With physical stores closed, retailers have all adapted their marketing efforts and focused solely online; ensuring they are still a part of consumer’s “New Normal”. But one thing this time has shown us is that things can change quickly and it’s important to always be ready to shift to meet the needs of your customers as well as rethink your customer comms strategy.
There is a very valid fear amongst some retailers that warehouses or manufacturing lines will close, forcing them to suspend online trading altogether, and indeed some retailers have already had to take this action. This is, understandably, a great concern. So, how do you continue to derive value from your brand when your supply chain breaks?
This blog post will walk you through the steps you should take to effectively communicate with your customers if you have to close your warehouse, and the options you have for engaging customers in the meantime.
It’s essential to keep your customers in the know. Great customer experience still applies if you’re going to temporarily stop trading – you want them to know that you haven’t just disappeared and make them feel included in the steps you’re taking to ensure that you will return to provide them with their favourite items, once the lockdown begins to lift. This can be whittled down to three action points:
Here’s how Graham & Green effectively communicated their temporary warehouse closure:
Pause any automation campaigns aimed at driving conversion, such as:
Campaigns that help promote your brand:
Use broadcast emails to continue communicating with your customers to stay front of mind and keep them engaged with your brand. We’ve included some of our favourites from across verticals on our Pinterest!
You want to make sure your content is relevant to customers during this very specific time. Here are some topics you can base your emails on:
You can use these emails as a chance to highlight to customers the additional value they can get from products they have purchased from you. This is also a great opportunity to showcase additional uses for products using lifestyle imagery and user generated content.
These emails may look like: How to keep yourself busy; Work from home; Workout at home; How to care for your plant; How to stay happy; How to rearrange your home, How to dress for an ‘online party’
These emails are a chance to realign customers with your brand story and ethos, driving home the purpose that steers your company and the team behind making it happen.
These emails may look like: The story behind the brand, ; Behind the scenes; Meet the team, Team favourites
Social is a great option for keeping shoppers engaged during times that you’re not trading with lifestyle content. Here some ideas:
Your warehouse closing doesn’t need to mean the end of communications with your customers. This period grants retailers a unique opportunity to find new and interesting ways to engage with their consumers.
Things to remember:
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