One of the latest buzzwords in internet marketing circles is “dayparting”, which describes providing unique website content or communication to customers during different times of the day (for more information, see this article). This is essentially just a way to describe the intersection between always-connected customers and how time of day affects the effectiveness of marketing to them. As the article describes, there is indeed a tremendous wealth of data available showing correlation between the type of content consumed and time of day. Whether clients are running marketing campaigns or just trying to optimize the effectiveness of their site, here are some thoughts from Diagram on how dayparting can be a beneficial strategy to invest in:
- Some organizations don't prioritize mobile, relying on data that suggests that the majority of traffic is desktop based. But in order for these companies to tap into today's connected consumer, they'll need to rely on tactics like email marketing and social media. These two channels are prime for mobile consumption, and the data about dayparting reinforces the need for organizations to have the right mobile infrastructure in place.
- Many companies regularly send out email blasts or schedule published content. Dayparting can lend insight to traffic patterns and analytics. Understanding that different types of information are more enticing to customers at different points in the day can lead to more strategic content publishing—hopefully leading to more eyes on your message.
- Dayparting can provide inspiration for targeted content and calls to action. Leveraging your CMS's content targeting rules and combining those with data about what content might resonate best at a specific time of day may unlock exciting new ways to engage with your customers.
- If you are trying to effect behavior change in an individual (e.g. an application that is designed to help people eat healthy or conserve energy) or trying to increase the likelihood of a sale, timing is everything. By creating scenarios where persuasive messaging is placed in front of a person at just the right time, you create a powerful trigger that can result in specific actions. Being able to design for interactions at specific times and places is an exciting new opportunity made possible by the rise of mobility. Dayparting could be key in helping you get a handle on when and where your content will be most persuasive.
These are just a few thoughts about how dayparting can be an effective strategy for your website, and it’s obvious that as technology and the way people use it continue to evolve, this is just one thing you’ll want to keep in mind when planning how to make your website work for you. Please let us know if you have any questions or would like to consult with Diagram on how you can implement dayparting as part of your website’s marketing strategy.
