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In a recent blog post titled 4 Ways brands can engage customers to increase channel sales, Patrick Kilgore talks about a variety of things. As we talked about in lecture, producers that sell directly to their consumers can collect information on their customers easily, aiding in a company’s ability to adapt. Unfortunately for companies who sell to a retailer first, this information is harder to attain. In his blog post, Kilgore talks about ways companies can still get this information and how to use it.
The first suggestion Kilgore makes is giving consumers an avenue for free communication using social media. Being active on all platforms and encouraging consumers to reciprocate is a must in todays world. If a company does this and listens to the wishes of its consumers, it will profit in the long run.
The second suggestion Kilgore made was to encourage consumers to give ratings and reviews. These reviews provide information that a company can use to grow and expand in the right direction. A perfect example of this is how one time I went to Subway, and after I paid the sandwich artist offered me a free cookie if I filled out a short survey. Being in the mood for a cookie, I accepted. The questions had to do with product variety, product quality, customer service, and other things. At the end of the day, both parties win. I get a free cookie and Subway gets information on what I think about different aspects of their company.
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The third suggestion Kilgore makes is to use people to advertise for your product instead of traditional marketing tactics. 92% of consumers believe recommendations from friends and other consumers more than traditional advertising. Companies can even use these consumer reviews in their advertisements.
Taken From
http://blog.bazaarvoice.com/2017/09/26/how-brands-can-increase-channel-sales/
Finally, Kilgore states that companies should reward their loyal customers and encourage them to advocate for them. This can be done by personally thanking them for their purchase or by providing free samples of future products to get their opinion. Getting a product in the hands of the consumer and then having them talk about it is the best and most effective advertising one can buy. A great example of this is how on YouTube many content producers are given free and early access to products that pertain to them. If the content producer gives the product a glowing review then that is huge, but even if they just spread the word that the product is available then that is beneficial too. This tactic is currently applied to many types of products including movies, video games, phones, food, and more.
Kilgore’s blog post was an interesting read and I would recommend reading the full article.
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