Rethink Your Digital Marketing

ALEXANDRIA, Va.—There are two primary forms of marketing for promoting any business—digital and print. Both can be effective. However, they are not the same, and each involves different strategies and campaign tactics. On this week’s Convenience Matters, “Digital Content Matters,” Carolyn Schnare, director strategic initiatives, NACS, talks with two digital communication professionals about how to create high-quality, effective and well-designed digital content.

“Technology has raised the bar on what’s possible and removed many of the limitations on creativity that may have existed before,” said Rick Sales, president of Abierto Networks, a digital engagement solutions provider focused on the c-store industry. “But it also raised the requirements for skill and tools to be able to produce this new type of content. Good content is seamless. It looks so easy. But in its simplicity a lot of planning and a lot of effort goes into it.”

“Point-of-sale advertising is the most effective because most decisions aren’t made until customers are to the store,” said Dan Smith, U.S. vice president of business development for LG Electronics, the multinational electronics company. “In the past, we would create a poster. But static content is not as effective as video. So, how do we create that content?”

According to Smith, a video can create an experience that a static picture just can’t. “Whatever your strategy was before digital, it’s the exact same strategy with digital, just more effective,” he said. “So, if you want to drive customers into a convenience store to buy warm foods, focus on the warm foods. If you want them to get a soda with the warm foods, focus on the soda with the warm foods. If there’s a main message you want to deliver, deliver that as they walk in the store.”

Defining your purpose in communicating to customers is key, Sales added. “If you lack purpose, you’re naturally going to end up with bad content because purpose provides lots of guidelines for a content producer to give you a message that is on purpose.”

Communicators that come from print media often struggle transitioning to digital media, and particularly to video, which does not require that much text. Not to mention, the shorter videos are, the better. Sales said. “Simple, clear, easy to understand messaging on purpose, on brand and on content. I know it can be pricey, but it’s an investment. Like anything else, it will last you for a long time, and it makes all the difference in the world.”

“Displays used to be a plug-in … now displays are extremely intelligent,” Smith said. “There’s built-in computers, built-in remote monitoring and built-in remote management, which sounds more complex, but it actually simplifies things for the end user … You can send your content over the network cable. You can do remote monitoring over the network cable. The technology is a lot simpler to deploy and manage so you can focus on delivering that lifestyle experience.”

Each week a new Convenience Matters episode is released. With more than 290 episodes to choose from, the podcast can be heard on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play and other podcast apps, on YouTube and at www.conveniencematters.com. Episodes have been downloaded more than a quarter million times by listeners around the world.

Don’t forget to register to attend the 2021 NACS Show October 5-8, at McCormick Place in Chicago and take advantage of the education sessions on marketing in 2021 and beyond, including the sessions Meeting Consumers Where They Are—Everywhere, 4 Ways to Stand Out as a Small Operator: Tips From the Gas Station Gourmet and A New Approach to Dayparts on October 5, Increasing Foot Traffic with Your App on October 6 and Creating an Integrated Mobile Experience on October 7.

To read more about how effective signage and advertising can draw customers to your stores, be sure to check out “Attention, Shoppers!” in NACS Magazine.

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