Behavioural marketing is slowly but surely changing the way that brands and consumers interact on the web. This targeting approach uses a number of techniques that enable websites and advertisers to reach more people, based on specific behaviours.

If you have ever received a carefully positioned email from Amazon after browsing specific products at the online store, you might have an inkling how this strategy works.

Browsing behaviour includes just about every action taken online by any given user. Almost every website that is visited tracks its readers movements. Information is collected every time a page is visited, every time a product is searched, every link that is clicked and every bit of content that is interacted with at any point. Websites collect this data, and use it to reach out to people with highly targeted offers.

Using that Amazon example, perhaps it could be an email featuring similar products. It could be a social media ads that appears a few hours (or minutes) after leaving the website. It could be a targeted ad that is shown when returning to the Amazon store. It could even be a personalised offer – a discount on selected items similar to those you were perusing, or a limited time promotion such as voucher on the first item you purchase. User behaviour plays an important role in the broader marketing game. Used wisely, it has the potential to do great things.

How exactly can behaviour marketing help brands and businesses however? And, more importantly, why is it worth making this part of your marketing automation strategy? Let's take a look.

Why Do You Need Behavioural Marketing?

In a nutshell, behavioural marketing is important because it allows you to target your ideal audience in a way that is deeply strategic and relevant. Instead of wasting your marketing efforts by shouting into a void, you are actively engaging people who are already primed to listen to what you have to say. Providing a tailored offer makes it easier for people to open your emails and click onto your content.

According to ExactDrive, open and click-through rates can vary significantly with the help of targeting. Using website click data can be especially useful for targeting – especially with email marketing.

‍While the more obvious benefits of increased clicks and open rates are certainly worth noting, those are not the only reasons to consider behavioural marketing. Some of the additional advantages to this approach includes the following:

‍1. The ability to understand your customers very, very well

‍Knowing how your customers behave online is vital for many reasons, not least because it allows you to reach them with a greater chance of success. By staying customer-centric, you will be able to fine-tune your marketing efforts to be more effective across the board. Being able to recommend services and products that your customers truly want is a very powerful tool, after all. For brands, the advantage of knowing your customers well lies in being able to provide a more targeted offer. For consumers, the advantage lies in tailored offerings rather than potentially spammy emails and ads.

‍2. The ability to anticipate your customers' needs

‍Knowing what your current customers want will also help you anticipate what your future customers want. By understanding browsing habits, you can get valuable data on how the average person interacts with your website. You can predict trends, identify possible challenges and consistently work to provide both current and future customers with tailored offerings. If consumers are given what they need, even before they're even aware they need it, it will become a lot easier to make that sale by showing the right ad at the right time, or sending the right email with the right message.

‍3. The ability to use your resources efficiently

‍Instead of taking a wild stab in the dark, you will be putting your marketing budget and time to good use by tailoring your marketing according to your customer's behaviour. Ads will no longer be generic and too broad to do much good. Emails will no longer be trying to cater to everyone (and appealing to no-one as a result). When a hand-crafted offer is put in front of the right eyes, at the right time, on the right platform, it will have far more chance of success. Whether you are a small business with a low marketing budget or even a larger business wanting to maximise your spend, this means wasting less time and money.

‍4. The ability to innovate

‍Do you know where your customers shop? Where they like to eat? Where they live? Are you using this information, or letting it slide by without using it to grow and innovate? Another benefit of behavioural marketing is the ability to identify consumer patterns and interests. This provides key insight into your ideal customer, while also allowing you to innovate through additional offers that are crafted around their interests. Behavioural targeting often works side by side with geographical targeting, creating a broad-based view of your perfect customer.

‍5. The ability to improve your email strategies

‍‍Behavioural targeting enables you to create highly targeted email strategies that increase open rates. Emails that are designed to target people in that all important buying stage are pure gold. According to a 2013 MarketingSherpa study, 39% of marketers stated that automatically sending emails based on triggers is the most effective way to improve email engagement. 37% meanwhile stated segmenting campaigns by behaviour was effective. Despite its effectiveness however, an Econsultancy survey showed that just 20% of marketers are actually using behaviour marketing for their email campaigns.

If you're ready to take your marketing automation to the next level, it's time to get in touch. Through our innovative solutions that are designed to deliver results, Grapevine Interactive takes the stress out of marketing, leaving you free to focus on your business.

From behavioural marketing to lead management and mobile customer engagement, we provide everything you need to grow. Contact us today to find out more about our tailored solutions.