If 2020 was about customer communication for the purpose of retention, 2021 will be about customer communication for the purpose of acquisition. Acquisition will not come from the echo chamber of fans appearing on social media platforms. They have already expressed affinity for your particular brand and your particular business. They are already fans, that is why they are there. 2020 may also have provided a false sense of attribution to the effectiveness of social media as a service to grow your businesses. Social media served some companies well during the pandemic by feeding the echo chamber of fans – customer retention. It does little to expand your universe. That is not how the social algorithms work. As the Victor Valley region becomes more and more open – it is time to start inviting the rest of the planet to do business with you. This is the role of mass media – appeal to the largest universe you can, for an extended period of time.
The internet itself as a commercial medium and a commerce enterprise has been around for over 25 years. Yet, pre-pandemic e-commerce as a percentage of total retail sales only accounted for 12% of the total pie. Fast forward one year, through a global pandemic and state by state lockdowns and e-commerce never broke the 20% threshold as it relates to total retail sales. People still want to shop for goods and services in person. Stop 100 people on the street and they will tell you that e-commerce is 50% – 80% of all goods sold. But the data does not support that theory. Jeff Bezos may have gotten rich at Amazon, but he is doing it off 12% of retail sales.
Meanwhile, most of the chatter and traffic on social media is mostly people talking to themselves and posting cat videos. Marketers are getting smaller and smaller returns as the medium becomes more crowded and more cluttered. True people rely on their online sources for information, but it does not necessarily lead directly to purchases. And those relying solely on social media in 2021 will find much less success. The pie will not grow for these businesses and retention will drop as customers will get picked off by competitors or louder competitors advertising on mass media in the high desert. 2021 will be defined by customer acquisition and that will only come from expanding the conversation beyond the fandom echo chambers of social media.
That is the role of our Victor Valley radio stations – we are the mass media offering the largest universe of people each week. Match your product to your target lifestyle group, not the one you like, but the one most likely to buy your product. Let us and our team of creative writers craft a message that is sure to resonate with that lifestyle group and then we will run it so it cannot be ignored. This how you will grow your slice of the pie in 2021.
Not sure how to do this – we can help, call us – here is my direct line – 760-881-3819 or e-mail me chrisfleming@edbroadcasters.com for your no-cost, no-obligation Victor Valley business evaluation. We promise you will get at least one good idea you can use and a solid marketing plan for the future – regardless of what you decide to do with it. 2021 will belong to those that reach beyond their five-block radius and echo chamber of fans to succeed – will that be you?