Online reviews, product transparency and community standing.
I follow a variety of influencers online, some I trust/agree with the views of, but importantly some I don’t trust/agree with. This enables me to see if a company has a marketing system using influencers to push their product, there is an earbud product that I avoid based on this. As such, almost all reviews for that product, I double question. Targeting the influencers who best align with the companies ideals, and/or influencers who will provide a detailed and honest review, that is what will engage me.
To me, a consumer has the responsibility to be buying the right thing for their needs, which means they should do some research of their own before making a final purchase. However, this only works if the information about a product is out there in the first place and that’s on the company/seller to chose to provide the full information or not. If a company chooses not to, I’ll be more hesitant about my purchase.
Community standing, to me, is driven by the aforementioned influencers/reviewers and also how a company conducts itself. If a company is using ethically questionable methods, seems unsure of itself or is unknown by the wider community, then I typically avoid it. However, that’s not to say just because a company isn’t known that I won’t use it, that will come down to if they’re a small team/local business or a newly formed company in a busy market. Going forward with that, if a company has a reputation to uphold and/or has high standards set for itself, then I’d be more inclined to progress with them.
Advertising/Promotions always catch my eye. I’m human, and a consistent and structured advertising/marketing strategy can be appreciated.
