What’s in his wallet when a consumer sees a product he wants to buy online or in the physical retail store? Credit cards, debit cards, Venmo, cash, checks, Square, Paypal, Stripe, or gift cards? Do they see options for spreading payments out like Splitit or Afterpay? How do consumers want to pay for purchases these days?
With the rise of COVID-19, you’d think that the possibility of transmission via cash would make consumers turn to credit cards.s
Surprisingly, however, digital publication TheFinancialBrand.com found that credit card usage decreased during the pandemic, with 3 out of 4 Americans wanting to use credit cards less frequently.
Instead, consumers, especially younger generations, prefer to use debit cards or point-to-point payment options like Venmo.
But as pandemic restrictions ease, big banks are predicting the American consumer’s return to credit cards, and many are preparing for this by ramping up their digital marketing strategies. If your company wants to drive your credit card ROI, these tips can help you get started.
Draw in debit card users
As mentioned earlier, a generational shift is becoming more apparent, with younger consumers preferring debit to credit. According to Marketwatch.com, one of the biggest reasons for this is fear of racking up credit debt.
Your strategy can help influence a reverse in that trend by showing consumers that the rewards offered by credit cards far outweigh the costs. Drawing stark comparisons between the pros and cons of debt versus credit can help you highlight the tips of the latter as well, such as credit score boosts and purchase protections.
Advertise individual products for particular needs
By proposing a particular card as a solution to a specific need, you can better express to potential consumers exactly how valuable they’ll find your product.
For example, a MasterCard campaign once drew first-time business owners in with the phrase: “I like my days unpredictable, not my business expenses.” Other credit card firms are emphasizing the benefit of buying with credit for boosting credit card scores.
Seasonal campaigns
Another tried-and-tested method you can use to boost post-pandemic credit card use is the seasonal campaign. Capture promises of tropical island getaways in the summer, promote back-to-school deals in August or offer rewards for credit cardholders to save on dining purchases. You can even leverage special days like Valentine’s Day and the Holidays, offering rewards that can be claimed during those seasons.
See what your competitors are doing
People say that you should always draw wisdom from various sources, so try studying your competitors’ marketing campaigns and people in similar categories.
Understand why each campaign succeeded or failed and take these lessons into account when drafting your own. It’s also easy to keep yourself current on the latest credit card and payment trends and campaigns by consulting reputable online sources.
Askmoney.com is an excellent place to start. It even has a dedicated category for credit news, where you can learn about what’s currently in demand among consumers, such as what kind of credit cards small businesses prefer or the type of credit cards travelers go for. Some websites will even feature banks and other financial institutions that are doing well in terms of ROI, along with the reasons why they’re succeeding.
Automate your campaigns
To keep yourself even further up to date, consider hopping on the artificial intelligence (AI) bandwagon.
Countless industries are currently benefiting from the increased efficiency and productivity automation brings. With AI doing all your manual tasks, your team can perfect your marketing strategy while AI does all the heavy lifting. AI can even glean a wealth of actionable insights from data on how Internet users engage with your online content.
From here, machine learning, a more sophisticated form of AI, can be trained to personalize credit card digital ads based on each potential consumer’s browsing preferences. As a bonus, it can do so on a large scale — and at a fraction of how much it would have cost you to do so with a fully human workforce.
Accept a helping hand
Finally, if you’re in doubt about how exactly to construct a marketing strategy for any number of reasons — such as the current economic situation or the number of resources you have available — it’s always best to consult a professional. Several financial and marketing consulting experts specialize in guiding payment methods to maximize revenue.
What’s in your wallet? I hope it’s prosperity.
You can set up a time to chat with me about your marketing challenges using my calendar. Email me jeffslater@themarketingsage.com Call me. 919 720 0995. The conversation is free, and we can explore if working together makes sense. Watch a short video about working with me.
