It’s a matter of seconds. That’s, typically speaking, the small window of time that brands have to reach prospective customers through their various forms of advertising and marketing. A few seconds isn’t much time.
Yet, in today’s age of instant gratification and impatience, it’s vital for brands to have the ability to snag the attention of a passing consumer and reel them in to convert them into paying customers.
It’s a challenge, but it’s far from an insurmountable one. Expert marketing professionals relish the challenge of creativity, of analyzing and predicting consumer behavior and using data to help shape the strategy going forward.
Let’s tackle each of these elements of grabbing consumer attention in the quickest, most effective manner.
Embrace the Creativity Challenge
Creativity must be cultivated and cared for like a plant. When not given enough nourishment and light, the plant will wilt and die. The same can be said for one’s creative flow, which must have stimulation in order not to grow stale.
Marketing professionals who dedicate time to learning and to other creative pursuits will have an easier time coming up with ideas. Inspiration can spring up at any time, so be ready with the Notes app on your phone or a quick voice memo so that any new ideas aren’t forgotten.
Consumers love engaging and emotive material. Look around the world as a consumer and notice what appeals to you and what turns you off. Embrace the challenge of noting what’s working in marketing campaigns, and it may be easier to visualize new concepts for the in-house marketing strategy.
Analyze and Predict Consumer Behavior
Again, much skill from a marketing professional comes down to the simple powers of observation. Next time you’re at a retail store, take a few minutes to observe customer behavior. What sort of displays and products do more people seem drawn to? What sort of interactions are customers having with employees, and what sort of emotions can you pick up on?
Along with data, which we’ll touch on in the next section, this simple observation can often paint a bigger picture of the consumer the business is targeting. After all, numbers and data tell a large part of the story, but they don’t give the full picture.
Use Data to Help with Marketing Strategy
Data and artificial intelligence have become stalwarts of the marketing industry, allowing professionals to target down to the zip code and interest of their desired demographic. This amount of minute detail makes it easier to hone in on consumers and try to present them with the strongest case for becoming customers.
Data should be regularly collected and analyzed in order to assess the results of campaigns, complete cost-benefit analyses, and shape the future direction of the marketing strategy.
Together with a healthy dose of creativity and observation, marketing professionals can work towards creating materials and assets that attract new customers quickly and encourage them to convert into paid customers just as quickly.
A marketing strategy that employs all of these methods will see more success in grabbing the coveted attention of the consumer with just a few seconds to spare.