Written by Joshua Wilson, Commercial Director, JAPAC.
The global advertising industry has hit a pivotal point in terms of transparency. From Meta Verified to the IAB UK’s Transparency FAQs, transparency and accountability across the digital media supply chain have become the expectation for brands and agencies. In a world of murky metrics, online trolls and robots, and an increasingly sceptical consumer base, this should come as no surprise to regional marketers.
In this article, we’ll be exploring the different ways brands can use the latest, promoting verification processes across the digital advertising ecosystem as an opportunity to sealing their own credibility and trustworthiness while gaining clearer transparency of their audience.
We all know that to connect better with audiences, marketers and advertisers can create customised and hyper-personalised advertising strategies that go beyond the basics of location and interest. As consumers become increasingly discerning about the content they consume, brands that prioritise authenticity are more likely to succeed in building long-lasting relationships with their target audience.
Whether it is due to emerging technologies like generative AI or updates on regulation and privacy laws, there are always new changes within the ad industry that require a rapid pivot in strategy, but that need not daunt marketers. Broken down, there are three key strategy adaptations marketers should embrace: leveraging user behaviour; employing customer lifecycle marketing and creating effective strategies across every stage of the customer journey. When executed together, these will help audiences connect deeper and more genuinely with brands and their messages. Let’s take a look at the three ways marketers and advertisers can build authentic and powerful campaigns.
1) Understanding user behaviour
Consumer behaviour has always played a key role in digital marketing, but never before has it been so critical for building targeted and meaningful campaigns that resonate with the intended audience. User behaviour can be tracked through various channels, such as website analytics, social media monitoring and customer feedback.
Once a marketer understands a consumer’s particular behaviour, they are in a better position to influence and drive them towards a certain outcome. This can involve honing in on certain pain points and presenting the necessary calls to action at the right place and time, driving that key conversion.
While timing and location are crucial in influencing any user journey, powerful and resonant content will play a bigger part in securing a positive brand response.
Linking user behaviour to key trends in the market will help make that creative content more memorable. Google’s Consumer Insights: 2022 APAC Consumer Trends recently revealed three key themes behind users’ search behaviour: soul searching, value hunting and finding joy. If marketers can tap into the elements that truly resonate with consumers, in a visually-engaging way, they are more likely to be rewarded with greater brand awareness and affiliation.
2) Every stage matters
Marketers will be familiar with the concept that repeat customers are far more cost-effective than those who are new. By focusing on the different stages of customer acquisition, from awareness to retention, marketers can ensure that customers keep coming back.
By understanding each stage of the customer journey, brands can tailor their advertising to be more relevant and effective. Marketers can leverage user behaviour to target their specific needs at each stage, tailoring them for whether they are first-time buyers, loyal customers or lapsed customers.
Tactics will naturally differ between each stage of the journey. Advertisements centred on brand-building will be necessary for first-time buyers. In contrast, advertising during the retention stage may focus on loyalty programmes and customer engagement. For a lapsed customer, up-sell and cross-sell strategies help to build brand recall. Lifecycle marketing enables marketers to create more efficient ad strategies by building stronger relationships with customers, regardless of the specific point in their journey.
3) Create an effect
As we enter a period of global economic uncertainty, marketers may have to become more conscious of their budgets. That means making every advertising dollar count and maximising return on investment.
Applying this to a lifecycle marketing strategy means considering exactly what is required at different stages of customer acquisition, and investing in the right content appropriately. During the awareness stage, advertisers can focus on building brand recognition through targeted ads. Then, at the consideration stage, advertisers can address specific customer needs and concerns with informative content, such as a prompt to visit a brand’s website.
During the decision stage, marketers can then turn to retargeting ads to encourage customers to make a purchase. Once a customer has finally purchased, the messaging then needs to pivot again to focus on retention. This requires personalised messaging and loyalty programmes to build stronger relationships with customers.
These three key marketing tactics will be even more compelling if a marketer has better visibility of their audience through verified advertising technologies. Better audience insight, combined with understanding user behaviour and lifecycle marketing will ensure a brand’s advertising is effective – and that every dollar spent is visible and fully accounted for.
If you would like to speak to one of our experts about how you can implement these things into your strategy and upcoming campaigns, get in touch today.