The COVID-19 has detoured marketing strategies and disrupted many businesses today. Consumers are reeling from life changes, job losses, isolation, and fear. What is a marketer to do? That is the question.
The best option is to be future-forward and take the time available today to review, analyze and get to know your customers better. Digital marketing is an agile function so adjusting and responding is part of daily life, that hasn’t changed.
As marketers, we are trying to attract, engage and delight our customers and prospective customers. Part of the marketing mix involves promotion and Google Ad programs are an important part of that mix. Last week we reviewed Google’s keyword match types for advertising. Since business as usual is on hold, now is a great time to learn more about your customers. To build effective messaging to engage, inform, and delight; Marketing strategies require more than just demographic and purchase behavior data. That is where platform marketing can help.
Platform Marketing. Platform marketing involves building your marketing strategy around the customer journey, not in silos. In order to achieve this, you must have a keen sense of all the ways your customers experience your business and have a solid understanding of what drives consumer decisions.
Understanding your customer’s purchase decision process takes some investigating. Often veiled personal values are the attributes that motivate a customer. There are four factors to evaluate which include: motivational, demographical, behavioral, and attitudinal. Understanding the four factors considered can help you to maximize your ability to engage and influence.
Motivational. Motivational behavior is the force that drives consumers to action. It can be intrinsic, something internally that causes an action, or extrinsic, something externally that causes the consumer to take action. Various theories suggest that consumer motivation is rooted in the basic need of consumers seeking to minimize pain and maximize pleasure.
Demographical. Demographical data outline different factors which influence consumer behavior. The age, sex, income, marital status, and education. These factors are dynamic and change the way consumers behave. The more information you have on your customers and understand what life-stage or demographic factors, the better understanding you will have to create effective messages today and forecast their journey in the future.
Behavioral. Behavioral factors involve insights gained from data around your customer's habits. Data insights are harnessed from web search history, purchase history, frequently visited websites, and other information to create a picture of your full customer. These insights can indicate what your customer wants, avoids, and purchases
Attitudinal. Attitude plays an important part in the consumer purchase decision process. Attitude is how your customer is feeling; favorable or unfavorable. Understanding your customer's tendency of reaction to certain actions and behaviors can help you better position the customer's journey. Your customer has specific beliefs about your products. These thoughts are acquired over time and are usually illustrative thoughts of how the product is.
To effectively outline your customer journey and the attributes of customer motivation; you can position yourself competitively in both messaging and your marketing experiences. Uncovering your customer purchase decision motivations is only the first part of the analysis.
Taking those insights and translating them into better-performing marketing initiatives is the true challenge for the Platform Marketer. However, sometimes the first step is the hardest so while things are in a bit of chaos, bringing order and harmony to the customer journey can reap rewards for you, your customers, and your brand, now and in the future.