Can You Hear Me Now – 7 Benefits of Real Time Marketing

Did you know? Real time marketing delivers a 10-20% improvement in every major category of consumer behavior. Here are seven great reasons to incorporate these tactics into your small business marketing plan now.

Real time marketing delivers 10-20% improvement in every major category of consumer behavior.

With web data collection and analysis tools growing increasingly sophisticated, it’s now possible for a business to react and put its most relevant marketing messages, tools and other content in front of buyers at the precise moments (i.e., in “real time”) when they are researching options or ready to make a buying decision.

Real time marketing are marketing activities done “on the fly,” usually in response to a buyer’s site visit, form completion or some other online action, in order to further engage the prospect or help close a deal. They range from triggered display ads to emails, texts, sponsored social posts and other tactics.

In most cases, real-time marketing will usually be triggered as the culminating marketing touch of a multi-channel marketing strategy that engages buyers at each stage of the buying cycle.

In general, the more expensive or more critical the purchased product or service is, the more important it is to have a multi-customer touch point marketing strategy, including marketing tactics that can impact the buyer when they are poised both to make a decision and take immediate (nearly simultaneous) action.

The buying cycle illustration above by the Albertson Performance Group aptly displays the major points of the buying cycle, from disrupting the status quo (in order to create need or desire) to identify and then narrowing options, through to the point the decision is made and satisfaction resultant from a consumer getting the most from their purchase.

“All buying processes have sticking points; the more sticking points you help the buyer move through, the more likely the buyer will complete the process and buy.”
(Albertson Performance Group, 3 Insights into Buying Process Content)

Real time marketing tactics would be those designed to impact buyers primarily at – or nearing – the point of decision making.

They might be triggered by:

• buying signals perceived by sales people within your organization
• one or a series of web site visits
• geographic proximity to your business location
• online subscription or interest form completions
• other purchases (that might precede buying goods or services like those offered by your business)
• price inquiries
• social signals
• email responses
• other buying signals

A real time marketing tactic could be as simple as a salesperson reaching out with a proposal (or follow up to a proposal), email offer, digital coupon, text SMS marketing or some other touch that puts a compelling offer or benefit in front of the buyer when they are narrowing their options to make a buying decision.

Real Time Marketing Delivers Real Marketing Returns

Real time marketing is about more than delivering conversions. Emarketer.com reports these findings from a February 2012 survey by GolinHarris, which demonstrate that real time marketing doesn’t only influence buying decisions, but also impacts how a consumer feels about a brand and whether they would recommend it to someone else.

U.S. Consumers, Before and After Exposure to Real Time Marketing:

The 7 Real Benefits of Real Time Marketing

A new marketing report from Econsultancy provides insights into real-time marketing, including identifying the specific return that incorporating real time marketing tactics into your overall marketing plan could provide.

 

Study respondents from agencies and companies agreed on the top four benefits of real-time marketing, differing only in the amount of benefit perceived by the last three on the list. Here’s how they ranked the benefits:

1. Better customer experience
2. Improved conversion rates
3. Improved customer retention
4. Better brand perception
5. More opportunity to personalize marketing, offer, etc.
6. Increased average order value
7. Higher profit margins on real-time offers

Real time marketing enables you to have the most relevant conversations with more prospects, more often; and it’s not just about leads and sales. These seven real benefits that should make real time marketing a priority for your small business this year.