Taking Action: The Undeniable Value In Brands Using Consumers’ Preferred Channels

Yesterday I wrote about email marketing and its continued dominance as the channel of choice for consumers. 

Today, I’m looking deeper into the idea of preferences with Twilio’s Consumer Preferences Report, which found that despite 91% of consumers expecting interactions to come via their preferred channels, only half (54%) of brands often or always end up meeting that expectation, with 15% rarely or never communicating their preferred way.

And when brands do use the preferred channels, consumers take action: 43% open links, 40% make repeat purchases, 30% make a first-time purchase, and 30% leave a positive review.

(Source: Twilio)

“Using consumers’ preferred communication channels can impact their behavior and lead to significant business benefits,” the report says, pointing to benefits such as increased revenue, greater customer retention, and improved customer acquisition. “Consumers are willing to spend 32% more on brands that engage with them through their preferred channels.”

From the other side of the preference coin, the report found that almost a quarter of consumers (24%) have taken their purchasing power elsewhere because of a brand using the non-preferred channel, to say nothing of the more than half (57%) who sometimes or always get frustrated when that happens.

“Of course, the real challenge lies in identifying which channels to prioritize for your various use cases,” the report says, finding what so many have found before that most consumers (in this case, 79%) consider email to be their preferred digital communication channel. “Adding to the complexity, consumers often prefer different channels for different types of communications. For example, a customer might prefer to handle support issues over the phone, receive sales notifications over email, and urgent alerts via SMS.”

In addition to breaking down the various use cases and their preferred accompanying communication, the report took a deep dive into the relationship of trust and consumer confidence, finding that 66% did not make a purchase due to lack of trust in a brand. Ultimately, almost half (49%) said they’d trust brands more if a message or social channel displayed a logo or verification check mark.

“These elements of trusted communications reduce the risk of fraud and build consumer confidence in communications from businesses,” the report says. “If you’re not already using branded communications, it’s time to consider it. After all, they can drive ROI and boost conversion.”

For more information about how to improve your email deliverability, download A Beginner’s Guide to Email Marketing by Mirabel’s Marketing Manager: