After a year of living in fear of inflation and recession, consumers are finally excited to start splurging on purchases again. According to a report by 5WPR, more consumers are ready to spend more on electronics/technology, health and wellness, travel and experiences, dining out, beauty, and personal care in 2024 compared to 2023. And your client should utilize digital marketing content to help drive sales for their own brand.

How Clients Can Use Digital Marketing Content to Drive Sales

The Best Content for Driving Sales

According to 5WPR, the top forms of digital marketing content for driving sales are word-of-mouth and customer reviews and testimonials. Those two win by a long shot, compared to:

Word-of-Mouth: 46% of consumers say this type of content compels them to make purchases the most
Customer Reviews and/or Testimonials: 44%
Brand Coverage in Media (e.g., online, TV, print, audio): 26%
TV Ads: 22%
Organically Created User-Generated Content: 16%

The best part is that word-of-mouth and customer reviews/testimonials are the top purchase drivers among every age group. :

16- to 24-year-olds: 39% agree that word-of-mouth is a top driver. 36% say the same about customer reviews/testimonials
25- to 34-year-olds: 40% and 40%
35- to 44-year-olds: 43% and 40%
45- to 54-year-olds: 51% and 54%
55- to 64-year-olds: 52% and 51%
Ages 65 and up: 47% and 44%

And the fact that those two categories top even organic content on consumers’ own channels is fantastic. Why? Your client is in control of their image.

No, that doesn’t mean your client should only show positive reviews. What does it mean?

On the odd occasion that a bad review pops up on your client’s website or social channels, your client will know about it. Encourage them to be able to take action to make it right publicly. Turning bad reviews into good ones is also fantastic for a brand’s public image.

Sales Impact

User-generated digital marketing content has a huge impact on sales. According to a previous SalesFuel blog based on data from Bazaarvoice, user-generated content (UGC) boosts:

Conversion rates by 145%
Revenue per visitor by 190%
Average order value by 22%

UGC also inspires trust among potential customers. Bazaarvoice says that “74% of consumers trust UGC more than brand-generated content. Additionally, 55% claim that they’re unlikely to even consider making a purchase without UGC.”

These word-of-mouth and peer reviews are a crucial part of consumers’ decision-making process.

Management > Creation

There's another great part of word-of-mouth and customer reviews/testimonials being the most effective digital marketing content. You don’t have to worry about creating fresh content for your client yourself.

All you have to do is manage their online presence. Feature those reviews on the brand’s website and social accounts.

Of course, management also means inspiring customers to leave these types of digital marketing content for potential customers to reference. So, it’s important to reach out to existing customers and motivate them to leave reviews. Offer incentives for consumers to take customer surveys for other potential customers to reference.

To earn positive online and word-of-mouth reviews, a SalesFuel blog based on BrightLocal data recommends:

Overperforming to ensure customers have exceptional experiences: 81% of consumers say they’re more likely to leave positive reviews if this happens
Turning negative experiences into positive ones: 79%
Making the brand eco-friendly/sustainable: 60%
Having employees ask customer to leave reviews: 57%
Sending emails or texts to request reviews: 51%

Want to get a better idea of what will inspire your client’s target audience to leave good reviews? Check out their profile on AudienceSCAN on AdMall by SalesFuel.

Don’t limit your client’s digital marketing content to what you or they can provide on your own; utilize what their customers have to say.

Photo by: Mimi Thian