My instagram account is turning 1 year old this month. The algorithm has changed and shifted multiple times according to trends, challenges, reviews, and advertisements that catered to my personal interests. By this time, instagram knows my preferences whether it's about beauty products, hair care, workout routine, or even a simple smoothie recipe with the ingredients the algorithm knows I usually use. In this developed stage where all content that could possibly excite you each day is right at your fingertips, why would the marketing and advertising fields not take advantage of it? Especially if such brands know a specific demographic will sway into the strategies used and are not hesitant to impulsively click the “buy now” link attached in the influencer’s caption. That specific demographic consists mostly of women.
Studies focusing on women’s consumer behavior and on gender relation to impulsive buying, such as surveys conducted by psychologist James A. Roberts, brings to the front this general fact: female consumers indulge in impulsive purchasing behavior more than male consumers. From a marketing strategist perspective, it is definitely in the best interest of the team behind a product to leverage psychological triggers such as impulsive buying through the best available agent possible. In the case of social media, the agents would be influencers. And the target here is women.
Influencers can range from people who market their own lifestyle and creations, to people who make an active living by promoting and marketing product quality and efficiency through reviews, challenges, etc. Most of us familiar with our feed in instagram may have a variety of influencers’ content being there that shows them suggesting products and offering discounts. But do we know about the strategies that are being implemented into this niche of marketing that most of us ignore until the transactions are made and the product is at our front door? Unfortunately only those who rummage through the influencer’s page for authenticity and “paid promotion” labels under reels do. Others are not only ignorant, but are also on a streak of increasing their impulsive purchasing behavior.
So, is it that bad that we get convinced by the emotional story of an influencer explaining the increase in confidence in her life after using a certain face cream? Yes, because not being able to identify the strategy she is using there could cost you your savings, give you financial stress, tie your happiness with materialistic things, and even lead to overconsumption. The more aware the consumer is about marketing strategies, the lesser the likelihood of poor purchasing decisions. Let’s take a look at how you could be more aware as a woman consumer:
Scan the Framing: Pay attention to the way the influencer “frames” the content. If a sense of urgency is being created by using phrases such as limited time offer, high demand, best-seller, etc., they are urging you to impulsively consider the purchase.
Know Your Budget: Set up your personal spending goals so you know whether your purchasing actions align with your current financial safety.
Use Other Resources: Reading public reviews, ratings, and comparing prices elsewhere all ensure the validity of the product being promoted by the influencer, and save you from making a poor choice. Research them!
Self-Esteem Traps: Targeting women’s self-esteem is a very easy trap, thanks to society. Understand that no product is a quick-fix for your self-esteem. Know that your confidence and beauty does not come from the products your favorite influencer is talking about, but from you.
Most importantly, as much as there are consequences in this case, as long as you are purchasing any product by being mindful of the reason that led you to the purchase, and the product brings you pure joy, allow yourself the simple happiness coming from a healthy purchase. You deserve it! Hopefully, this skill to filter out manipulative social media content could be a new addition to your super-woman list!
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Vismaya Praveen Nair
Bentonville, AR
Instagram: @vismayaaa_nair
Sources
Roberts, James A. "Compulsive buying among college students: an investigation of its antecedents, consequences, and implications for public policy." Journal of consumer affairs 32.2 (1998): 295-319.
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