There are four common types of consumer behavior: habitual buying, complex buying, variety-seeking, and dissonance-reducing buying behavior (American Marketing Association, 2024). However, impulse buying is sometimes seen as a fifth musketeer. Impulse buying behavior consists of purchases that have a low involvement. They are random purchases that can vary in pricing, but they are generally lower-cost items due to their nature. We can find many of these products near the supermarket checkout stations. In a mall, you might find a massage kiosk, a service you can purchase impulsively.
Today, impulse purchases have become a hot topic. Before the highly digital age, these impulse buys were often advertised on TV with a phone number you could call or placed in highly targeted locations to capture your attention. Today, as you navigate online, you are leaving a digital footprint with loads of information. These footprints tell entities about your preferences and can even help businesses suggest items and services you are inclined to purchase based on your behavior. Covid sped up the development of these capabilities as businesses were inclined to move their operations online to stay afloat. Think about how random products and service advertisements on your digital devices are so precise. Since purchasing these products and services is not planned, the burden of hitting that buy button is heavily on the company. How can companies overcome this burden? It starts with an online presence on multiple platforms.
The Pew Research Center (2024) conducted a survey that shows the % of U.S. adults who visit certain platforms by a specific age:
The factors that dictate consumer interaction with digital platforms, specifically social media, vary among those, including but not limited to age, level of education, and gender. TikTok attracts a younger age segment, while Facebook (Meta) attracts a more aged crowd (The Pew Research Center, 2024). Online impulse buying also varies between product categories within certain age segments (Sarah et al., 2021). Research suggests that visuals and navigational tools are relevant factors that trigger online impulse purchases (Sarah et al., 2021).
There are several ways to approach impulse buying behavior campaigns, including social media marketing campaigns, informational campaigns, email campaigns, and digital advertisements. However, companies should conduct research to ensure that they execute digital marketing campaigns on beneficial platforms. If the age segment is 40+, there may be better places to market the product or service than TikTok. Consider using multiple platforms. For example, you might use Instagram to capture attention but may also need to leverage YouTube.
American Marketing Association (2024). Consumer behavior. American Marketing Association. https://www.ama.org/topics/consumer-behavior/
Pew Research Center (2024). Social media fact sheet. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/social-media/?tabItem=5b319c90-7363-4881-8e6f-f98925683a2f
Sarah, F. H., Goi, C. L., Chieng, F., & Taufique, K. M. R. (2021). Examining the influence of atmospheric cues on online impulse buying behavior across product categories: insights from an emerging e-market. Journal of Internet Commerce, 20(1), 25–45. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332861.2020.1836593
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