How Digital Marketing Affects Consumer Behavior

When a new product hits the market, it is crucial to generate visibility and increase sales as quickly as possible.

However, while some marketers might see their goal as getting people to remember the product’s name or logo, successful digital marketing efforts aim at driving consumers towards a certain behavior.

• To create an emotional connection

Digital platforms can inspire more emotions in users than traditional media forms, because of the interactive nature that encourages the user to provide feedback. For example, a shopper’s friend could post a photo of them wearing a product on Instagram, generating positive feelings to make the same purchase decision.

• To encourage users to take action

Involvement with digital marketing efforts is generally greater than traditional media because it offers more opportunities for consumers to take part in the information. This is particularly true of social media, where messaging between friends encourages engagement with the product. For instance, an ad campaign could enable consumers to vote on their favorite new product by clicking a Like button or responding to a poll.

• To allow for personalized customer experiences

The use of technology provides unprecedented opportunities for companies to engage with their customers. Data collected via social media interactions, surveys or site-automation tools like bots enable companies to offer their customers personalized experiences that fulfill their desires.

For example, an online retailer might notice that customers spend much longer on specific product pages than others; this data could indicate that the page contains information that customers want more of or are confused by how it works.

• To take part in the decision-making process

Thanks to digital channels, customers are no longer an isolated group that businesses can’t reach. Companies can now interact with their customer base over Twitter or Facebook and get immediate feedback on products such as reviews or comments. This has also shifted from one-way contact with the customer (i.e., marketing via print, television, and radio) to multi-directional communication (i.e., social media).

However, this also means that companies need to respect their customers’ time when communicating with them; in other words, they must ensure that their digital marketing efforts are not intrusive unless relevant.

For example, an online retailer might monitor Twitter for consumers talking about product issues or concerns, and use that information to address problems quickly. However, the company must be careful not to be too “sales-focused” in its interactions with users because this could drive people away from their social media pages or websites.

• To encourage accountability

People are more likely to behave responsibly if they know that their actions are monitored; this is true of the corporate world as well. Digital marketing efforts bring with them many opportunities for corporations to track information about what customers do, how long they spend on certain pages, and who they interact with most frequently.

These insights allow marketers to be more accountable for their campaigns and make them aware of the impact of their choices. For example, an online retailer might notice that customers are spending more time on product pages than they used to; this information could prompt marketers to reduce distractions to improve conversions.

Digital marketing is also an effective way of building relationships with customers. Brands can bolster their reputation and maintain a consistent image with their customers by staying in front of their minds. Also, by effectively monitoring conversations surrounding their brand, companies can fix issues quickly before they escalate into crises.

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