Outsource2Us unpacks the top digital consumer trends of 2021 and what they mean for your business.
We have unpacked a recent study by Cheetah Digital that surveyed over 5,000 global consumers (including Australians) and have pulled out the key trends you need to know.
79% of consumers prefer brands that invest in loyalty programs than social advertising.
In our experience, incentivised referral programs are key drivers of both new business enquiries and retention of existing clients. Neilsen’s research reports that as many as 84% of consumers are more likely to stick with a brand that offers a loyalty program.
A few examples of highly effective referral/loyalty programs;
- Flybuys (Coles) or Everyday Rewards (Woolworths) – both of these programs, offer a point-based loyalty program, where customers earn points to gain discounts or purchase products.
- Myer One – also point-based, allows customers to earn points by shopping in-store or online and receive vouchers. Shop enough and you can move up tiers, and be invited to exclusive shopping nights, and access birthday vouchers.
- Celebrity Cruises, Celebrity Moments Program – this program worked off of a point system that was easily accessible to agents. Agents were given incentives to increase booking sales and higher points were awarded for upselling to customers.
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Interestingly, this study also revealed that email marketing is still the ‘number 1’ driver of sales, outperforming SMS by 92%.
What makes email marketing so effective is that it allows for the personalisation of communication. Consumers not only want a personalised experience but expect it. Personalisation does not have to be in-depth, simply adding the person’s first name to the email greeting is a great way to show personalisation.
Personalisation can be seen quite commonly in emails from online retailers, where the email consists of items consumers have left in their cart, acting as a reminder to help entice a purchase.
Email marketing also allows for segmentation through your database. This means you can segment consumers based on their demographics or by what stage they are at in their consumer journey. Then send information that is relevant to each segment, vs a blanket send that will likely end up being skipped through.
Unlike SMS marketing, email marketing is not seen as invasive or too personal for business interactions.
87% of Australians said their favourite brand has regularly communicated with them over the last six months and provided a consistent experience, regardless of where they interact with it.
In a world where there is no shortage of choice, standing out and being rememberable has never been more vital for a business’s longevity. Some tips to create consistency:
- Develop brand guidelines, make sure the tone of voice and messaging are consistent
- Use your logo and design elements consistently across marketing collateral and social media posts.
- Make sure the content you create and put out aligns with your business’s goals, offerings, and target audience.
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Over 50% of consumers are comfortable sharing their data with a brand if it means getting more personalised service.
What is important to note about this statistic is that the data on consumers is being shared to their knowledge, meaning they are actively giving their personal information to the business.
The future of marketing is about asking consumers deeper questions, about their interests, motivations, and desires, instead of invading their privacy. Cookie-fuelled ads and location tracking do not fare well with consumers in the new digital age. Essentially, data that is deliberately and proactively shared by the consumer is ‘best’, for example, customer surveys.
73% of consumers feel positively towards product testimonials from consumers’ past purchases.
Customer testimonials are an effective way to communicate a business’s strengths and build trust capital with consumers. In our experience, social media posts that highlight customer testimonials (whether that be written on in a video) receive a considerably higher level of engagement than promotional-driven content. The team at Outsource2Us has seen the impacts of great video testimonials on a business’s reputation and overall brand identity, conducting many of them for our own clientele.
