subject: How to Influence Consumer Behavior by Giving Them "More Bang for Their Buck" [print this page] How to Influence Consumer Behavior by Giving Them "More Bang for Their Buck"
Some companies just like tradition. They want to maintain that image of being the same brand for years and years to come; and there are some people who like that. For the most part, however, times are changing and so are people's consumption habits. Especially with the recession taking a toll on the buyer's wallet, it is easy to see why an individual will expect more for their dollar bill.
Working at a bank, I remember the people who were the hardest to convince in selling online banking to. Many were age 60 or higher. They weren't trusting of the Internet. Today, much of that has changed. While there is a small group of people who continue to do things without the Internet, a vast number of people are online everyday. So ask yourself, do I want to market to a small number of people who like tradition or a large number of people who are changing with the times?
Social influence is based on what is popular at the time. Many people like things because someone they like uses it or a friend told them about it. Many companies will notice that people pay attention to influential people, which is why so many bands endorse athletes and celebrities to represent their product. Today, reality-TV starKim Kardashian does that exact thing. For awhile, herTwitter page became infested with tweets about this product or that. She has a way of influencing consumer behavior by simply adding her name to a product. She has a handful of followers so the exposure for the products she tweets about is a marketer's dream come true. It is one of the easiest ways to effortlessly put your brand out there because people are more socially influenced than ever online these days.
We can't all be as lucky as the brands who got Kim Kardashian to market for them, but there are other ways to be successful online. Finding out what people are interested in through reading blogs and tweets will help companies jump into the social mix of the most recentInternet trends. Incorporating what people like into your own brand will attract them to you. Keeping them satisfied is the next step and much of that can come from practicing good business ethics and staying engaged in their online chatter about what's new and interesting.
