The leisurely life in almost-perpetually sunny Portugal relaxes body and soul, but it doesn’t lull Carlos Beirao da Veiga into complacency. The Portuguese marketing expert stays alert and busy in his work, rifling through pages-long consumer studies to pinpoint which marketing content thrives or dies.
His first tip for any business professional: Comb through data about your target customers to learn their preferences and needs.
“In marketing campaigns, businesses tend to publicize the uniqueness of their product or service,” Beirao da Veiga says. “They should instead focus on the customers’ needs as shown through data. It takes focusing on the audience to win. What interests them? What do they seek? With whom do they want to engage?”
Carlos Beirao da Veiga Makes a Clear Case for Personalized E-commerce
In response to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the e-commerce category grew and continues to grow at record speed. Morgan Stanley issued a recent report detailing how e-commerce, now 32% of all retail sales, could reach 36% by 2026. As more shoppers prioritize convenience, marketers should make it a priority to offer ease of experience.
As e-commerce’s popularity rises, brands will be wise to provide a smooth, personalized user experience. Every business can gain insight into customers’ desires, Carlos Beirao da Veiga says, by distilling user data from its website. This data helps companies personalize the user experience and treat all customers like VIPs.
Data-mining techniques discover customer preferences to aid companies in their mass customization efforts. Personalization software is a must-have tool for marketing experts. The customer information it extracts helps companies deliver bespoke service to e-commerce shoppers.
Businesses can personalize onsite searches, recommend products, retarget ads, push notifications, and more by understanding the data. When publicizing discounts and promotions, sending information to the right market segments is critical.
Any marketer, with or without an MBA, knows the adage, “Meet your audience where it’s at.” Marketers can find today’s younger generations on the internet shopping in recently invented ways.
One needs to look no further than TikTok. This popular social media app invites users to create, watch, and share 15-second videos. The feeds become personalized, populated by quirky videos that appeal to the user. TikTok is notable for its high levels of user engagement.
TikTok’s platform operates an e-commerce feature called TikTok Shop, where merchants can sell products directly on the app. Features include live streaming, creator-affiliate partnerships, and easy-to-create promotions.
Laura Mallows, the founder of Mallows Beauty, recently told The Drum that her TikTok Shop sales far outpace those at her brick-and-mortar store. She toils in her shop for a whole week to achieve the same sales she generates in two hours on TikTok live via TikTok Shop.
Carlos Beirao da Veiga Suggests Businesses Incorporate Audio, Gaming, and The Metaverse
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg rebranded his formidable social media company to “Meta” in 2021, making an impression on the public. When Zuckerberg said, “I believe the metaverse is the next chapter for the internet,” awareness of the term “metaverse” surged.
Metaverse is an immersive virtual world where people gather to socialize, play, and work, mostly populated with Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha audiences.
In 2023, the savviest marketers – including Carlos Beirao da Veiga – will hone their strategies and pounce on the metaverse’s digital possibilities. How marketers infiltrate these virtual worlds remains to be seen. Experts predict businesses will spend money on in-game advertising, audio ads, and virtual influencer marketing.
In 2022, the virtual audio space enchanted audiences. Podcast listeners developed a seemingly unquenchable thirst for a multitude of genres. By advertising on podcasts with passionate and highly engaged audiences, marketers learned how to micro-target niche groups.
Video games continue to lure gamers worldwide. With the population of gamers exploding, brands focus on in-game advertising through visual and audio ads. According to AudioMob and YouGov’s joint study, 75% of mobile gamers prefer audio ads over video.
Marketers Get Granular About Customer Archetypes
Meta’s marketing arm, The Drum, led an ethnographic study to derive data about different types of customers. The results yield four customer archetypes that influence shopping behavior today: shopping lovers, efficiency seekers, unconfident beginners, and discount hunters.
Shopping lovers are the shop-till-you-drop folks who prefer offline or in-store shopping. Efficiency seekers have a “get in and get out” mindset. They purchase items that dovetail with their philosophy of efficiency, including tried-and-true brands.
Discount hunters will happily shop online or offline if they get deals on their favorite products. Unconfident beginners tend to be younger shoppers who are starting to live independently. These customers gravitate to brands and products that educate through their messaging. Data reveals that online, niche brands tend to educate these customers about their businesses better.
In 2023, each category of shoppers – from discount hunters to shopping lovers – will use multiple channels to attain goods and services. Companies that offer a robust online presence and reach audiences through various channels will thrive. There’s never been a better time to fine-tune each customer journey touchpoint to attract loyal fans.
