People and attention are the two most important factors in your marketing communication.

You create attention by communicating with people and the way in which you respond to their needs when doing so. There are various types of attention.

In the case of purchased attention, you pay for the use of a medium as an advertiser. Examples include radio, TV, print, outdoor advertising, sponsoring a sports club and digital media such as advertising via search engines and online banners.

Relational attention is all about the gaining the attention of your (potential) customers via your own communication channels. This includes your website, email marketing, your pharmacy, your loyalty programme and social media.

And it is this latter form of attention that we will discuss today. After all, it is relevant for your pharmacy and you don’t need a big budget to achieve it. And if you do it carefully, you will also create earned attention. By providing your customers with outstanding customer service, they will become ambassadors for your pharmacy and thus generate vital word-of-mouth advertising.

Crucial points for attention include:

• What you have to say: content is key. It must be relevant and authentic, and respond to the needs of your customers.
• Service! The experience you offer your customers influences their purchasing decisions. It’s all about being part of the community, and trust is important here.

In the first instance, focus on existing customers. Marketers sometimes talk about the ‘flywheel’. A sale doesn’t stop once you have attracted a customer; the process continues. In turn, a satisfied customer will create attention and draw in new customers.

The core of this starting point is your customer experience, with three phases on which you must focus as a company: attraction, connection, and retention.
In the first phase, you try to attract attention by offering interesting information/content and ensuring good access to your (online) pharmacy. In the second phase, you ensure that your customers can easily connect with you via their favourite channels, as this also makes it easy for them to shop with you. Finally, in the third phase you help your customers with their needs. If you meet their needs, they will be keen to come back to you. This also ensures your success.