Earlier this month marketing software company Moz and content marketing agency Fractl published data from a survey of consumer perspectives on inbound vs. outbound marketing. The survey sample skews young (73% were between 18 and 34), which gives some interesting insights into the marketing preferences of younger consumers.
Yes, I See Your Ad. But You Can’t Make Me Click It.
Awareness is high for online ads of all types: website/display ads, social media ads, mobile app ads, pay-per-click ads – even ad retargeting. Not surprising, as this group grew up online. But juxtapose this with what consumers say they actually click on: more than half (54%) reported they had not clicked on any ads within a week of being surveyed. Social media ads performed best at 24%, while pay-per-click came in last at 10%. Now, what people do and what people say they do are often two different things, but it does speak to the preference of the survey group.
Want to Grab My Attention? Try Traditional Advertising.
One of the most interesting findings from the survey is that traditional advertising was rated the highest in terms of grabbing attention. This includes channels like TV and radio. Yet younger demographics spend a lot of time online. Are they desensitized to online advertising? Are these “old school” methods of generating awareness resurfacing as an effective means of reaching consumers? If you’re marketing to this group, they may be worth testing. They can also be expensive, so when you do test them make sure you can track their website visits and phone calls to better understand the efficacy of your campaigns.
Don’t Sell Me, Educate Me.
Online search is a powerful tool in the purchase process. More than 88% use online search to seek out more information about a company or product. Customer reviews are also a significant influence when it comes to buying decisions. This suggests that younger audiences prefer to be educated, and content marketing, online articles, and customer reviews can be an effective way to engage this audience – especially during the evaluation phase of the sales cycle.
You can access the full findings here. Overall it’s an interesting survey that raises some thought-provoking questions. What do you think?
This article was syndicated from Business 2 Community: Inbound vs. Outbound Marketing to Young Consumers. Which Is Right for You?
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