MFG #02: Data Manipulation, User Research, The Rule of 7, and more
Manipulated Data, The Rule of 7, User Research, Airtel's Poorly Written Error Message, and more.
Hi there.
Long time, no talk. Notice anything different?
The past couple months have been a little busy for me.
I completed my Product Marketing Bootcamp with Treford, taught content strategy to a room of 25+ executives at Africa's #1 Investment Bank, and am now teaching a 2-month BootCamp on content creation in tech to 20+ women for EmpowerHer's BootCamp program (in partnership with Non-Tech In Tech).
I've learnt a few things along the way, some of which I will mention in today's newsletter.
Let's dive in!
🔑1 Interesting Thing
These past couple months, I have gotten a lot more interested in data, especially regarding its place in product and marketing. As I have consumed more data, from research reports, user interviews, product data, and many more, I have started appreciating the importance of data-driven marketing more and more.
However, I have also learnt that data could mean anything without context. Data doesn't lie, but it sure can be manipulated. For example, I saw a news report from Business Insider claiming that "nearly half of Gen Z is using TikTok and Instagram for search instead of Google, according to Google's own data." Of course, that was too wild a claim for me to take at face value. Further investigation revealed to me that this was from a survey of US users (important to me because this was from Business Insider Africa) and that these users were using Instagram and TikTok to search for places to eat. However, the report gave the impression that Gen Z people everywhere were using TikTok and Instagram to search for more important information.
I also came upon another report implying that Gen Z people actually preferred in-person work to remote work (unfortunately, I cannot find the link). Further investigation revealed that when the author of the report was searching for respondents, she asked specifically to speak to Gen Z people who preferred in-person work. Of course, that means all data she got from her interviews were skewed because she was just seeking respondents to confirm her theory.
My key takeaways as a marketer?
Never take data at face value. Look into the research methods and ask questions.
When working with data, context is important. For example, I recently built a research report on Nigerians' tweets on Democracy Day. Context helped me make sense of the data I found.
When searching for data or conducting research, beware of confirmation bias
💭3 Insights
#1. Use age ranges rather than generation categories
One of my biggest grouses with the marketing industry is this newfound obsession with the Gen-Z generation. I find it interesting that the generation with such little spending power has been elevated as THE generation marketing needs to consider. More than that, though, I disagree with the sweeping generalisations assigned to Gen Z individuals.
Barely 5 years ago, the marketing industry was all about millennials and millennials were said to be so different from all the generations that came before. They were "disruptors", unconventional and unafraid, breaking all the rules and norms. Sound familiar? Read this quote from a 2019 book and tell me that isn't similar to what is being said about today's Gen Z's.
Turns out these are attributes that are generally assigned to people within a certain range, not people within a certain generation category. Of course, Gen Z's are disruptors; aren't all young people? I have found out that many of the character traits assigned to Gen Z individuals can easily apply to any young person born in a different time. People thought young people were rude and unconventional in 1990, just as they do in 2022. Gen Z individuals are more tech-savvy than other individuals, sure. But it is in the same way that young people are often the earliest adaptors of new technology.
Gen Z isn't a special generation any more than millennials or boomers are. Perhaps, rather than saying you're selling to Gen Z people (who will get older in a few years and might no longer be your target audience), say you are selling to young people within a specific age range.
#2. Repetition matters in advertising
Heard about The Rule of 7 in marketing? The Rule of 7 is an old marketing principle theorizing that potential customers need to see a message at least 7 times before they take the desired action. Here's a real example. Sometime last week, I downloaded Chipper Cash for their virtual card offering. Then I stopped to think. I had heard about this virtual card weeks before I decided to download the app. I had seen their billboard, seen their ads on YouTube and Google, and even heard about the card via word-of-mouth on Twitter. But it took months of seeing these ads before I felt compelled to actually take action.
This means running an ad for 2 days isn't enough for conversion. Marketing messages need to be repeated constantly for them to work. The Rule of 7 is still very relevant today. The next time you run an ad campaign (or just prepare any sales content), think about The Rule of 7 and how that comes into play. Should you keep your ad running for a longer period? Are you including re-targeting in your ad strategy? Are you mapping your content to a marketing funnel? Do you have a nurture campaign?
Conversion can only come when awareness is established.
#3. Don't ask customers what they want
One mistake marketers often make when conducting user research is asking customers what they want or if they would use your product. There's a quote by Henry Ford that succinctly sums up my thoughts on this:
"If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses."
I have found that you will find more insights by asking customers about their problems, frustrations, and needs than by asking them solution-related questions. Rather than asking customers to suggest features, ask them what they wish they could do that they can't do at the moment. Rather than asking customers what they want, you could ask what they do not want. Rather than asking customers if they'd use your product, ask them about what alternatives they currently use to solve their problem. If your solution has advantages over their current alternatives, you have an easy marketing message.
An example I gave in my recent class comes to mind. I illustrated my point using an example of Cowrywise and Piggyvest. If you asked potential customers what alternatives they currently use to solve the problem of saving money, you might find that your largest competitors aren't Cowrywise or Piggyvest, but homemade "kolos", regular banks, cooperative organisations, or even family & friends that let you keep money with them. This can help you easily define your marketing message to capture customers in that category.
P.S. In the content creation bootcamp I’ve been teaching, I had a class on how to use user research to build buyer personas and voice & tone guides. I included sample questions you can ask when doing user research.
If you get three people to subscribe to Marketing For Geeks, I will give you access to my PDF from this class. Reply to this email saying "I am interested in the referral program" to know more.
⚡5 Pieces of Marketing
#1. This campaign by Fourth Canvas👍🏽
#2. This pop-up on Hootsuite👍🏽
#3. This push notification by HeyFood👎🏽
#4. This error notification from Airtel👎🏽
#5. This milestone message from Candy Crush👍🏽
(Humble Brag: I’m on 10k levels now)
Opportunities
Know any tech founders looking to raise funding? Enterscale has partnered with Nex Rubica to create the Technology Investment Program. Pocket size is $10,000 to $5,000,000. Find out all about it here.
What I’m Reading
Startup School’s Library - There are so many gems on here, especially if you work in the growth or product department.