As we all know, the world is rapidly changing. Technology is ever-evolving, and because of this culture, society, business and, most importantly for us, its consumers are changing with it. This then marks a need for business owners to stay tuned to what the average modern consumer might look, think and feel like. How does the average consumer’s mind operate and how can you use it to give them what they want and stay successful? Well, in this blog, we’ll be looking at precisely that. We’ll give you 5 generalised insights into modern consumption trends and how you can use them to know your customer base better and stay ahead. Let’s get stuck in…
Teach Me Something
To put it simply, nowadays, there’s content EVERYWHERE. Our smartphones are constantly capable of showing us brand new content, new daily entertainment releases, and new products to buy every day – along with everything else. Because of this, the modern consumer has become hyper-aware of the types of content they are consuming. It also means that they are always asking the question: what’s in it for me? Unless it’s a 10-30second pointless video on TikTok, people want to engage with content these days that offers them a takeaway. Something that applies to their lives in the real world. And so, as a brand, a good avenue of content to create is what’s known as ‘Make Me Smarter’ content. This is designed to inform or teach something new to your audience. It could be a piece of knowledge they didn’t already know, or it could be an interesting story that they could pass on. Either way, always be thinking: what is my audience getting out of this?
Make It Quick
Whether you’re a business owner, marketer, or not – you’ll probably be aware of and affected by this next one. Because of HOW modern audiences have been consuming their media over the past few years, their actual attention span and how long their willing to view a piece of content, before swiping to the next, are getting shorter and shorter. Much like in the previous point, because of the sheer amount of content that’s available, it’s meant that the window you’re given to capture a viewer’s attention is razor thin. This means, that whatever content you’re putting out into the world – make sure it’s bite-sized. However, this is of course platform specific. Audiences over on LinkedIn will most likely have a longer attention span compared to those over on TikTok. So, get to know your audience and your platforms.
Ethical & Sustainable
A MASSIVE consideration for the modern consumer, especially younger audiences, is ethics and sustainability. It’s hugely important for younger consumers these days to know that the companies they are handing their money to are considerate and align with their own values. People want to know that the products that they buy aren’t contributing to climate change or sweat-shop exploitation for example. They want to see that the brands they like are not only aligned but vocal and active around current causes and affairs. So, letting the world know about your views can go a long way toward a good customer perception. However, with this one, always be sure to stay authentic. Creating artificial empathy will always have the opposite effect, as an audience will see straight through it.
Social Proofing
This next one is not really all that new, but instead becoming WAY more important for the modern consumer, and therefore businesses alike. People are way more likely to do something (or in this case buy something) if they see others do it first. This is not rocket science. However, in this new age of trying to make every penny count, people want to know that their money is well spent. And for most, just seeing that others have tried it is enough. This can be a good and bad thing for businesses. For small businesses, this can be tough, as, without a customer base, it’s hard to show new potential customers that you can be trusted. However, the good thing is that with Social Proofing, as soon as you do get a customer base, this can keep rolling into more and more. So show off happy customers and positive reviews – this is often the most convincing thing for most modern consumers to pull the trigger on buying a product/service.
Experience Is Everything
Above all else, this next one seems to be THE most important thing to the modern consumer, across all ages and industries. Above all else, people want the best customer experience they can get. It doesn’t matter if the prices are a bit higher, or if they have to travel a little further – it’s how the customer will be treated that makes the difference in their purchasing decisions. When you think about it, it’s almost a hybrid of the previous points. That’s why they read reviews, trust others’ experiences and want brands to be ethical – because they want their customer experience to be humanised and personal. They want to know that the businesses they deal with are genuine people, looking after genuine people. This is why they favour the companies that put the experience first, not the price.
Conclusion
Getting to know and understanding your customer base is VITAL for any business. After all, that’s why you’re here, reading this. Keeping your customers happy as a priority will always bring you success. And how better to keep them happy than to get to know them, find out what they like, and how they like consuming it?
Although this blog was about giving you, the reader, a generalised overview of the modern consumer, perhaps you’re looking to find out more about your specific customer base. Well, you’re in luck. With Unaro you can gather customer data in real-time that feeds directly into a customisable and easy-to-read platform. This platform, full of real data based on your customers, can then go toward informing future marketing decisions and campaigns – which you can also do straight from the platform. Get in touch today to find out exactly what Unaro can do for you and your business TODAY!
