Let go of assumptions to better understand your customers | Janis Thomas

Marketing Unf*cked

Marketers often exist within a bubble that messes with their perception of their audience. They build ideas about their customers based on their own desires and preconceived notions about different segments, thinking that older audiences are slow and don’t engage with brands online. That an instant conversion is always a win. And, most dangerously, that everyone looks and acts like them.

This is based on ego, not data, and is totally F*cked. But how do you move away from comfortable ideals and begin to engage with your audience in a way that drives higher lifetime value by embracing their diversity and changing behavior?

Join me, Siobhan Solberg, and my co-host Russell McAthy as we speak to Janis Thomas, Ecommerce Marketing Director of Look Fabulous Forever and ex-Marketing Director at Birchbox, about everything from marketing Playboy to young men to marketing make-up to post-menopausal women.

In this episode:

• Granular customer data that tracks journeys helps businesses attract the right sort of customers that stay long term.
• Content that doesn’t drive instant conversions is still a valuable part of the customer journey and can drive higher retention.
• Businesses should look to shift from the short-term goal of instant conversion to lifetime value. Customers that take more convincing often leave later on.
• Representation and accurate portrayals of real people are key when marketing to underrepresented audiences like post-menopausal women.
• Older audiences may take longer to make decisions and convert but are willing to push through longer page load times.
• While older audiences may have lower expectations of side speed and load time, it is important to give them the best possible experience in return for their loyalty.
• Looking at customer data can help e-commerce marketers avoid the common pitfall of believing their customer looks and acts like them.
• Talk to and listen to customers to get the most valuable behavioral insights via Facebook groups and research.
• Over 65s is one of the fastest growing markets, and their experiences should be invested in rather than only chasing Gen Y and Z.
• Continually learning about marketing and evolving technologies helps marketers understand their customers' journeys better and create consistency.
• There are company-wide benefits of engaging with marketing teams across the business and learning from each other’s work.
• Creating a culture where everyone can submit ideas for optimization invites ideas from people without set assumptions. Mixed ability groups create better results.
• Brands have a duty to support their customers through the difficult periods of life.
• Mentoring is important for women to take the next step up in their careers, and encourage more to consider where a board role may fit in their careers.
• Mentors have just as much to gain from the two-way relationship as mentees.

Resources:

Janis on LinkedIn

Public speaking

Rob Jackson’s WYK Digital

Look Fabulous Forever