…Understanding Consumer Behaviour as a Driver of Growth
“The research that you typically will wait for is right in front of you.” With this observation, Winifred Wessels, Head of Marketing at Filmhouse Group, highlights an important opportunity for businesses to better understand their consumers: paying attention to the conversations already happening on social media.
In Episode 3 of Great Conversations Network’s 10 Questions series, Winifred discusses the shift in consumer behaviour and how social media has become a valuable source of insight for businesses looking to understand their audiences. Consumers are constantly sharing opinions, expressing preferences and discussing their experiences with brands online. These conversations provide businesses with an opportunity to understand what matters to their customers, identify emerging trends and recognise changes in consumer expectations.
However, making sense of these conversations requires more than simply being present on social media. With the volume of content generated across digital platforms, businesses need strong social media listening capabilities and the right digital tools to filter through the noise, identify relevant conversations and understand what customers are actually saying. This does not make traditional research methods such as polls and surveys any less relevant. Rather, it presents an opportunity for businesses to complement these methods by paying closer attention to the insights available through everyday online interactions.
Sometimes, the information businesses are looking for is already being shared publicly; they simply need to know where to look and how to interpret it. For marketing teams, this means looking beyond likes, comments and engagement figures to understand the conversations behind the numbers. By combining effective social listening with other research methods, businesses can develop a more rounded understanding of their audiences and use these insights to inform marketing strategies and business decisions.
Social media is a significant tool for understanding today’s consumer, and businesses need to recognise its value and key into it quickly. The ability to listen, filter relevant conversations and translate insights into action can help brands stay connected to their audiences and respond to changing consumer expectations. The research businesses are waiting for may already be right in front of them. The key is knowing how to recognise it and being ready to act on what they learn. Watch Episode 3 of Great Conversations Network’s 10 Questions series featuring Winifred Wessels:What Smart Businesses Know Ab
