Gaining an Edge with 2023 Consumer Trends

I’ve read several consumer reports to discover how to help my clients rock their marketing efforts – so I thought I would share them with you. We should begin with the umbrella principles for today’s marketing arena: Personalize content and emotionally connect with your audience. To personalize, you must first: Know thy audience. You must speak to your audience in a way that appeals to them. If you’re Harley Davidson, you’re not posting images of pretty tea parties! You must speak to your people. According to the 2023 Consumer Trends Index, irrelevant content annoys 49% of consumers. Give your people what they want (not what you think they want). I’m reminded of a communication theory: Communication Accommodation. You want to communicate with another person in a way he or she understands and appreciates. You don’t, for example, chat it up when arguing a case in front of a judge. Or write a conversational piece for sophisticated investors. But you don’t want a law review article style piece if you’re selling makeup! If you don’t know your audience – what they like, what they do, where they are hanging out – you have some work to do! Second: Connect with thy audience. Romance them. The world of place it and forget it for marketing and advertising is long gone. And, I laugh here, the world of logical appeals is dead (for the masses, anyway). You must – must – evoke an emotional response that results in a conversation. Consider clicks, comments, follows, shares, and, ultimately, purchases, as feedback. If you send out content and hear crickets, your communication failed. No conversation. That’s bad. And once that audience member sends feedback, you must engage: Thank them, reach out, send an offer. Keep it going! Now, the nitty-gritty. What should you do to increase your marketing impact? (AKA be profitable) Email is the most cost-effective and powerful channel. If you do one thing this year, work on building and nurturing your email list. But never cast and blast. Return to the umbrella principles: Know your market and know what they want to hear. Give your audience value. Mobile is the tool. 55% of consumers use their phone to read content and to research purchases. Not only should your content – including your website – be mobile responsive, but also every piece of content you offer should be mobile accessible. If you would like help to implement these findings, reach out. Because you have enough to do without dealing with this tech crap.