In the traditional days of big marketing, billboards and television, information was a one-way street: messages were broadcast from brands to consumers.

In the traditional days of big marketing, billboards, and television, information was a one-way street: messages were broadcast from brands to consumers. These messages were at best optimised for a demographic, often catering to mass audiences with an approach that could best be described as “one size fits most”.  Today marketers are finding these untargeted messages falling short in cutting through the clutter that bombards today’s hyper-connected consumers. 

With always-on connectivity via mobile and instant engagement with friends and brands just a tweet, wall post, text or email away, consumers’ expectations for relevancy have never been higher.  This real-time connectivity is fueling a radical evolution that requires brands rethink the very definition of marketing strategies – moving from simple time or date-based campaigns to targeted interactions that deliver relevant content and drives engagement.

To succeed, marketers must first know who they’re talking to and this means more than a name or gender. Only then can they determine the “right” and “wrong” marketing strategies for that audience. ExactTarget recently surveyed 1,400 consumers and identified 13 distinct social profiles or personas. The Social Profile UK is the 13th report in the ‘Subscribers, Fans and Followers’ research series. Out of the 13 different persona types, three were at the top.

1.     Family and friends: Focused on family and close friend relationships, these types are not particularly interested in developing new online relationships.

2.     Shopper: Shopping is the focus for this type while online, but this isn’t limited to online transactions. Much of their time is spent on researching future purchases, so retailers should think about quality rather than saving with these consumers.

3.     Cautious: This type is characteristically guarded and selective about the communication channel through which they connect with brands, including the type of information being shared.

Out of every persona studied we found that quality and relevant content was important. The majority were extremely selective in terms of the type of content being generated and sent to their inbox, mobile phone, and social media page.

Marketers must therefore transform traditional campaign metrics like reach and volume and instead prioritise who will actually receive the message and how they will interact. Great marketing in this new era of instant engagement is built on three fundamentals: personality, relevance and time. Evolving from a “one-size fits most” marketing strategy to a truly relevant interaction-based programme is a journey. 

It is important to strive for personalisation and true integration of all channels throughout the marketing process. Create an integrated experience with all marketing tools using personalised data from the consumer. It is not just about giving the email subscriber the ability to share a post on Facebook or about sharing an experience on Twitter. Give them more choices to interact with the brand and create a relationship that lasts.

  • Kyle Lacy, principle of marketing research and education for ExactTarget