How Do People Use Your Website?

Myers-Briggs, astrology, the enneagram —sometimes I wonder why humans are so obsessed with personality quizzes, but when I consider it from a neurological perspective, it seems logical we would want to classify ourselves in order to better make sense of our own behavior (or that of others). Even before scientific studies were so prevalent, observational data has been collected across a variety of cultures and centuries of human societies. As with anything, when some patterns are consistent across such a broad spectrum of data, they probably hold some truth, even if we aren’t sure why. What does this have to do with your website or social media calendar?

It would be unwise to completely dismiss these tools from the table when considering your market. Look at personality tools like quick guides for the user on the other side of your browser. Which personality type does your marketing tend to attract and how do those people tend to interact with the world? Use this information to funnel your focus and what you invest in with design and content. As an example, if your brand is geared towards people who love to explore, they are likely curious and into novelty. Make your product discoverable on other platforms that would appeal to their natures. Keep your content fresh.

If your audience is more of a homebody, they probably value safety. Make sure their information is secure. Focus on building a more steady, loyal (and maybe small group?) online community. What about the rule follower or planner in the group (Enneagram type 1 anybody)? Communicate clearly and often, and don’t be too cheeky. Make sure your navigation is obvious on your platforms and try to include calendars when possible. These are the people that want to know when their item has shipped, for instance.

Obviously these aren’t the only categories to explore, but you get the idea. Which personality test can you NOT make all about you, but instead use to understand your clients instead? How can you serve this group more fully now that you better know what they need?

Give them the Fun: The American Market Appreciates Indulgence

In some countries, like Russia, Portugal, Italy, China and India, restraint is not just a virtue, but a way of life. Generations are raised with the undercurrent that fun and enjoyment are excess or occasional gifts meant to spice up life - at least for the majority of the people who live there. In indulgent countries, like Mexico, Sweden, Australia, the UK, and the United States, fun is virtually viewed as a right.

If America was a person, she may not be the life of the party (that’s definitely Mexico), but she’s absolutely an extrovert. She likes a challenge and loves to work hard, but she also feels fulfilled with many kinds of friendships, some of which are casual and care-free, and struggles to thrive under systems with a need for too much discipline or self-control. While of course there is a spectrum of values in the population, the average American is more indulgent in nature than the majority of the world.

If you can understand this as a small business, maybe you can even learn to love, work with, and even mature it into a deeper version of itself. Online, Americans are often the connectors. They use the internet for the loose socialization they appreciate in reality and explore other countries and spaces frequently. They are quick and open to sharing fun information, trends, and humor.

Americans are less likely to judge your business for candidly expressing itself and more appreciative of direct, honest discussion. Their general ability to connect quickly also allows you to add variety to your marketing without too much fear of losing your audience. They are used to diversity and, in general, find fast ways to relate.

The ability to savor the pleasures in life is often preceded by an optimistic disposition. It may be hard to believe at times, but this is actually true of America. We are optimists. Even in the midst of struggle, we like partaking in joy, humor, and friendly comedy. No matter what your niche is, keep in mind all Americans want to have fun. It’s your job to find what’s fun for your market.

A Short-Term Mindset

With so much on socials about how modern generations lack focus, it probably comes as no surprise that Americans score low in terms of long-term orientation. If your audience is largely from the states, then they are probably short-sighted. What may be enlightening to some, is how this orientation impacts the way we tend to interact with the organizations we come across.

American audiences have less patience when it comes to visible results. Yes, this may mean you need to manage expectations clearly and highlight the ares of success more readily; however, many small businesses fail to recognize this also translates to an expectation of timely customer service. Whether it’s realistic or not, your clients likely expect you to address each of their concerns visibly and swiftly.

Depending on your field, fast results may not be possible. In this case, education and culture building can be used to recalibrate the beliefs your market adopts as valuable. You can use some of the benefits of short-term orientation to do this very thing.

People who have been raised in places like America tend to appreciate anything that helps them make good decisions in a timely manner. Ratings, data, infographics, and evidence based arguments ease our minds. Truthful information in easy-to-digest formats can be your best friend. Short-term audiences also love a good trend. Don’t be afraid to participate in them, or even set some. Understand you can use these tools as culture builders, not just as a mechanism for appealing to your customers. Move people towards a bigger perspective by starting with what feels a little more familiar and usable in their minds.

Uncertainty Accepting, an Underlying Current in your American Market

So far, I have touched on equality and independence, and now I will move the heuristic discussion on to the metric of Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI). If you want to dive deeper into the psychology of different markets, I learned the majority of these topics from The Web Psychologist, Nathalie Nahai. You can find her website here.

Despite what the media may have us believing, the USA (as a whole) actually ranks pretty high in our willingness to accept uncertainty. This makes sense because we are, after all, a nation of immigrants with a higher genetic propensity for dopamine seeking behavior (see The Molecule of More by Daniel Z. Lieberman and Michael E. Long). We appreciate flexibility, innovation, the entrepreneurial spirit, and we tend to turn our nose up at rigidity in institutions, laws, or structures. In practical terms this means we like websites and platforms where we can explore (think Reddit and search bars). We also like to interact with information how we please, instead of being forced to approach a brand in one way. Give your audience at least a couple of options, such as blogs, YouTube, podcasts, social media, or websites.

As a small business, you don’t have to do everything, but the American market appreciates the ability to dive deeper when their interest is peaked, so make sure at least one of your offerings gives them the ability to do that in some way. It can be relational (getting to know you or your business more intimately) or more complex insights into ideas (educational blogs or videos for example) or both!

How Independence Shapes Your Market

It’s no secret Americans value independence. We were born from the idea of personal freedom, after all. Internationally, we rank the highest - just above Australia- in how strongly we prize autonomy, and we form our identity around the individual, rather than the community. If your customer base is American (or maybe Australian), then, it is critical to acknowledge the idea of independence as a foundational orientation in your marketing strategy.

People in America are expected to have enough freedom and equality (as I mentioned in my last blog) to take care of themselves. The onus is largely on the individual to be self-sufficient and find a way to meet their needs. With that also comes an expectation for sovereignty over one’s own life (and time). We value personal time, privacy, and the ability to travel. Because we place less emphasis on communal ties, we tend to be riskier and are often motivated by things that benefit us as an individual. This explains a higher level of competitiveness and adventure, a tendency towards tangible or visible expressions of achievement, a love of the rebel spirit, and the desire to feel unique. We like things that make us look and feel good as an individual (though there is a high level of variance in what those things are).

The American tendency towards independence works well for all small businesses in the sense that there is always a market for what you are selling out there. It can also present challenges—if your brand involves encouraging people to ask for help or sacrifice personal time for the community, for instance. Like any good therapist, though, it’s important to meet the client where they are. Speak the language they understand and relate to first, understand this coding drives their decision-making, and open them up to different ways of being as you build a relationship with them. You’ve got this, you self-sufficient rebel.

Market Heuristics: How Culture Influences your Audience

If you have ever traveled to a foreign country, you may have found yourself confused about how to navigate cultural differences and how they come up in every day interactions. A common shock in many countries, for instance, is how open many Americans are when talking to strangers. With a country as diverse and sprawling as ours, though, you don’t have to travel internationally to see the way culture influences how people react to things. The bluntness of New England—the superficiality of LA—the “polite” South. These are all stereotypes born from cultural differences and priorities. Generational differences, too, can be a challenge to reach across in our own communities. Gen Z is often seen as being unable to focus or commit to anything; however, they have been raised with a high level of customization. Is it possible that perspective can help us to understand and work with them better?

Heuristics are how our brains cruise control on decision-making, and the cultures we come up in set the code for what those heuristics look like. If you live in America, there are some general cultural norms you can be aware of as a starting point, and then further research your specific market niche from there.

The first one I’ll touch on is equality. America ranks pretty high in terms of the level of equality they expect for the least of us. This may seem obvious, but when fleshed out, it clarifies a lot of unseen motivators. What appears to be entitlement, for instance, may be the flip side of the same hidden beliefs that allow us to fight for the freedoms of communities we don’t even know. Whatever your market, who has the least power in the system? If you work in education, it is likely the child. In any market, the casual or passive consumer is often the least powerful within the community. Understand that in our culture there is a low tolerance for exclusion at these levels or a high expectation for fair treatment regardless of the level of power people hold in the system. This idea shapes people’s subconscious expectations of fairness, and even influences what qualities are attractive in a brand. Think of the ways we respect companies and people who share their expertise and give followers tidbits of education on their socials for free. Being aware of this influence is the first step towards working with it in a way that works for your business. How can you express equality in your market?

Help your Audience Make Decisions: Reframing Scarcity in Marketing with Positive Urgency

You’ve seen scarcity used on every platform. We all have. Hell, we have even used it! “One day sale” and “Only 3 available” or even the idea of an early bird window all pull on this marketing tactic. Based on our previous chats, you may guess this is useful because it targets the primal brain. In ethical marketing, though, the goal is not to manipulate the audience, but to serve them as best you can. When it comes to using scarcity, then, we need to orient ourselves around positive urgency rather than fear tactics.

It should go without saying, but deadlines and numbers should be honest and practical. What are the deadlines you actually need for the backend work? How many products are actually available? We also need to recognize that humans were designed to be seasonal creatures, rather than having nearly everything available all at once.

Our world now has so many options, 24/7. It can actually be helpful, then, for businesses to create some windows of services and remove some of the decision-fatigue of daily life. In turn, this also creates demand for your customers when those windows are open. If it’s a seasonal event or product, for instance, they begin to look forward to it; and, if you do it with intention, it helps to create rhythm in their lives and in your community. Take a look at your business and look for areas where you can benefit your client with rhythms and positive urgency.