Shifting from Traffic First to Audience First: Building Lasting Relationships in the Digital Age

Strategies continue to change in the world of digital marketing. We read every single day that there’s a new edge to paid ads, that there’s a new formula for SEO success, and more. It all makes sense, strategies must adapt to meet the changing needs and behaviors of consumers. Typically, a lot of marketers have adopted this “traffic first” mindset, where the main goal is to rank for a specific keyword and rely on Google to deliver content to users based on the intent of the keyword. Yes, this method can provide traffic, it misses on adding meaningful connections between the brand its audience.

Why Traffic First Fails

Traffic first only works when you have a delusion in your head that high search engine ranks naturally lead to higher brand engagement as well as customer loyalty. Now obviously, without me telling you, there’s issues with that. Users search for information, find what they need, and then go about their business. All of this to say that there is little to no opportunity to build affinity with the brand or establish a relationship with your audience.

Here’s an easy exercise. Take your own online behavior; how often do you Google something, click on a website for the answer, and then remember the website? Don’t lie, the answer is never or hardly ever. This fleeting engagement highlights the fundamental flaw in a Traffic First world — it prioritizes short-term visibility over long-term connection.

The Audience First Approach

On the opposite end of this entire spectrum is the Audience First strategy which pushes the belief that we should consistently deliver value to the market. This strategy focuses on building a loyal following by providing content that’ll resonate with the audience and meet their needs over time (or immediate). By creating value, engaging, and building relevant content, brands can cultivate followers that are fans.

When or if you ever implement this approach, you’ll notice the docs of quality rather than quantity. Instead of chasing fleeting traffic spikes, brands will invest time in creating genuine interactions. Pre-built trust is a concept of this approach!

The Benefits of Building Relationships

We don’t have to talk too much on this as we should all know it by now, but some of the audience first advantages are:

• Increased Loyalty and Retention
• Better Engagement
• Higher Lifetime Value
• Reduced Competition

The Transition

Moving from Traffic First to Audience First is more than just saying you’ll shift. It’s actually doing so… Here are some steps to take in order to ease into the strategy shift:

• Understand Your Audience: Take time to understand your audience’s actual needs, their preferences, and their pain points. Take this insight and create content which focuses on solving their issues.
• Create Valuable Content: You can have a ton of fluff content and guess what? It won’t do ANYTHING for you… Create high-quality content that provides genuine value. This would or could include educational content, insightful blog posts, engaging videos, or even interactive social media posts.
• Engage Consistently: While you’re producing a ton of content that helps your audience, you need to remember to engage with your audience. Respond to comments, participate in discussions, and show genuine interest in their feedback and opinions.

Takeaways

We’re all on our phones, tablets, or laptops and we know that you’re a piece of some sort of digital audience. So, it’s more important now than ever to build lasting relationships with your audience. Adopting an audience first approach will provide a loyal community that not only engages with your brand, but also advocates for it. This shift from the Traffic First strategy helps build a sustainable, competitive advantage in the marketplace.