Successful communication is the key to building a more effective PR strategy for retailers in 2020. The right ways to communicate can vary depending on your size, location, and goals, but when communication is more seamless, you get to benefit from:
- Improved products
- Better customer service
- More sales
That means that creating the best and most effective communication solutions is vital for those PR teams in the retail sector. In the digital age, PR departments have access to a wider range of tools and resources than ever before, and that means a more proactive approach to retail PR is more achievable than it has ever been.
Start incorporating storytelling
One of the big marketing buzzwords of the last few years, storytelling is becoming one of the keys to brand communications. For PR teams, that means having a firm idea of brand culture and the requirements of brand growth, and using that knowledge to create storytelling marketing messages that will help form emotional bonds with clients. The key to improved brand storytelling is to identify the human factor in any PR campaign. Customer reviews can be useful for this, but often it is a case of simply paying attention to your team.
Engage social media influencers
If you think that retail is not a sector that will benefit from the use of influencers, think again. As one of the fastest growing and discussed means of approaching PR, influencers can be of very high value when it comes to promoting new products and special offers. There is an authenticity to influencers that retail outlets can get direct benefits from, and by using them in the right way, you can gain a more authentic brand awareness than ever. In 2020, focus on long-term relationships with the influencers that suit your retail brand.
Ask for customer feedback
If there鈥檚 one thing that PR teams need to focus on in 2020, it’s getting more customer feedback. Not only does prioritizing customer feedback give you a clearer idea of what you are doing right (and wrong), it also helps to make improvements to your business processes. There are many mistakes made when it comes to retailers trying to get feedback. The most common is to make it too time-consuming or difficult to leave feedback. Look at smart options like those feedback systems that have been designed to work for much easier customer satisfaction surveys. Quick to use for customers, PR teams can gain fast access to data that can then be more easily used to make improvements.
Create useful content
Despite marketing and PR trend shifts, one truism remains the same: content is your most important tool. The right content will ground your business and can have a direct impact on your reputation. If you want your customers to see you as a professional outlet that has a firm understanding of your sector and consumer trends, then you need to create the content that informs that opinion. Use your content to provide value, while ensuring that it is totally consistent with your broader PR strategy, brand voice, and your growth plans.
Public relations is an area that goes through changes very quickly. If you want your PR strategy to stand out and be more effective in 2020, then you must start paying more attention to your means and methods of communication. Prioritize the right blend of customer feedback and the content that grounds your brand culture. Take the time to get your PR right and you will be more likely to see retail success in the 2020s.