Why Ecommerce and UGC is the Future of Marketing

Remember that old New York Times bestseller, Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus? Psychologists introduced the guide book in the 1990s as a tool to help men and women better communicate and ultimately “get what you want in your relationships.” The metaphor stuck, and similar divisions -- and quests for connection -- continue to pop up in other circles.

For example, marketers often dig into strategy as if they are from Mars and consumers are from Venus. Desperate to find out what drives their target audience, brands pour huge amounts of time and money into uncovering elusive do’s and don’ts. But maybe the secret to success is not on another planet. Maybe it’s right in front of us. Maybe it is us.


The case is compelling, because two years ago, a global marketing firm rocked the industry with a live survey. The #ThinkContent Summit brought together 1,200 marketing leaders – many from companies like Verizon, IBM, JPMorgan, MasterCard, and Intel -- and what we now know is that many Fortune 1000 companies are spending valuable resources on methods that simply do not resonate. More than that, results showed a huge disconnect between what marketers are creating and what they themselves actually want as consumers. Take a look:

Before making a purchase, 64 percent of marketing professionals seek out non- branded, unbiased content (like user reviews) more than anything else. Seventy percent said those user reviews were the most helpful and influential in their own consumer decision-marking.

This matches up with other research, indicating 91 percent of U.S. consumers regularly read online reviews and 85 percent trust them as much as personal recommendations. Meanwhile, upwards of 70 percent do not trust traditional advertisting.

And yet, nearly half of marketers say they continue to allocate the bulk of their budgets on traditional ads. They do so, not even believing it is effective. Only 5 percent said traditional advertising yields the highest ROI for their brand.

It’s time to stop the madness, and start thinking like consumers -- not marketers. There is no question that we humans here on Planet Earth value social proof, peer content, and smart marketing. So why waste another minute on out-dated, irrelevant strategies?

In short, consumers want what you want: informative, authentic, compelling e-commerce experiences. As the #ThinkSummit report concludes, “The brands that will ultimately succeed are the ones that understand that sales pitches don’t work and content comes first.” Need to see it to believe it? A free, no-strings-attached trial of TwineSocial is a perfect place to start.

For more ideas on how to promote shared enthusiasm around an idea, product, or community, check out our solutions gallery. Then, kick off your own success story with a free 7-day trial of TwineSocial. Let us know how we can help!

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