What is a digital native, after all? According to Jane Friedman’s blog, There Are No Rules, this term refers to the generation that doesn’t really know a life without computers, cell phones, digital cameras, and so on; all the benefits that the digital era has brought to society. There is a bit of discrepancy on this idea among the ones the people who uses the term. There are some people feel strong about the innate nature of this knowledge, for example Ann Handley. However, Friedman and many other writers and media personalities think that this concept is limited; for them, digital knowledge is something that absolutely everybody gains by practice and involvement, therefore any regular participant can fit into this category.
Personally, I’m fond of the latter idea. Moreover, I think the plain definition of the term seems too bold to describe all the things that the label ‘Digital Native’ includes, so here is a short but concrete video that can help us to get a better picture:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwKD-GuKkFc
This massive compound of consumers behaves differently than the ones that marketing and advertising agencies had dealt in the past with. Here, Jane Friedman posted the most important aspects of their mindset according to her view:
1. Connection: Online experience it’s extremely varied, so they are hybrids.
2. Media Neutral: Content doesn’t have to be physically produced to have real value.
3. Focused on Passion: The larger the options and sources people get, the more likely they are to put aside any other subject they don’t like and dedicate hours to read, browse, watch and see content related to the things they love.
This new sector of consumers needs new ways and paths to be reached through if that’s the intention of marketing and advertising companies. Ann Handley, in writer at MarketingProfs.com highlights a selection of channels and ways in which these digital natives can be approached by marketers.
As we have said clearly before, web 2.0 is not about marketers sending out information to consumers; it’s rather marketers taking content where the consumers are, to create dialogue and engagement. Many examples of this might be the spread of brands across Facebook, Twitter and Plurk.com, as well as blogs. Social media and sites with a free comments, forum and/or feedback space represent a great channel to engage with new customers. The selection of the specific website (which social network website, which blog, etc.), can be found with the use of market research and the observation of audience’s online tendencies.
Moreover, since digital natives spend loads of time researching for products and services before they purchase it, another appropriate channel to call their attention could be the searching engines. With a bit of SEO (Search Engine Optimization), brands can make themselves more visible and therefore more accessible to online customers.
Another meaningful way to grab digital consumer’s attention is by building brand loyalty. Email is a good channel that offers great opportunities to this: loyalty could be promoted by mailing lists, memberships, special customer offers, and so on. The personal approach that email can have –if used wisely - can also lead customers to build that engagement and connection that we want them to feel towards the brand.
It is really confusing and demanding when it comes to reaching digital natives. We all think that to reach them will be much easier because after all they are very literate when it comes to using digital gadgets, and I do not mean cell phones but much more advanced technologies.Indeed it is much more difficult to grab their attention if you are a marketer. You need to be really creative and innovative to attract them and really to get them as a customers. :))
ResponderEliminarReference: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-8535.2007.00793.x/full