A revolution (from the Latin revolutio, “a turnaround”) is a fundamental change in power or organizational structures that takes place over a relatively short period of time. There have been several revolutions since the 1900s from the first industrial revolution to the second industrial revolution to the technological revolution and now we are at data and digital revolution which in turn has caused a huge shift in the market.
We are closer to realizing what was once a dream. The age of robots, Artificial Intelligece and Virtual Reality. The markets have become volatile as change is always in the air. This is the era where change and innovation is highly encouraged.
All this, comes at a cost of course. People have to work harder to get their brands noticed. Creativity is a must. Embrace change or prepare to be obsolete and obviously our consumer habits have changed as well.
How has the digital revolution impacted consumer behavior?
1. Consumers are less loyal.
Long gone are the days when a consumer would be a die hard fan of a certain company. Consumers are now value-driven and value their post-purchase experience as it’s what determines if they’ll remain loyal or not.
2. Consumers are now in control.
With information at their fingertips, consumers now know what they want and go for it. The idea of direct marketing to consumers does not work as well as it used to. To get a consumer, you have to seduce them to fall in love with your product first.
3. Consumers have redefined the idea of negotiation.
Discounts, offers and coupons are the order of the day. The best deal gets to win the most number of customers. Consumers like to feel the worth of their hard earned cash.
4. Consumers are researching products and services
If you do not appear on page 1 of a search result, then you might as well consider your company and product extinct. Why? This is because consumers rarely go past page when they do a search on the Internet. This is why so many companies are constantly working on their SEO to improve their rank on the Search Result Page (SRP).
5. Consumer-to-consumer recommendations are a key driver of preference.
Reviews and word of mouth matters a lot when it comes to marketing to the modern consumer. With a lot of product and information on the Internet, a consumer may feel a bit overwhelmed when it comes to making a decision and thus the reviews or recommendation come in handy.
The digital revolution has also enabled a shift in marketing techniques and strategies. A new breed of marketers have been born, digital marketers. And with their new roles comes new responsibilities.
Responsibilities towards consumers include:
- Aesthetic communication.
With so much information in the information, it is your duty as digital marketer to make sure that the content you provide is interesting and engaging, informative and educative.
- Spamming.
When a consumer entrusts you with their contact information and email address, avoid filling their inboxes with too much information. This is what we call information overload. Once again, consider winning a prospective client like a dating process. You would not spill all your guts in your first conversation.
- Accurate and true information.
We owe this to our consumers. Avoid giving misleading information on your adverts just to get more clients. When you give out wrong information, it might lead to their unforeseen issues such as a negative review or your company being sued for purposely misleading your consumers. Give your consumers legit content.
- Consumer oriented
Connect with your consumers after all it is one of your duties as a digital marketer. Get feedback from them and ask how you can improve your service for a better customer experience. Help them find the solutions that they are looking for otherwise they will look elsewhere and you don’t want that,or do you?
- Exploitation
This refers to create an artificial shortage in order to get more people to your online store or to increase price. This is just wrong on so many levels especially when you know that a certain product is on demand. Creating a false sense of urgency just to profit from is unethical. Be honest with your consumers not unless it is a promotion or a deal and the time is running is out. In that case, the client gets to decide whether or not to take advantage of that opportunity.
- Avoid bad mouthing competitors.
Saying negative things about our competitors can come haunt you in the future. Focus on what you do best and improve your consumer experience. While there are times when Twitter wars can help a brand, there are certain guidelines that one should use before hanging oneself. Always remember that the internet never forgets!
- Keeping the consumer informed
In case there is a change in pricing, management or even operating hours, it is your duty to make sure that your consumers are informed. Remember they are part of your stakeholders. Make them feel like they are part of your story and journey. Digital marketing is meant to bring the company and consumers closer not tear them apart. Show them how you are making the society a better place.
- Reward system
This mainly depends on the level where a consumer is at in your marketing funnel. For loyal consumers, it is your duty to make sure that they get inside-only discounts and offers. They should be the first ones to receive incentives from your team. Make sure that the value of pricing matches the value of product.
Conclusion.
As the evolution in marketing continues, there is bound to be more issues to be addressed. If you have any more points on how digital marketers are responsible towards to their consumers, feel free to add your points in the comment section below.
Subscribe, Like and Share!
Elle voyage 