BEHAVIORAL DNA

What is Behavioral DNA

Years ago, guesswork and minimal returns from direct marketing campaigns were part of every marketing program. In a far less competitive world, with a far less educated shopper- buyer, profit margins were significant enough to absorb the trial and error approach of yesterdays marketing. Today many companies still rely upon traditional marketing to get the job done. Sure, the majority have added in a blend of digital and social media, but they use that same hit or miss approach as yesterday’s 20,000 direct mail drop. Not unlike fishing just throw a bunch of hooks out there and hope to catch something. It might sound rather careless, but frankly, this is the way products were marketed for decades.

Behavioral DNA is much like AI, tracking the unique actions of the individual in search of patterns and trends. For example, when winter weather is extreme, Prospect X searches Florida rentals. Another example is Prospect Y always searches outdoor dining during the summer months. These are very broad examples, but we all have behavioral DNA. Many of us have a formula for launching our workday. First, we clean up our In-Box, then we review current projects, then we visit LinkedIn for the latest news. If LinkedIn knew that I was going to visit their site between 9am and 10am Monday – Friday, couldn’t they leverage that knowledge and personalize their message? It’s all part of my behavioral DNA.

Welcome to the Decade of Data

Marketers need to adjust to today’s more savvy shoppers. Your prospect is inundated with digital noise. They receive dozens, if not hundreds of emails daily, that fall upon deaf ears as they go into hyper-delete mode, even occasionally deleting an important email in error.

Social media has become less effective led by LinkedIn which was once a refreshing forum for business executives to share and gain knowledge. It was a safe haven for useful information and provided the opportunity to genuinely network with those that shared similar interests. It was captivating to come across the occasional LinkedIn post that stood out because it used a unique high res image. Today LinkedIn has become the home of the B2B informercial as we’re force-fed one professional ad after another. It’s become an online game of Can You Top This as everyone seems to have become a digital marketing expert. There is a lot of soliciting taking place on LinkedIn, but who’s buying? For me it’s just noise on top of noise.

The Educated Consumer is our Best Customer

Let’s face it time and the time management of our prospects has become a critical consideration. Problem number one, if our prospect doesn’t have the time to read solicitations and is too busy to accept our calls or emails, what can we do? If the forum that once proved productive has become saturated with self-promoting rhetoric, where do we turn?  In a world of robust activity and unlimited choices and distractions, is it smarter to simply let your prospects find you via best in class SEO?

Have you noticed that many of us are true creatures of habit? Do you find yourself going to the same convenience store, coffee shop, deli, supermarket, liquor store and repeating your actions? Do you have similar repeatable traits at home? Do you put on a pair of slippers, grab a cup of coffee, log-on to your computer in similar rhythms daily? Don’t pet owners walk their dogs at the same time each day? Welcome to behavioral DNA.

Trade Shows in Decline

You can’t rely on trade shows to be the revenue drivers they once were. About 10 years ago visionary marketers started witnessing a decline in trade show ROI (SEARCH: Trade Shows a Shifting Paradigm). A combination of circumstances led to this decline. Cost is certainly an issue as rising travel and accommodation costs negatively impacted marketing budgets. Even the cost to attend an event has become somewhat prohibitive as organizations try to manage resources and maintain productivity. The events themselves caused some harm by expanding educational lectures and courses, which detracted from traffic on the trade show floor. Virtual trade shows began to emerge as an alternative, but the fad quickly died due to operational issues and lack of personal interaction.

Using Data to Create a Behavioral DNA Marketing Model

I can recall a time when I said to myself “you should have kept every business card you ever received and put a little note on the back – recalling the reason.”

In the pre-digital age, we all relied on paper. Business cards, Franklin Planners, tickler files filled with index cards and manila folders filled with notes. In was 1999 before I ever heard anyone use the term “paperless.”

Today, thanks to cookies and other online tracking capabilities we’re all leaving a digital footprint. Each of us is leaving a bread crumb trail behind as we surf the web. We also have patterns and tendencies that become part of our digital DNA. 

Think about your last 10 Google searches, because they represent you telling the world what you need. Think about the last 10 websites or products that you searched and isn’t it ironic that their digital ad is now following you from place to place as you roam?

The worlds best marketers are digital masterminds. They understand the absolute value of having a best in class SEO program. They understand the value of investing in a drip marketing campaign. They prefer to market to specific audiences with exact messaging rather than casting a broad net.

LinkedIn allows you to start and join groups to narrow your funnel. Facebook allows you to specify exactly what demographics you want to reach. Pay Per Click ads can be placed to counter the gaps in your organic SEO strategy, remarketing banners can follow visitors or target facilities. All of these actions help refine your behavioral DNA marketing program.

Very few marketers can survive swimming upstream against the current. Developing a behavioral DNA marketing platform requires lots of research and data collecting. It’s not about moving fast in all directions, rather it’s about calculating your next move with a focused direction and having the data to support it.

Demand that your organization starts prioritizing data and this starts with those on the front line, making initial touches with the customer.  Ask your organization, “when is the last time we conducted true market research?” Stop simply repeating last year’s marketing program – year after year. Be visionary and allow the data to provide you with insights into behavior. Identify trends and commonalities, then weave your solution into your findings. If you ask the right questions, you’ll uncover the behavioral DNA of your prospect / customer. Look for opportunities to be bold with your marketing and marketing budget and likewise, approach with caution if that’s what the data is telling you.

Save the guesswork for the casino and develop your behavioral DNA platform, it’ll separate you from your competitors because smart marketing is in your DNA!

Scott Mahnken

VP Marketing

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