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.
For Asia Pacific brands, promoting verification across the digital advertising ecosystem presents an opportunity for sealing their own credibility and trustworthiness while gaining clearer transparency of their audience.
To connect better with audiences, marketers and advertisers can create customized and hyper-personalized advertising strategies that go beyond the basics of location and interest. As consumers become increasingly discerning about the content they consume, brands that prioritize 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.
Understanding user behavior
Consumer behavior 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 behavior can be tracked through various channels, such as website analytics, social media monitoring and customer feedback.
Once a marketer understands a consumer’s particular behavior, 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 behavior: 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.
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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 behavior 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 centered on brand-building will be necessary for first-time buyers. In contrast, advertising during the retention stage may focus on loyalty programs 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.
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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 re-targeting 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 personalized messaging and loyalty programs 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 behavior and lifecycle marketing will ensure a brand’s advertising is effective – and that every dollar spent is visible and fully accounted for.
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