In the marketing world, proximity is synonymous with interactions and meaningful connections. Putting interactions at the heart of the customer journey is no novelty. Yet, using these interactions to build a proximity relationship in a world where digital marketing is taking over is an unexpected strategy. How can a company erase the distance between their process and their customers? If there is one thing we’ve learned from the pandemic, it is to keep our distances. So bringing everyone together is a daunting but necessary move to rebuild the economic stability of the community. 

Get to understand your customers

The first rule of getting close to people is to get to know them better. When it comes to your customers, the better you understand them, the easier it is to market them effectively. Market research solutions can help make sense of your customer database, identifying who they are in terms of meaningful demographic data. Gender, age, family status, and work status can highlight different personas and needs. Understand what your customers care about also gives you the key to build a relationship. You need to know what they stand behind before you can make your brand memorable to them. The first rule of relationships is to know the other, so you can mould your presence to fit around their interests and personality. 

Make it easy to purchase from anywhere

What convinces a customer to make a purchase? Great products or services contribute to the decision to buy. Yet, the transaction process can be off-putting. Too many users put an item in the basket and walk about from the website without committing to purchase. Proximity, on the other hand, can encourage them to go through the last step. Whether you use virtual merchant solutions to enable purchases in situ or tailor your website to simplify the transaction process, there is no mystery. Complex transaction processes add distance between customers and businesses. 

Build relationship goals

Social media platforms showcase your relationship with your customers as conversations become public knowledge. The majority of your customers will rely on interactions on social media to decide whether they want to trust a brand. Therefore, it makes sense to dedicate time and attention to delivering social media content. Engaging with your audience in the right tone of voice, on the right platform, and at the right time can be a challenging strategy. Content specialists recommend running customer interview to uncover patterns and build social media personas. Then you can create engaging and relevant content that brings your audience closer. 

Where are you? 

It’s impossible to talk about proximity strategy without considering your location. Geographic locations do matter, but digital proximity is much more relevant in a post-pandemic environment. It is in the interest of the business to identify the best digital areas for their customers. As a rule of thumb, companies should consider running both a mobile-friendly website and an app. The mobile site also needs to provide access to the same content as the desktop site, as customers don’t want to be left out. 

In conclusion, remove the distance between the customers and the brand is a priority strategy to recover pandemic losses. It’s all about being there where your customers are. Proximity brings relevance, convenience, and depth to the relationship that buyers have with a business.