In the digital age, where consumers are inundated with information, Time Stealing Marketing has become a key strategy for brands to capture attention from consumers bombarded with countless content daily. Time Stealing Marketing isn't just about presenting engaging content; it requires planning to create a connection and engagement with the target audience at the right moment. This article explains the business concept behind Time Stealing Marketing and how it could impact businesses in the long term.
The Business Concept of Time Stealing Marketing
Time Stealing Marketing involves creating and delivering content that can capture consumers' attention for a brief moment but is powerful enough to drive purchase decisions or participation in marketing activities. The core of this strategy lies in capturing attention when consumers least expect it or during their idle moments. Efficiently reaching and seizing consumers’ time is challenging and requires creativity in content presentation.
Strategy Models of Time Stealing Marketing
Time Stealing Marketing strategies can be divided into three main components:
1. Attention Capture: The first goal of Time Stealing Marketing is to grab consumers' attention. In a digital society where people spend more time on social media, marketers need to know how to create standout content that can capture attention within seconds, such as short video ads on platforms or using storytelling techniques that hook the audience right from the start.
2. Emotional Engagement: Successful Time Stealing Marketing must connect with consumers on an emotional level. Strategies such as storytelling that reflects consumers' emotions or problems help create a stronger bond between them and the brand.
3. Call to Action: After capturing attention and forming an emotional connection, the final step is to prompt the consumer to take action, such as clicking a link, making a purchase, or subscribing. Timing this call to action is crucial for the success of Time Stealing Marketing.
Time Stealing Marketing can be applied in various dimensions, depending on the platform and the target audience:
1. Social Media: Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook are competitive spaces where marketers aim to seize users' time. Short, concise, and emotionally compelling content can grab attention as users scroll through their feeds. This strategy often succeeds by using eye-catching visuals, punchy ad copy, and content that spreads quickly.
2. Email Marketing: Though it might seem outdated, email marketing is still a vital channel for seizing consumers' time, especially with timely messages and headlines that prompt recipients to open and engage with the email.
3. Video Advertising: Video is one of the best formats for capturing attention. Short, clear, and concise video ads, like those on YouTube or TikTok, help grab consumer attention in just a few seconds.
A prominent example of successful Time Stealing Marketing is TikTok, a platform with millions of users globally. TikTok uses 15-60 second videos to capture users' attention, and marketers take advantage of this by creating simple, easily spreadable content. For instance, fashion brands launch new products through influencers and challenges, leading to a rapid increase in sales and widespread brand recognition.
YouTube also stands out with its use of "Bumper Ads", which last only 6 seconds. Despite their brevity, these ads have a huge impact due to YouTube's massive user base. These ads grab attention between videos that viewers are already engaged in, making them highly effective in a short time.
For Lazada, Southeast Asia’s largest e-commerce platform, Time Stealing Marketing strategies involve flash sales and special offers for limited times. Lazada’s events like "11.11" or "12.12" create a sense of urgency for consumers to make purchases within a set timeframe, driving huge sales in a short period.
Another legendary example of Time Stealing Marketing is QVC and its television shopping channel. QVC uses limited-time offers and urgent calls to action, such as “Order within the next 30 minutes,” to pressure consumers into quick decisions. This strategy, combined with clear product presentations, results in highly efficient sales within short periods.
Across these four examples, Time Stealing Marketing emphasizes the urgency of decision-making, which is the core of this strategy.
Business Impact
Time Stealing Marketing has multiple impacts, especially on consumer behavior. Business models that rely on short-term attention must consider factors like content frequency, brand association with consumer needs, and delivering up-to-date content that aligns with modern consumption behaviors.
Time Stealing Marketing is a highly effective strategy for capturing consumer attention in a digital world flooded with information and competition. Understanding its concept and aligning it with target audience behavior is crucial for long-term competitiveness.
References
1. Zuboff, Shoshana. The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power, PublicAffairs, 2019.
2. Digital Marketing Research Center, Bangkok University, Digital Marketing and Communication Strategies in the Digital Age, 2019.
3. Kotler, Philip, Marketing 4.0: Moving from Traditional to Digital, Wiley, 2017.
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