In special times, how can the retail industry operate private domain traffic well?

A sudden epidemic has brought community (WeChat group) sales and home delivery retail to a new trend.

In order to control the human contact brought by visiting stores, since the outbreak of the epidemic, selling goods through WeChat groups has become the main way of selling in many places, including retail companies and some catering companies.

At present, affected by the epidemic, selling goods in WeChat groups will be accepted by more consumers after the epidemic; as a result, more and more retail companies will pay more attention to community retail (selling goods in WeChat groups), and store + group will become the standard configuration of more and more retail companies.

However, from recent observations, most companies only regard group selling as an emergency measure at the moment, and have not paid more attention to how to make use of the groups, and how to use the groups to help companies do user operations at such a critical time point, to form closer user relationships, and to lay the foundation for better using the groups to do business after the epidemic, especially to do user operations.

From the perspective of traditional marketing, user trust and user relationships are very important. From the perspective of current private domain traffic , companies can leverage the key role of WeChat groups in establishing user links, seize the current key time nodes, better serve key users, and target user needs in the current special period to form closer user trust, better user relationships, and better user dependence.

In the current new market environment, what companies need to be clear about is that the focus of business operations is users, and the main goal of business operations is user value, that is, the value created for you by a single user. Enterprises need to seize every favorable opportunity to achieve new breakthroughs in better managing users.

What is private domain traffic?

My definition of private domain traffic is: users who have established effective links with the help of current mobile Internet connection methods . For example, APP links, public account links, Douyin links, and the particularly important WeChat group links.

The characteristics of private domain traffic are: there are relatively stable user links, which can be reached repeatedly, can have an effective impact on users, and then can form effective operations for users.

The difference between private domain traffic and public domain traffic is that public domain traffic does not establish user links, and there is a lost connection between the enterprise and the user. Since there is no user connection, the company cannot effectively influence users, and therefore cannot effectively manage users.

Current mobile linking methods have helped companies establish user links in many ways. And in this special epidemic period, this link has become a very important way for users to connect.

Currently, there are different understandings about public domain traffic and private domain traffic. But in general, in a linked environment, future marketing will gradually move away from the previous public domain traffic model and move towards a marketing model based on private domain traffic.

In essence, the marketing model based on private domain traffic is a marketing model that manages users, that is, it shifts from the original marketing model based on operating goods to a marketing model based on operating users.

We must see the essence of marketing: users create value, not products. The transformation of marketing from operating products to operating users is a new marketing transformation that must be completed.

The epidemic period has brought a critical node for enterprises to manage private domain traffic well

Since the outbreak of this epidemic, we have seen that most retail companies have performed very well and have been very proactive:

1. Make every effort to organize the materials and commodities needed to fight the epidemic and ensure market supply;
2. Make every effort to overcome the various difficulties faced by enterprises, especially the hardship of insufficient staff, strive to ensure normal business operations and maintain normal market order;
3. Actively donate money and materials, and take the initiative to assume corporate social responsibility.

Many backbone supermarket chain companies have been identified by society as the main channels for the supply and distribution of anti-epidemic materials. During this fight against the epidemic, the social image of backbone chain supermarket enterprises was once again demonstrated.

Moreover, this noble social performance and corporate responsibility in special times have been highly recognized by society and consumers. Just like the reports we saw: Consumers said: As long as we see that the supermarket near our home is still open, we feel more at ease.

The epidemic is short-lived. At present, all companies need to think carefully about how to better amplify the corporate image that we have established during the epidemic at great risks and pressure after the epidemic. All companies need to return to the perspective of long-term business operations and think about post-epidemic operations.

Moreover, at the current stage, faced with existing risks and pressures, how can enterprises both fulfill their responsibilities and reduce risks and pressures as much as possible? Companies also need to target key customers around stores and use methods that can better reduce risks to provide key services.

Therefore, no matter from which aspect, companies need to make real-time operational adjustments in response to the current special period, concentrate their resources, and shift their focus to serving your key users.

Recently I have seen some companies making such adjustments. For example, I have seen some companies take some separate service measures for key users in WeChat groups, ensuring the supply of some commodities and materials, and giving away masks and other materials that are urgently needed by customers, which touched these key users very much.

Henan Yeast Juice Company (Ya! Manggou) used the customer base they had established to promptly help customers solve special problems that occurred during the epidemic, and adopted some flexible sales methods in real time to address problems in different terminal stores. Through group exchanges, communication and actions, they further strengthened their relationship with customers during the epidemic.

How to take advantage of the opportunity to manage private domain traffic?

The first is to screen key customers . Enterprises can use WeChat groups to filter out key customers that you are currently connected to through various means and create a separate group. The process is not complicated.

The second is to provide good service . Key services for key customers. Enterprises can deploy existing limited resources to ensure good service to key customers. We can provide more extended services to meet customer needs during special periods.

The third is to strive to ensure customer needs . During special periods, we strive to ensure the needs of these key customers. By better meeting the needs of these key customers, we enable them to establish closer relationships with the company.

In general: If a retail store can screen 1,000 key customers during this special period, provide them with good services during this special period, and make them have better trust in you, I believe that after the epidemic, your performance will not only not decline, but will be significantly improved.

Author: Bao Yuezhong

Source: Bao Yuezhong New Retail Forum