Tips:

• Understanding search behaviour – By understanding how people are searching for ideas, brands have an opportunity to get into their consideration set. Brands can think of all the open-ended discovery moments where someone is totally open to what is out there and make themselves visible and differentiated. At this ideas and inspiration stage of discovery, people are looking for help—and savvy marketers can put their brands at the centre of this opportunity.
• Honesty is the best policy – If you’re making videos, do a gut check to make sure you’re using everyday language and everyday people. People want to see something they can relate to. Also, show what your product is really like. Show it in real-world conditions. For social, brands have realized that they shouldn’t make things too polished or too produced. The same applies here. To get a full view of a product, people are actively seeking out frank reviews.
• Monitor search reviews – Monitoring search behavior reviews can give you another window into the mind of your customers. Don’t be afraid of exploring what comes up if you monitor your brand and the phrase “to avoid.” How people are searching for your brand or category can help catch potential issues, identify areas for improvement, and uncover new ways to talk to your consumers and address their concerns. And if you see that people are questioning whether your brand or category is worth it, consider creating and promoting content that tells people why it is. There’s a whole community of creators testing and evaluating products, including yours. That means users will be validating any claims you make, so make sure your product can live up to them.
• Understand intent signals – Whether it’s to get excited, build confidence, or manage their money, people are using search to shape and validate the decisions they make. To ensure you’re part of their consideration set, pay attention to the intent behind people’s searches and adapt your messaging accordingly.
• Build useful tools – People rely on the web to plan the best experience possible. Provide assistance with tools that cater to these experiences. Offer up ways to easily organize their experiences so people feel confident—and not overwhelmed—by the decisions they make. For example, offering a trip-planner tool or pre-built suggested packing lists can help put people at ease.
• Do your research – Understanding the different moments and mindsets of your customers as they’re planning an experience presents a great opportunity to become a part of their consideration set early on in their decision-making process.
• Make it easy – Make it simple and fast to plan their days, save time, or plan on a budget. Find ways to let people tell you what’s important to them e.g beach vs. island view, classic or modern, budget or luxury—and then suggest matches that fit those needs.
• Get creative – Since many users aren’t going to be able to physically touch a product before they buy it, brands need to come up with creative ways to help people “experience” it online. Think of ways to bring your product to life online so it stands out—like using virtual reality or augmented reality—such as L’Oréal’s Makeup Genius app that lets users virtually try on makeup

The Demanding Consumer

• Be Savvy – Consumers want answers as well as ideas and inspiration. And they want these things fast. Those who can deliver answers to people’s personal needs will have an advantage. This goes for searches like “best shampoo for me” and “what kind of dog should I get?” Redken offers a hair diagnostic tool. The American Kennel Club and Pedigree are among those suggesting quizzes to help people select the right dog breed.
• Consider Conversational – In search, after locking down the keywords and phrases typically associated with your business, think beyond those to consider more conversational phrases that customers might be using to find you. Because consumers are growing more and more at ease with technology, consider using more natural language and creating intuitive experiences across all of your digital touchpoints.
• Be useful. People respond to brands that understand their needs. So, it’s important to optimize your media for both the relevance to the consumer and lifetime value for the brand. Some customers spend more — a lot more — and many customers spend less. Understanding that can mean the difference between paying to acquire profitable customers and paying to acquire the customers your competition didn’t want.