Today’s advertising largely happens on digital platforms. Whether companies use mobile ads or digital out-of-home, it’s easier to leverage digital advertising. But, when it comes time to report on performance, many companies look outside of digital marketing metrics to define success. Executive leadership wants to see real business results, like increased revenue.
At GroundTruth, we’re on marketers’ side. We make it easier to attribute performance results to marketing efforts. That’s in part because we want our customers to reach their goals, but also because foot traffic and in-store visits have value beyond just purchases.
Here are some of the most surprising ways companies use foot traffic to improve their products, services, and real business results.
1. Foot Traffic Makes Audience Targeting More Precise
Foot traffic data provides companies with information about who their customers are, what their buying habits are and how they like to move throughout the store. But that’s just when they are inside the store. Understanding who showed up to your location based on the ads they were shown can offer a deeper well of information on your target customer.
For example, if one audience segment shows up to your stores more often than others, you can start to test what makes that audience segment work. Is it messaging? The channel they see your ad on? Or, if an audience segment visits your store less frequently, but spends more money, what learnings can you apply to increase the average check of other segments?
2. In-Store Visits Improves the Customer Journey
The touchpoints required for a comprehensive customer journey will always change. As you bring new people into your stores, you will learn which channels will turn them from a first-time visitor to a lifetime customer.
Companies that combine in-store engagements with digital advertising, and other touchpoints, can build a more effective customer journey much more quickly than those who keep the data siloed.
In-store visits to learn more about what customers enjoy about their experience. Use that to inform your retargeting messaging as well as any specials you might offer. Those small, but critical, personalizations give you an edge against competitors and mean a lot to your customer base.
3. Optimize Products and Services with Foot Traffic
Another surprising way foot traffic can support digital ad campaigns is by clarifying what products or services your team should highlight in your ads. Companies that offer a variety of products tend to focus on their most popular ones. Of course that helps for your most general audience, but after a person has visited your store, you can show ads with products more specific to their needs and interests.
Variety in creative and messaging helps reduce ad fatigue in audiences, plus it helps your marketing reach audiences more efficiently. Both are results you need to create a marketing machine that gets real business results for your company.
4. Gain More Insights on Competitors with In-Store Visits
Finally, ad campaigns built to drive foot traffic can teach you about your competitors, particularly if you use hyper-local targeting. GroundTruth customers use features like Blueprints to target people right at the moment of decision making. When those ads successfully earn an in-store visit, our customers have a new understanding of what messaging or creative is more compelling compared to their competitors’ offerings.
Of course, you can ask your customers these questions using surveys, but the real-world behavior that is captured in the moment is vital for optimizing your strategy, reducing excess spend, and driving the real business results you want.
Increase Foot Traffic and Other Real Business Results with GroundTruth
To learn more about how GroundTruth can help your business drive more in-store traffic, watch our recent webinar with Adweek, Are Your Digital Ad Dollars Driving Foot Traffic? You’ll hear from experts across the industry about how to build successful campaigns that drive real business results.
