.

1. Reach them on the platform of their choice.

Using multiple touchpoints to engage with customers can be expensive. And in brands attempt to cut costs, they unintentionally force customers into inappropriate channels with poorly managed interfaces. Thus, brands lose big revenues that far outweigh what they saved from cost-cutting.

Simplifying the customer journey means that brands have to provide a way to reach customers through platforms of their choice—those they are constantly exposed to. You don t have to launch a multichannel approach if you can t afford it yet, both in terms of budget and manpower. But you do have to optimize the customer service platforms you already have to improve the customer experience.

2. Allow customers to share their opinions.

Empowered customers share this common characteristic: they re outspoken and they want their opinions to matter. It s easy to create a place where customers can share their stories and experiences regarding your brand, especially because of the Internet and social media.

3. Deliver relevant content.

As consumers are becoming smarter, ads are becoming all the more irrelevant to them. Instead, they base their purchases from reliable product information. They look at product reviews, YouTube videos, and ask their friends for advice. So take note of these when you produce content for your customers. Aim to educate them by presenting unbiased information and accurate stories and veer away from blatant advertising.

4. Maximize the use of analytics.

Gigantic heaps of customer information are available to brands nowadays, and this has permanently changed marketing. The only thing many brands are failing at is how to utilize these customer data to develop products and services that can provide a smoother customer experience. Digital skills gap could be one of the main reasons behind this, so building a team that can thrive in a highly fluid industry should be top priority.

5. Engage them in a conversation.

Welcoming feedback, producing relevant content, and asking for opinions are just some of the many marketing strategies you could use to engage with your customers. Building a good relationship with your audience is a great way to turn them into loyal brand ambassadors, who will later on spearhead conversations about your brand.