As marketers adapt to the “new normal” of 2020 it’s no secret that COVID-19 has shifted the typical consumer journey to digital. Increased streaming and online activity have created an opportunity to connect with more consumers.  Not all connections, however, are created equal.

New Tactics for the New Normal

With budgets getting tighter, smarter targeting and greater ad relevancy are paramount to achieve connections that lead to conversions, and more than ever, digital marketing needs more than just cookie data. Can we rely on typical 3rd party behavioral and interest data to drive our ad serving decisions?  Is the consumer searching online for a new Laptop actually going to buy one? Are they going to buy it online or go in-store? Are they even willing to go to a brick and mortar store?

Consumers online behaviors during 2020 have changed so dramatically that the digital marketers old tool box needs a drastic update, especially when it comes to targeting. This new climate is forcing businesses to search and survey their targets more carefully before they deploy dollars to send communications to a prospective audience. Qualifying prospects is more important than ever to find quality customers.

In this new world of consumer behavior, digital marketing strategies must shift from reporting quantitative responses to predicting qualitative engagements and verifying their intention.

A complex machine turns questions into ideas

Alfred to the Rescue

Introducing Alfred’s Targeting 360: Alfred specializes in creating conversations with consumers on their purchasing journey, and with our latest addition of Targeting 360, Alfred is now able to locate highly qualified target audiences; confirm who they are, verify what they want, and show them how and where to find it.

 

How do we do it?  Simply we put, we ask.  We ask the consumer if their online behavior is truly indicative of their purchase intentions.  Leveraging millions of data points to identify behavior, Alfred then utilizes surveys to verify intent.  Traditional targeting could consist of seeing that a prospect is showing certain behaviors (ie. shopping for a new laptop), so they are targeted with corresponding ads.  Alfred goes a step further.  We see that the prospect is searching for laptops online, but we want to know more before we spend dollars serving them an ad.  Prior to targeting this prospect, we add additional layer of qualifying behaviors such as if they are actually interested in buying a laptop; when are they planning to purchase; are they planning to buy in-store or online, etc.  These questions allow us to further qualify a prospect and serve the most relevant content at the most opportune time.

Data-driven, behavioral/interest targeting will always be valuable in digital marketing, but Alfred is going deeper than top line data to find the consumers’ true intentions and purpose for purchase. With this new level of target verification, customers can guide and confirm the communications they receive.

A man holds two old fashioned phones up to his earsIt’s true, COVID has changed everything, but with this has come an opportunity to evolve our strategies and improve our communications with consumers. Engage with your customers in a more authentic way by deploying intelligent targeting. Targeting that uses surveying to inquire and confirm the customers you’re finding. Your budgets may be less, but with Alfred, your targeting can do more.

Contact us today to find out how Alfred can reach your target audience.