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Peter Drucker - hailed as the father of management thinking – once said that “the aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well that the product or service fits him and sells itself.” To create compelling copy and push forward a marketing campaign, It’s essential to understand your customers.
Humans are all different by nature. We all have different tastes, preferences, and needs. As such, we all create a specific market for companies to cater to. Effective marketing strategies will fully capitalize on this and use consumer behavior to drive home ideas and marketing devices.
Maryville University defines consumer behavior as the study of the elements that influence individuals’ purchasing decisions, including environmental, psychological, and societal factors. When we make a purchase, our choices are determined by the emotions evoked by the product. Marketing strategists will monitor these emotional responses and create branding that appeals to it.
Advertising is based on the consumer behavior of a target market. This is what pushes marketing to dive deeper than a simple supply-meets-demand criterion. Understanding why people choose the products and brands that they do is what will make your marketing more effective. Several factors contribute to consumer behavior which can be divided into personal, psychological, and social factors:
These are factors about an individual that guide decision-making processes. This can include cultural or religious backgrounds, age, gender, or sexual orientation. Each of these factors heavily contributes to how a marketing approach is received and if it makes an impact.
A person’s lifestyle, habits, and interests also form part of this factor base. If your product is meant for outdoor activity, you would probably gear the marketing toward people who have an interest in nature and the outdoors.
Psychological factors are the ones that drive marketing strategies the most. These are the ideas that have been developed through neuromarketing tactics that directly influence consumer choices. The patterns created by these specific factors are the basis of consumer psychology and behavior.
Brand perception is the first of these crucial factors. It’s no secret that famous brands gain more traction in marketing than lesser-known brands. Brand perception relies on the effect that a specific brand has on a consumer.
Successful brand perception leads to a lasting impact. For example, the McDonald’s logo features its famous golden arches that are recognizable globally and immediately trigger feelings of happiness or hunger.
Another aspect of the psychological factors that influence choice is the human desire to buy high-quality products. This relates to how a brand measures up in comparison to its competitors. People are driven to choose services or products that are widely considered top brands.
This creates a sense of reliability, integrity, and trust for a brand. For example, you’d be more likely to invest in an Apple laptop than a no-name brand technology because of the reputation Apple has for being advanced and reliable.
The scarcity of products is also a psychological influence on purchase decisions. Consumers are more likely to be interested in a product that is rare or limited edition. This creates a sense of urgency in the mind that pushes consumers to make purchases before the window of opportunity closes.
Lastly, consumers are influenced by their social environment in terms of what they choose to purchase. People are naturally social creatures and as such we have a desire to “fit in” and adopt similar lifestyles as those around us. This is why peer interactions play a big role in the choices we make.
Income levels will also have an impact on those decisions. Low-income households are more likely to be concerned with essential goods and services and will prioritize basic needs. On the other hand, high-income households will be more inclined toward luxury brands and products.
Family dynamics influence purchase choices as well. A 2019 study revealed that 87% of parents are influenced by their children in terms of purchases. The study also showed that newer generations are more likely to allow children to influence what is bought in a household than previous generations.
When combined, all these factors form a pattern for marketers to use in planning their strategy and building a voice for their brand.
The study of consumer behavior leads to improved marketing but it is also important to understand the groups your targeted marketing campaigns are trying to reach. There are different manners in which people will make purchases and it is important to understand where to apply pressure for each consumer’s behavior type. There are 4 main types of consumer behaviors:
Habitual buying behavior describes purchases made without any strong emotional connection to a specific brand. These brands have very few differences and are typically bought based on familiarity. This includes regular groceries like bread or eggs that don’t hold any significant brand attachment loyalty.
This behavior is usually found when a consumer needs a specific item but is having difficulty determining the difference between brands. The dissonance – or conflict – occurs when they might make the wrong choice and regret the purchase later. Generally, this behavior occurs when buying expensive or meaningful items like TVs or engagement rings.
Complex buying behavior takes place when buying something expensive and infrequently purchased. This could be a house, a car, or a computer. Significant thought and research are put into making these choices.
Variety-seeking buying behavior occurs when people buy a different brand within the same product line. This choice is not a result of dissatisfaction but a way of trying something new. An example would be switching the shampoo or shower gel you use.
While each of these grouping systems and factors informs the marketing strategy in some way, it’s a combination of all of them that will help pattern consumer behavior. The targeted marketing that any copywriter aims to achieve relies on these studies of consumer psychology.
The choices we make help define who we are. Copywriting is connecting to an audience through words and sending a message. That message can only be effective if the copywriter has a complete and intricate understanding of who the audience is and the choices they are likely to make.
Using consumer psychology, copywriters can create compelling copy that communicates with audiences directly. Your copy should evoke emotion, speak to specific needs, and stir up a call for action. While SEO writing tends to focus on keyword quotas and stricter compliance, the art of copywriting begins by untangling facts and figures naturally and engagingly for your readers.
By making use of consumer behavior patterns and doing extensive research into your target audience, you can create engaging content that will elevate your brand. Consumer psychology might seem tricky to interact with at first but it is simple enough once you know what your brand’s direction is.
To tap into this level of content creation, you need to rely on professional and skilled copywriters that know how to connect to an audience. At TMG Global we have a dedicated, diverse, and talented team that makes use of consumer psychology and an array of other tactics to engage readers and amplify your brand’s perception.
We ensure that clients receive high-quality and compelling content that will enhance and elevate your company. From product launches and blog posts to email marketing and press releases – we’ve got you covered.
If you’re looking for a brilliant team of writers to bring your long-form content to life, contact TMG Global today for a free content audit and to find out how we can help you.
