Whether it’s asking for a recommendation or a sample, most of us invariably wind up in a conversation with a retail assistant before making a purchase.

These marketing techniques may seem old-fashioned today, but in digital times, conversational marketing is having a renaissance. While one of the very first digital conversation channels — email — first emerged in the 1970s, digital marketing tactics in the 21st century have become dominated not by words but by numbers.

Today, “programmatic” advertising and dynamic customer relationship platforms combine datasets on audiences in order to precisely target individuals. It is a cold, data-driven strategy that has taken over the advertising wing of marketing. But, while using these targeting techniques may bring people to your website, converting them into buyers is rarely solved by the simple act of targeting alone.

I think marketers of yesteryear had the right idea. Selling to someone, nurturing the relationship and converting them into a customer needs a personable approach, and that demands a conversation.

Click here to view original web page at Conversation Is The Key To Reboot Marketing