Having a loyal audience, who wears the brand's shirt and buys from it year after year is very important. After all, this demonstrates that the store has a difference in relation to the competition and knows – and recognizes – the consumers who faithfully support that enterprise. However, any business aiming for growth must always seek to attract new customers. This does not mean that traditional consumers should be relegated to the background, just that it is necessary to think beyond them. And, for this, it is essential to reach and win over new generations.

In this sense, the store owner must understand where young people are and who they are to showcase their qualities. Therefore, the first step to winning over these buyers is to better understand their profile and behavior. A not-so-pleasant spoiler: attracting them to make a purchase in a physical store is not an easy mission.

Data from a survey carried out by the analysis company Verint shows that Generation Z, which includes people aged 8 to 23, have extremely complex consumer journeys. That's because more than 75% of these shoppers use more than one digital resource – such as rating sites, influencers and social media – to help with their purchasing decision. In other words, in general they only consume content that is authentic and in line with what they think. In addition to using the online environment as a lever in this process. This is the essence of the new generations and working on the characteristics in question is crucial to taking them to physical stores.

Dessa forma, uma boa saída para começar a atrair um público jovem é não encarar a internet como uma ameaça. Ou ainda, apenas como mais um canal de vendas para se preocupar, mas como uma verdadeira ferramenta de marketing digital. O cenário virtual oferece diversas oportunidades para tornar uma marca conhecida. Assim, mesmo que o comércio eletrônico não esteja dentro do modelo de negócio, é sempre recomendável recorrer a alguns aspectos básicos dele.

The language of digital transformation

Por exemplo, um site oficial e o uso de redes sociais permite que as novas gerações se identifiquem com a linguagem de venda. Além disso, comunica a chegada de novos produtos e melhorias na loja física. Como uma reforma na fachada ou a inauguração de uma nova unidade da marca. A manutenção de blogs também é um método interessante de explorar o meio digital. Pois permite que técnicas de inbound marketing sejam exploradas, levando assuntos relevantes aos consumidores.

One of the most obvious cases of how the application of these factors ends up being a differentiator in attracting young customers to the space is the credit plan. The great strength of this modality is precisely the return to the physical store to pay installments, which generally includes consumers who are already loyal to the brand. However, the digitalization of processes and the emergence of new technological tools, such as Pix, have mobilized store owners who were in a comfort zone to pay attention to modern markets and consumption habits.

Not surprisingly, this group of entrepreneurs tends to look closely at the criticisms, praise and suggestions of the new generations, making adaptation to other business models easier. With this communicational exchange, it is possible to develop a technological service that stimulates the customer experience. 

Think strategically

A good example of this is digital credit, in which sales are carried out with the same practicality as if made using a credit card, and which can be carried out from anywhere. In addition to greater practicality, this delivers a different experience to an age group that naturally already values this type of action. 

Strategies like this are ways to reduce bureaucracy in sales, which helps the entrepreneur not to get attached to a specific and unique group of methods, as well as the customer to seek satisfactory purchasing experiences that they were not necessarily expecting. If traditional businesses open their eyes to this new world of possibilities, they will be able to combine the useful with the pleasant, combining the assertiveness and agility of technology with the consumer's “magic” of going to an in-person store.

by Renato Cardeal de Oliveira @ administrators