The Problem Remains: How To Get Consumers To Buy?

November 25, 2009 | Sarah Chong http://www.penn-olson.com/2009/11/25/the-problem-remains-how-to-get-consumers-to-buy/

man with money as binoculars First thing we have to understand in marketing is that attitude does not always lead to behavior.

I always wanted an iPhone but ended up getting myself a BlackBerry instead. I hate the service of certain food stores in school but I still visit them anyway.

Consumer behavior is a very interesting study.

Sometimes we find ourselves doing things we don’t like because of extrinsic factors.

Consumers might love your products, your brand, your advertisements and your efforts toward the betterment of society; but they might have never purchased anything from you or helped you spread your word.

A viral video can be passed on to millions but how many of the millions are acting to help achieve your ultimate goal?

I always wonder how advertisements work. I see an ad I love but I seldom buy anything as a result of it. And then there’s the argument of brand awareness. I have been aware of many brands all my life yet I have never ever purchased from them before. But of course, I might be an exception.

What I am trying to say is, brand awareness and exposure, no matter how viral will never hit optimal effectiveness without planning for action.

Ask yourself this question when planning a campaign, “they like it, now what?”

Are we going to wait for consumers to slowly find their way to our stores or are we going to give them the little nudge?

Making attitude and behavior the same thing

1. Catch them at the right time

Mousetrap with dollar One very important thing about advertisements is to catch your audience at the right time and place, when and where your product or message is most relevant.

Think about how likely it is for them to act upon your advertisements when they see it. How likely would their attitude lead to behavior?

Take a look at this ad against drunk driving, where best to let them know the consequences than when they are drinking?

2. Motivate them

Motivation Road Sign with dramatic clouds and sky. If your brand has gathered quite a following on Facebook and Twitter, what’s going to be next? Their attitude towards you is definitely positive, but are they motivated enough to give you some sales?

Give supporters reasons to act now.

Provide exclusive discounts (they are proven to be effective) and hold Facebook/Twitter contests to motivate them to buy. Updating on product launches and new offers are also useful in converting their liking for you to actions.

3. Motivations don’t last for long

Two parts of a coin box fastened by a plaster Every time I watch a movie about street dancing, I would be motivated to go for dance classes. The urge will probably last for a few days before I tuck the idea aside again. Hence, it is important for marketers to push for immediate action.

Look at the ad below, who with a heart would not be motivated to donate? The ad was in my opinion, very well created.

But how many of us would remember to do so after leaving the supermarket?

This ad would only be effective if there were donation boxes placed at the cashiers and trolley returning areas.

Action, action, action.

When planning for a marketing campaign, always ask yourself what needs to be done to give consumers enough motivation to act. Whether it’s a purchase, a visit or a recommendation, think about how you can make the action more convenient to consumers. Don’t give them any reason to delay it.

Share your thoughts on this via the comment box below!

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Tags: Marketing

pukkaherbs

Yes, this is an interesting article. I think you're right in saying that people react well to immediacy when it comes to parting with cash. We were at a trade show recently and had some special offers for those three days only. Needless to say, they were very popular and were a great way of selling our products to people who may not have heard of us before.

Thanks for the article.
sarah_chong

Yup and one of the rules to persuasion is to make consumers think that they would lose out if they don't buy now. Anticipated regret leads to more people buying now than later.

Thanks for reading! (:
Kelly Mack

Interesting article with many good points! I find as a consumer that often if I am tempted by a product and have the ability to purchase quickly and easily right then, that it's more likely to happen then if I have time to think about it longer. Thanks for sharing!
sarah_chong

thanks! yea impulsive buying is most consumers' curse! haha.