Why Consumer Intent Is More Powerful Than Demographics

Marketers who rely only on demographics to reach consumers risk missing more than 70% of potential mobile shoppers. Why? Because demographics rarely tell the whole story. Understanding consumer intent is much more powerful. 

For years, marketers have been using demographics as a proxy for people who might be interested in their products. But Google research shows that marketers who try to reach their audience solely on demographics risk missing more than 70% of potential mobile shoppers. Why? Because demographics don't help us understand what we really need to know—what consumers are looking for in an exact moment or where they are looking to find it. Google call these Micro-Moments...

Understanding consumer intent and meeting their needs in the moment are the keys to winning more hearts, minds, and pounds.

Relying on demographics is limiting

While demographics will always have a place in the marketing playbook, the brands that understand and respond to intent are better positioned to be there and be useful for all of their potential customers, not just those that fit an age and gender profile.

Here's something really different: baby products. According to research, 40% of baby product purchasers live in households without children. This is also true for 52% of baby product influencers. These people could be grandparents and cousins, friends, and co-workers. And search is their #1 way of finding out about these products.

As you can see, if you want to reach this valuable audience, demographics alone won't cut it. Marketers who consider intent from the onset are primed to win the business from consumers.

Getting started with moments of intent

Knowing your consumer's intent means you can meet them in the moments that matter and deliver helpful content. Here's how you can start to put intent at the center of your strategy:

Be there

When your potential customers turn to Google and YouTube in their moments of need, make sure you are there.

Marketing experts like myself use sites like Google Trends to explore search trends and queries in your category to understand what consumers are looking for. Make sure you are there and useful in these moments of intent.

Be useful

Once you've ensured you're there to meet your customer, you then need to be useful in that moment. Otherwise they will simply move on to another brand. Google research shows 51% of smartphone users have purchased from a company/brand other than the one they intended to because the information provided was useful.

Think about unique, tangible ways your brand can help solve a problem or make life easier in real-time during a micro-moment. Or if you're struggling, get us to help. 

As a Google Premier Partner for SME's, we're primed to help you win business by utilising effective search, social, branding and video marketing. 

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