Today, we’re pondering many vital questions:
- Are search engines still at the core of consumer search, or is TikTok becoming the reigning platform?
- Have technologies like ChatGPT gone mainstream yet, or are we in an industry echo chamber about its adoption curve?
- Ultimately, how should marketers future-proof their strategies to remain relevant in the consumer buying process over the next 12-36 months?
These answers are critical to my and my agency clients’ success.
A brand new survey of 1,000 consumers conducted by Fractl (disclosure: I co-founded the agency) reveals interesting trends in consumer behavior in today’s marketing field.
Search still reigns supreme
When asked about their habits over the past week, an awesome 99% of respondents reported using a search engine.
Up to 80% of respondents use search engines “multiple times a day,” with 16% using a search engine not less than once each day. This highlights the continued dominance of search engines as a go-to source for information.
Search engine usage is universal across all age groups, proving that search strategies provide the biggest reach across a broad goal market. In comparison, more varied, younger demographics use other platforms like TikTok, YouTube and ChatGPT.
And, what are consumers trying to find after they Google?
Key takeaways:
- Build engaging, educational content hubs in your site to help answer the FAQs your goal market is actively trying to find.
- Find unique ways in your brand to provide priceless data-driven insights or material expertise to leading journalists that cover your vertical.
- Produce the most comprehensive product and service comparison pages that make you stand out out of your competition, establishing trust through reviews and other third-party authority signals.
Ultimately, these findings confirm that Google’s utility stays steadfast.
Brands that effectively use content marketing to deliver multi-channel value and exposure will proceed expanding their reach and maximizing conversion potential, whilst latest platforms emerge.
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The modern buyer’s research path
Understanding how consumers gather information before buying is critical for a successful marketing strategy.
Eighty-six percent said search engines play a big role in their decision-making when buying latest products.
This reliance on search is further reflected by the 66% who actively search for information about an organization or product before buying.
Customer reviews also carry rather a lot of weight, with 86% of respondents stating they read reviews before purchasing. Another 44% of consumers said they at all times read reviews, while 43% often do.
The feedback of other customers clearly influences purchase decisions, while paid ads seem to have a much smaller impact:
- Only 5% of respondents click on paid ads at all times or often to learn more about a product.
- On the other hand, 47% rarely click on them and 27% never do.
Social media also plays a job, but to a lesser extent:
- 41% of respondents report that social media could be very vital to their decision-making process, with younger consumers between 18 and 24 being the most probably to turn to social platforms for product research.
- 29% of all respondents said they search about corporations or products on social media, with that figure rising to 46% amongst the 18-24 age group.
There are also some differences between genders: 47% of women find social media to be very vital in their decision-making process, compared to 36% of men.
These insights point to the continued importance of organic search visibility and the significant influence of customer reviews in shaping buying decisions.
At the same time, paid ads and social media have more selective impacts based on demographics and personal habits.
Building brand trust and authority through content
I rarely activate the news as of late due to the overwhelming negative emotions I’m often left with.
Instead, I curate what I digest by selectively reading certain publishers I trust to discuss topics I’m passionate about.
As an industry skilled, I’ve often wondered if I’m an outlier or if the rest of society subscribes to an identical style of news curation.
I used to be pleasantly surprised that 83% of people reported reading an article on an internet site in the past week – digital news consumption continues to thrive whilst latest platforms emerge.
Trust in brands is closely tied to where consumers see their research or products featured. Many respondents (57%) indicated that seeing a brand’s research in high-authority publications like USA Today or CNBC increases their trust in that brand.
This shows how PR and earned media shape consumer perceptions and drive purchasing decisions beyond the influence these links have on domain authority and rankings.
Beyond this, nearly 3 in 4 respondents (74%) agree that often encountering industry research and educational content from a brand positively influences their awareness.
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The rising impact of AI
While search engines remain the foremost information source, AI tools like ChatGPT are making impressive inroads.
Nearly half of the respondents (48%) reported using ChatGPT or similar tools in the past week.
From a demographic perspective, the trends are clear: reliance on GPT is growing in the younger generation.
This will not be only a passing trend—16% of all respondents use ChatGPT not less than once each day, and 19% use it just a few times weekly.
Among the younger demographic (ages 25-34), nearly 1 in 5 uses the tool each day, reflecting growing reliance on AI to complement traditional search engines.
For digital marketers, this implies brands must do two things:
- Have a presence in traditional search engines.
- Consider how their content and messaging align with AI platforms like ChatGPT.
The more seamlessly you integrate your brand into AI-assisted search behavior, the more relevant you’ll be in five years.
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Social media’s influence across generations
While social media isn’t the dominant platform for direct product research, it still has a robust influence, particularly for younger demographics.
Overall, 32% of respondents were influenced by Instagram to make a purchase order, followed by 26% from Facebook and TikTok.
As for social media influence, different platforms resonate with distinct demographics.
Platforms like Instagram and TikTok have a much stronger impact on younger audiences, with 50% of respondents aged 18-24 reporting TikTok as an influence in their purchasing decisions.
TikTok’s influence, nonetheless, sharply declines with age, dropping to just 7% amongst those aged 55 and older.
Instagram follows an identical pattern, with 41% of respondents aged 18-24 being influenced by it, though this drops to 10% amongst the 55+ age group.
YouTube, on the other hand, stands out for its broad appeal. It influences 51% of 18- to 24-year-olds and maintains relevance across generations, with 44% of those aged 35 to 44 and 29% of respondents aged 55+ reporting its influence.
Reddit has an identical pattern of influence, nevertheless it is more male-dominated, with 37% of men being influenced by it compared to 21% of women.
Conversely, women are significantly more influenced by platforms like Instagram (39% of women vs. 25% of men) and TikTok (34% of women vs. 18% of men).
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Facebook’s influence, while declining amongst younger audiences, stays a robust presence amongst older users.
Only 11% of respondents aged 18-24 report being influenced by Facebook, compared to 31% of those aged 45-54 and 23% of those aged 55 and above.
Also, older consumers are more likely to indicate that social media doesn’t influence their purchasing decisions with 43% of respondents aged 55+ selecting “None of the above,” compared to 16% of those aged 18-24.
Social media platforms’ influence on purchasing decisions varies significantly across ages and genders. This means brands should fine-tune their strategies based on their target market’s gender and age group, using the platforms where their customers are most energetic.
The ad-blocking challenge
As marketers attempt to find the right combination between inbound and outbound tactics, traditional promoting faces a big challenge: ad blockers.
Nearly half of the respondents (47%) use an ad blocker, especially younger age groups, with 52% of those aged 18-34 selecting to avoid traditional online ads.
Adding impact to injury, only 38% of people noticed a billboard in the past week, 25% read a direct mailer and 17% clicked on an ad. This highlights a need for non-intrusive, value-driven content strategies.
Winning hearts through helpful content
What’s the handiest way to nurture a possible customer in this latest era? The answer is obvious: Search engines and helpful content still top the list.
Nearly half (47%) of respondents said that appearing in search results with useful articles is the best way to construct a relationship with a customer, especially amongst younger age groups (54% of those aged 18 to 24 and 51% of those aged 35 to 44).
Another 31% of respondents say producing research on topics of interest and getting it featured in mainstream publications is one other effective strategy, a preference consistent across all age groups.
Ultimately, the best marketers understand the importance of a various content strategy that engages their goal market across the quite a few platforms on which they engage.
While each marketing channel has nuances and diverse demographics, the best marketers develop content strategies that may be repurposed across all.
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Key takeaways
- Search engines remain indispensable. With 97% of respondents using them often, search engines are still a serious part of the buying journey.
- AI adoption is growing fast. While search engines dominate, AI tools like ChatGPT are increasingly used, particularly amongst younger generations.
- Ad blockers are a reality. With nearly half of consumers using ad blockers, brands must diversify their marketing strategies away from paid media.
- Reviews and content trump ads. Consumers are searching for authentic reviews and helpful content to guide their decisions. Paid ads, in contrast, have lost significant influence.
- Social media is influential, but not for everybody. Social media, particularly Instagram and TikTok, has rather a lot of influence on purchases, especially amongst younger consumers and women.
The post Reaching consumers in the age of AI: What you need to know about search and social media appeared first on MarTech.
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