Consumer preferences are constantly evolving, which keeps things interesting.
To help you tailor your strategy to meet audience needs, this post will take an in-depth look at our Consumer Trends Report Status In conclusion on consumer preferences, discuss how marketers currently measure those preferences and outline what you can do to better meet consumer needs.
What type of content is memorable for consumers?
According to our Consumer Trends survey, the most interesting and memorable content brands can share is fun content, relatable content and content that reflects brand values.
1. Fun Stuff
49% of consumers say that funny content is the most interesting and memorable.
how do marketers measure
according to our 2023 Social Media Marketing Report, 36% of marketers already share funny content on social media. Half of those who are already taking advantage of it plan to increase their investment in it in 2023 (speaking directly to consumer interests), and it will be the second most invested in content type in 2023.
What can marketers do?
Funny content can be anything from sending emails with funny subject lines or using a trending meme format and relating it to your business.
For example, McDonald’s do “Getting these snack wraps is easier than getting tickets” during a rush of people trying to get tickets for Taylor Swift’s upcoming tour. The snack wrap is no longer available on menus, so this was a light and fun contribution to the global conversation at the time.
Another valuable opportunity is to create fun video content that has the most potential to go truly viral.
2. Related Content
36% Consumers say relatable content is the second most interesting and memorable content brands can share on social media. About 70% Consumers also say that it is more important for social media content to be authentic and relevant than polished, high-quality content.
How Marketers Measure:
42% Marketers already share related content, and they say it is the second most effective type of content to share on social media.
What can marketers do?
Relatable content reminds your audience of their lives, experiences and needs. To relate to your audience, you need to understand them. Who are they? What are their pain points? What are their priorities?
Knowing who they are helps you create content that relates to them as individuals. Consumers also want to make connections with their favorite brands, so feeling like they can relate to your business and your business story can foster the connection they’re looking for.
A great way to build relevance is by creating content that expresses your brand values.
3. Content that reflects brand values.
Content that reflects your brand values is the third most engaging and memorable content for consumers. It makes sense as consumers, now more than ever, care about doing business with brands that share the same value systems and support the same causes that they do.
how do marketers measure
30% Marketers are creating content that reflects their brand values, so there is room for improvement.
45% Marketers share this type of content on social media, and 16% plan to take advantage of it for the first time in 2023. marketers who share it, 89% plans to maintain or increase its investment in it and say that it has 5th highest ROI of any trend,
What can marketers do?
48% of US adults say brands need to do more about social advocacy, and the most important issues are racial justice, climate change and LGBTQ+ rights.
With this in mind, share your brand’s values on social media – tell them what you care about and what you do to take a stand. Consumers will know what you care about, and you’ll attract people who share similar interests and can turn curious browsers into paying customers if they find they really relate to you.
It is essential to be genuine in these efforts, as consumers are not shy about calling out brands they feel are making empty promises or making false statements.
What type of content do consumers prefer to learn about products and services?
When learning about products and their features, consumers prefer to search the Internet, with retail stores and word-of-mouth second, and television advertising third. Gen Z is the only generation with a distinct first preference, learning about a product and its features through social media.
With this in mind, marketers can do things like
- Creating an effective SEO keyword strategy to reach users browsing the Internet.
- Using high-quality images and visuals for in-store ads to capture the attention of visitors.
- Ask for customer reviews and make it easy for customers to leave reviews so they can learn from what others have to say about your business.
Under this question, learning about a product and its features on social media came at number four. Among consumers with this preference, they prefer feed posts, ads or sponsored content, and short-form videos (such as TikTok or Reels).
However, breaking down these preferences by generation paints a different picture.
- Gen Z The top preference for learning is from short-form videos, story posts or an influencer they follow.
- the millennium Prioritize short-form videos, ads or sponsored content, and feed posts.
- Gen Xers Prioritize feed posts, online communities, and short-form videos.
- baby boomers Prioritize advertising or sponsored content, feed posts, and online communities.
How do marketers measure up?
Here’s how marketers currently measure consumer preference:
- Marketers most often leverage short-form video as part of their social media strategies (58%) – third place overall, but especially important for Gen Z and Millennials.
- 1 in 4 marketers Take advantage of Influencer Marketing now, and 89% of marketers currently using it will increase or maintain their investment – especially thanks to Gen Z’s second-place preference for ads and sponsored content and willingness to learn from influencers is important.
- 20% Social media marketers post daily, 22% a few times a day, and 34% post several times a week, making sure their content is seen when people browse their feeds – feed posts the top way that consumers want to learn about on social media.
What can marketers do?
Focus on the top three priorities for products to learn about and go from there.
- Consumers love to see feed posts, so create a consistent posting schedule to stay top of mind and increase the chances of your products being seen.
- Consumers want to see ads or sponsored content, so you can run ads on your social profiles such as paid partnerships, influencer campaigns or paid ads (like Facebook News Feed ads).
- Consumers also want to watch short-form videos, so create TikTok, YouTube short etc – snackable content for any platform. (Wizol’s Video Marketing Report found that 93% Marketers say video increases user understanding, so it will pay off).
Also, be mindful of generational differences if your target audience is primarily part of a specific generation.
For example, if Gen Z and Millennials are your primary audience, you can focus on short-form video and build a presence on platforms that cater to it. If your audience is Baby Boomers or Gen Xers, you can create online communities in channels in which they are already talking about their needs.
Data-driven marketers stay ahead of the curve
Data-driven marketers will win in 2023, so compare consumer preferences in this post with what your own business is doing, identify areas of opportunity, and create solutions for your customer.
