Congratulations, You’ve been digital marketed!
The picture, combined with a question in the title, is a cheap trick. But it works. Before you irritably click away, consider this: every website you visit uses similar tactics. I’m just making mine obvious. Yes, I gamed your attention. But the real question is: how do I keep it?
Hundreds of clicks mean nothing if no one reads the page or buys ‘the thing’. Any digital marketer can grab you, but a good one prevents you from bouncing because they have things to sell, things to convince you of and, occasionally, wisdom to impart. So how does a cunning digital marketer claw at your precious attention? Internet users are a fickle bunch with short attention spans. In order for a page of text to be read you have to use a mix of psychology, knowing what your audience wants, and subtle manipulation of the eye to ensure the user stays with you. Join me below for some insight into the digital marketer’s brain.
Fun fact: you probably wouldn’t have read this sentence if it wasn’t in bold. Most users drop off after the opening remarks. By emboldening this line, I may have tricked you into reading this first, creating interest for the article as a whole.
Around this point, I need to deal with you manic scrollers, those of you who like to assess a page before committing. Second only to cats, images of people are the most effective kind of image to use.
If you stopped to look, then I’ve won again. You didn’t bounce. And if you’re still scrolling, maybe you’ll even go back to the top to see what I’m rambling on about.
Truth is, most users will never make it this far, and that’s fine. In the end, I only need 2% of you to read this paragraph. If a thousand people see a product page and twenty of them buy, that’s a good conversion rate. If you’re still reading, I’ve got you. If I were selling something and you’d read this far, there’s a fair chance you’d be tempted by the product. Tempted isn’t good enough, though. I need to seal the deal.
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You might be wondering what my point is. Fair question. These are quick, dirty examples of the digital marketing craft but elsewhere, you will have been bombarded by more sophisticated versions. A proper digital marketer uses analytics, heatmaps, and other technical wizardry to guide users exactly where they want them to go. It’s a craft that touches everything from how you write your copy, how your website is designed, and what gets posted to social media.
Digital Marketing is often one of the most overlooked, misunderstood, and under-resourced parts of a business. And it matters – because your competitors will gain ground if they invest more in it than you do.
Maybe I fooled you. Maybe I didn’t. But if you’ve never been seduced by a digital marketer, you’d be the first. So next time you click a top result, sign up for a discount, or chase a tempting headline, spare a thought for the digital marketer who led you there.
Because remember: it’s only evil genius if your website doesn’t have it.