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We’ve all heard about social media updates and how this affects the way we post content or publish our ads, but we have talked very little about our customer’s media consumption habits.
As content marketers, we should focus more on what our customers are doing online, since it influences our whole strategy: from what we talk about, to the way we present it. This article explains how the most common user’s habits impact our strategy.
1. Daily activities online
The days of computer’s exclusive use at work are things of the past. Moreover, Internet has left behind its stuck-to-a-place access. Nowadays, users are online looking not only for information work or school-related, but also for entertainment, mainly. We have to consider this as a fundamental element of a content strategy.
Instead of flooding your websites and social media accounts with ads, why not offer useful and amusing information? Think about it: if your customers can skip TV ads, they can do the same with your website or Facebook account.
2. The rise of a new generation: the Prosumers
Lately, we’ve been facing a new reality in content production: it isn’t exclusive anymore to media or businesses. These days, consumers are making the most of social media and technological devices and becoming content producers themselves. This concerns us because even a selfie, a Vine or a gif can turn into a viral content, meaning more content to compete with. Our job as marketers is to identify these online influencers and build a relationship with them, in order to leverage the opportunities of the digital environment and develop a more organic brand image.
3. More mobile, less desktop
From 2014 we have been experiencing an important decrease in the use of desktops. People instead are choosing (multiple) mobile devices to go online. This means that our content format must evolve if we want to keep up with this trend. Forget about heavy and slow websites, and start thinking mobile-friendly and fast download time of website content. Remember: consumers just won’t spend all their smartphone’s data to see what you can offer.
Besides the usability and easy access, the use of mobile affects Content Marketing in more ways. Users are surfing Internet via multiple devices more than ever, so this requires a different strategy and content adaptation to each of them. The communication that works fine on websites may not be effective on apps or Social Media accounts. At this point, it would be just absurd to replicate the communication and content model in every media.
Another thing to consider is the context of the new users. They are not longer seated on the coach focused on just one screen. Nowadays, users are online while doing house chores, working, commuting on public transport and even driving. These situations represent shorter attention spans, more stimulus, more interactions, which means more competition for our content. There is no break out in saying people don’t like to read, but understanding this habit and the context (fast-paced lifestyles) will get you to the solution: get visual. More infographics, more photographs, more images.
4. The second screen effect
It’s getting more common for people to go online while watching TV. In Mexico, 49% of the users who multitask online are doing something related to the TV content (read comments about the program on social media, talk about the program, look for information about the actors, etc.). Media Meshing is a great opportunity to reach more users and deliver a more meaningful experience. Once we understand that the users are not focused on just one screen anymore, we can develop strategies that meet these necessities. Moreover, designing a transmedia narrative through all your media and communication sources will develop, in one hand, a stronger brand identity and, in the other hand, a more interesting and appealing content offer. You do not have to settle for isolated Facebook posts and out-of-context blogs. Start developing experiences and not only messages.
5. New consumer buying decision process
We all know about the changes around buying processes and the purchase funnel applied in Inbound Marketing, but not everybody knows how to turn it into a Content Marketing strategy. Consumers need more information and they’re getting it from every source they find on Internet: social media, websites, blogs, etc. Actually, there are 39% of people who would never buy cars, cellphones or electronic devices before researching them on Internet. This means that nowadays the buying process is more social than it used to be, and keeps getting more and more. People don’t follow the information showed in an ad, they trust their peer’s comments, friend’s opinions and relative’s experiences.
If you want to reach them, you have to start a conversation and invite them to participate. Having a Twitter account is not for advertising price reductions, it should be a forum for your customers and prospects to talk about your product. If you are doing your job right, in the end your customers will get your work done.
This all might seem like a lot of things to do, but the bright side of this is that you have never got so many sources of information before. Every time people go online, they leave a trace of their preferences and habits, and this digital footprint is the key to your content strategy’s success. Get analytical and measure everything! Once you decode your buyer persona’s interests, you’ll be able to offer and adapt engaging and share-worthy content.
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Topics: INBOUND, MARKETING DIGITAL
