The numbers are so big they’re somewhat hard to grasp. There are more than 400 million users on Facebook. There are roughly 50 million tweets and 4.1 billion text messages sent each day. And, the typical American consumer is bombarded with nearly 3,000 messages daily.
In this instant communication-filled world, it’s hard for marketers to know how best to use social media to reach their customers. The answer can be found in one key word: RELEVANCE. When it comes to customer engagement, relevance is key.
A recent CMO Council study sheds light on why this is so. The study revealed that 63% of consumers have abandoned or are considering abandoning a brand altogether because of irrelevant emails and junk mail. What’s more, 54% of consumers indicated that a relationship defined by spam, irrelevance, and low value would result in their total disconnection from a program. In as much talk as we hear that the customer has control, I do not believe they want control as much as they want relevancy and communication in the manner that they, the consumer, want to receive it.
I mentioned that the typical American consumer is blasted with nearly 3,000 messages a day (according to a recent Xerox study). Of those, consumers pay attention to 52 messages and remember only four (Crista Caroni, the CMO of Xerox). It’s not surprising that consumers want your brand’s messages to be personalized, unique and engaging to stand above the growing media clutter.
According to the CMO survey:
- 58% of consumers surveyed want more compelling and personal benefits and services
- 52% want more compelling personal deals and offers
Marketing professionals dedicated to delivering personalized communications with relevant offers and content will be the Loyalty Leaders. “Relevant” information is what consumers want to hear – not the incessant sales pitches too many marketers deliver.
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