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Channels continued from page 110
where consumers increasingly have little care which channel they use to research, select, transact or collect products.” Simply stated, consumers have new shopping behaviors that may seem disruptive to tradi- tional advertising and selling methods that are part of the current business model.
Learning Channels
Mobile barcodes (a.k.a. QR codes) can be utilized in mak- ing your traditional print media more interactive. Many media companies and marketers use mobile barcodes as a means to create and manage measur- able 2D barcode campaigns, extending brand engagement to consumers’ smartphone en- abled lifestyles. For instance, Home Depot is offering to its do- it-yourself builders and home owning customers a taste of the new technology. Technology Marketing Corporation Contrib- utor, Michelle Amodio, details Home Depot’s plan, saying, “In an effort to give customers more relevant information on
product reviews, how-to guides and videos, 2D barcodes will be placed in direct mail pieces linking to product information and video demos.” Another learning channel
being accessed by customers is the podcast. The word, pod- cast, comes from combining the terms “iPod” and “broadcast.” The term actually applies to both audio and video record- ings, yet most of the time refers only to audio broadcasting. Podcasts are downloadable so that they may be listened to on-the-go. According to the 2009 publication, The Social Media Bible, by Lon Safko and David K. Brake, “Podcasting is really easy and is much more psychologically desirable to your customers and follow- ers than just plain text.” At the time of this publication, the authors cited that 30 mil- lion people were subscribing to podcasts, a number that is exponentially growing. Furthermore, utilizing both
video and podcasts will help tackle a few projects on your marketing to-do list. Partici- pating in video or podcast sharing sites may help you with two scheduled items: so- cial media and search engine optimization. Point blank, us- ing these two technological channels and social media fo- rums will allow you to present your business, its mission, and products in an interesting and interactive way.
Selling Channels There are options when it
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comes to investing in selling channels. For instance, the increasing daily use of smart- phone applications (apps) by your consumers has created a channel for your customers to purchase products. Embracing the creative idea of releasing an app could mean that you will reach 256 million potential con- sumers. Also, social media is becoming a big selling channel, as retailers post promo codes, discount hours, and daily deals out to their growing Facebook fanship. The fast growing role of Facebook was a constant topic at the National Retail Federa- tion’s Innovate 2011 conference in San Francisco in March. While most retailers’ social media presence remains lim- ited to Facebook fan pages and a steady fl ow of Twitter posts, several conference presenters made clear that the retail in- dustry is only scratching the surface of social media’s poten- tial. Some are even going so far as to dub, “F-commerce,” with the “F” as in Facebook, the next big frontier.” Whatever the next big fron-
tier is, it goes way beyond the store-centric demand model. It is a wise decision to take advantage of the multiple technology-driven channels your customers are accessing, whether it be to spread infor- mation about your business or to sell products beyond your checkout counter. ■
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IndependentRetailer.com, For Today’s Business News & Updates. October 2011 111
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